"Wouldn't that be considered appropriation" — Netizens react to Cynthia Erivo adding “micro braids” to Wicked’s Elphaba to honor black women

Cynthia Erivo's recent statement about making adjustments to the hairstyle of her Wicked character, Elphaba, has gone viral on social media.

On Wednesday, December 18, Erivo spoke to Teen Vogue about requesting to make some specific changes in the details of Elphaba's appearance in the movie. One of them involved adding micro braids in order to honor Black women.

Talking about the change with the media outlet, Erivo said:

"I knew you’d still have the movement, and you could still have the length, but there was a texture that was slightly different to what you would normally see on stage, and it was a direct connection between me as a Black woman and Elphaba as a green lady."

Netizens have reacted to Cynthia's decision, as well as the reason the actress revealed behind it.

"I'm not an expert, and I could be wrong, but wouldn't that be considered appropriation on the Wicked Witch's part?" one netizen wrote.

Some netizens called Cynthia Erivo's decision "social activism," while others criticized the actor for changing the character of the movie to fit their ego.

"This social activism needs to stop in movies and television shows. Just make the movie/show and play the part as it was meant to be - not with your spin or take on it... If these people wish to express themselves, start writing. Create your own signature character... If you can’t do that, just play the part you were hired to play," commented an X user.

"I think that lady thinks she is a hundred times smarter than she really is. I think she has a modern, and therefore stupid, style that is based on worrying about stupid things and being as different as possible from the rest of the society," added another one.

"Acting has become so much easier these days. Instead of actors working to portray the characters, characters are changed to fit the personal egos, identities and ideologies of the actors. I wonder when actors will learn that people come to the movie to see the character, not the actor," posted a third user.

Meanwhile, others defended Cynthia Erivo, praising the addition of micro braids as a beautiful way of merging identity and artistry.

"What a beautiful way to merge identity and artistry!" replied an user.

"They looked great too. I could not stop staring at those glasses frames throughout the film, gorgeous," commented another one.

"I don’t know if I fully support her reasoning-but the end result cannot be disputed and she had a fantastic look," added a sixth one.

Per Teen Vogue, the Broadway portrayal of the future Wicked Witch of the West wears her hair in long waves. The hairstyle of Cynthia Erivo in the 2024 movie is a distinction from it.

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Cynthia Erivo also added "a progression" in her nails throughout the movie

Besides making adjustments to the hairstyle of her character in Wicked, Cynthia Erivo also approached the witch's nails differently. Talking about her approach, Erivo told Teen Vogue:

"I wanted a progression. How she grows as a witch and a woman. Some people wear makeup, I always have my nails done. It’s like another extended way of expressing myself."

A closer examination of Elphaba's nails in the John M. Chu movie reveals that her nails change and grow darker as the plot progresses.

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Wicked— starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo— was released in the US on November 22, 2024, and has since grossed over $534 million on the Box Office.