Cynthia Erivo says she won’t return to Broadway as Elphaba after Wicked

Cynthia Erivo says she has no plans to reprise her role as Elphaba in the Broadway production of Wicked, explaining that stepping back from the stage role now feels like the right choice following the widespread success of the movie adaptation.

The 38‑year‑old actress, who starred as Elphaba in Wicked: For Good, discussed the idea during an appearance on The View. Erivo said that returning to the iconic role on Broadway would feel “a little selfish” given how many people around the world have already experienced her performance through the film.

“We’ve been given such a gift with this version, and everyone is seeing it,” she said, noting that the movie has made the story accessible to audiences in their homes and cinemas.

Rather than returning to Broadway, Erivo wants to leave room for other performers to take on Elphaba on stage, a decision she called generous and supportive of the broader theatre community. She said that the film’s success “provides more room for other women to go do [the role on Broadway].”

Erivo has a strong theatre background, including a Tony Award for her Broadway debut in The Color Purple. Her portrayal of Elphaba in the Wicked film has drawn widespread attention and praise, but she indicated that she prefers to let new talent shine in the stage version rather than revisit the role herself.

Looking ahead, the actress is embracing fresh challenges. She is set to tackle a one‑woman production of Dracula in London’s West End, in which she will portray 23 different characters — a role she has described as both thrilling and daunting. Erivo also has other major projects lined up, including film adaptations of Prima Facie and Children of Blood and Bone, the latter expected to arrive in 2027.

Erivo’s comments about Wicked reflect a thoughtful perspective on passing the torch to a new generation of performers, even as her own career continues to expand across stage and screen.