Disney Gets “Woke” — And That’s a Good Thing

The live action Mulan is set to be released March 27, 2020.

Growing-up, I played with Barbie dolls with blonde hair and blue eyes, and I wanted to be like Jessica Wakefield from the Sweet Valley High books. It wasn’t until I was introduced to Claudia Kishi (a Japanese-American teenager with “long, silky black hair and dark, almond-shaped eyes”) from The Babysitter’s Club book series that I truly felt represented in the media I consumed. Later, the Disney movie Mulan showed me that a young Asian girl could be strong in battle and fight for her family. Although Mulan isn’t technically a “princess,” I know it meant a lot for me and other Asian girls to see a character like Mulan in the same family as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and The Little Mermaid.

Now, a new generation of kids will meet Mulan again — this time in a live-action movie. Disney debuted a new teaser in July, and although there were some mixed reactions from people (no songs from the original movie, no Mushu, and no Li Shang), I was really intrigued with the story’s new direction. Mulan is still a warrior, trying to break the chains of being a traditional daughter, but the movie’s tone seems to be more of a historical action movie compared to a musical like in the animated version. I will miss the songs, but I’m actually looking forward to seeing the movie without the musical numbers. Other live-action Disney movies like Cinderella and Maleficent weren’t musicals either and worked pretty well. I’m really happy the cast is made up of Asian actors, too. Disney also went with authenticity with this summer’s live action Lion King remake by casting African-American voice actors in a movie that is heavily inspired by African culture and set in Africa. The Aladdin live action movie, which recently passed $1 billion at the box office, also accurately portrayed a Middle Eastern actor Mena Massoud in the lead role, although there was some controversy with the casting of Naomi Scott (who is of Indian descent) as Jasmine.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01ON04GCwKs&w=600&h=400]

Around the same time the Mulan teaser dropped, Halle Bailey (not Berry) was announced as Ariel in the live-action version of The Little Mermaid. I wasn’t familiar with her, but after some research, that girl can sing (unlike, say, Emma Watson who played Belle in the Beauty and the Beast remake).

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4MajGTp1x8&w=600&h=400]

“After an extensive search, it was abundantly clear that Halle possesses that rare combination of spirit, heart, youth, innocence, and substance — plus a glorious singing voice — all intrinsic qualities necessary to play this iconic role,” director Rob Marshall said in a statement.

Many people applauded the choice to cast Bailey as Ariel, and by casting a black teen, we may also see other black actors cast as her family. (Idris Elba for King Triton gets my vote!)

Unfortunately, with the announcement, #notmyariel also trended on social media, but I believe change can be good. Look at Zendaya as Michelle (MJ) in the Spider-Man movies and Candice Patton as Iris West in The Flash TV show (both characters are white in the comics). People can argue that Disney is trying to win “woke” points by casting POC in their live action remakes, but for the kids who are looking for representation in pop culture, seeing someone who looks like them on the big screen will surely make a powerful and lasting impression.