"Radiant as always!": Fans react as Cynthia Erivo poses for the cover of Essence Magazine

Just a few minutes after the Defying Gravity star announced her portrayal of Jesus in the Hollywood Bowl's production of "Jesus Christ Superstar," Cynthia Erivo stuns her followers with magazine pictorials for Essence Magazine.

The magazine shared visuals of the shoot via their Instagram page @HollywoodBowl with the caption:

"Defying all odds. From Broadway to Hollywood, her brilliance knows no bounds. ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Cultural Icon honoree is a powerhouse redefining what it means to be a heroin, one fearless performance at a time, showing that gravity is only a limited construct of the mind."

In the pictures, Cynthia Erivo wears a white gown with feather-like detailing. The gown features a key-shaped cut-out on the chest area and high shoulders. The second and third slides show the Wicked actress dressed in a strapless off-white gown with splashes of black. She pairs it with shiny black boots. The last slide shows Cynthia Erivo in a black-and-white photo wearing a high-low sleeveless gown with rosette detailing on the skirt.

Pop Crave shared the pictures via their official X account @PopCrave, and netizens had a lot to say about the visuals.

@NessaC_Me commented.

"Radiant as always!"

Similar comments praised the actress.

"Cynthia Erivo always brings elegance and power to everything she does! Seeing her grace the cover of Essence Magazine is another well-deserved moment for her," @The_LunaRae stated.

"Cynthia Erivo is absolutely stunning on the cover of Essence Magazine! She radiates grace and power." @Zeeshan_Ashfaq7 praised.

"The cover is unbelievable has a lot of creativity," @IngridDiazactor commented.

More fans praised the actress.

"She looks so beautiful," @anthonyzamanz praised.

"Elegant and powerful cover" @itsStillMe_ commented.

"Still looking powerful," @krypto_manlet stated.

While fans praised Cynthia's look and the cover's creativity, some didn't appreciate the look, and others didn't approve of the actress's upcoming role as Jesus.

"She would be even prettier if she didn't mock religion..." @liamxneedy commented.

"What kinda fashion is this?" @Robinephy replied.

"We don't care, she shouldn't play Jesus," @bfaulkner401 stated.

"She took Wicked too seriously that she still hasn't stopped being a witch," @rupicola_via commented.

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More details on Cynthia Erivo gracing Essence Magazine cover

Cynthia Erivo was one of the Essence Magazine Black Women In Hollywood honorees alongside cultural icons like Raamla Mohammed, Marla Gibbs, and Teyana Taylor. She appears on the cover in three different outfits. The first picture shows her rocking a Schiaparelli dress; in the second picture, she wears a Jason Wu dress paired with Louboutin heels, and in the third slide, she wears an Ashi Studio dress.

Read more: Why did Meghan Markle change the name of her lifestyle brand? Hidden Instagram clues revealed

As reported by Essence Magazine, Cynthia Erivo describes how her character, Elphaba, can influence Black women.

"The thing I hope that Black women and Black girls take away from this character is: You don't necessarily have to wait for someone to see who you are to be celebrated."

She continues:

"You can step into yourself and into what you think might be your destiny. You can be all of who you are—and take the time to discover what that is. I know that when we step into a room, it can be really difficult, because you're navigating preconceived notions of who you are and what you can do," says Cynthia.

"And the only way you can combat that is just by being everything you are, over and over again. It's practice and repetition. If you keep showing up, if you keep being who you are, eventually no one can really question it."

Read more: "The sun and the moon bow for yall!": Fans react to Winnie Harlow and Kyle Kuzma's engagement.

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Jason Bolden styled Cynthia Erivo, and Joanna Simkin did her makeup. Kanya Iwana took her pictures.