Disney Faces Backlash Over New Peter Pan And Wendy Trailer

On their quest to remake old animated classics and turn them into live-action movies, Disney is again receiving some severe internet backlash. The new Peter Pan and Wendy trailer dropped on their official YouTube Channel. To say that the internet is not too happy about this would be an understatement. Since the Peter Pan and Wendy Trailer launch, fans have been flocking to the comment section to voice their displeasure.

Peter Pan and Wendy are set to release on Disney Plus in April. For the casting, Alexander Molony and Ever Anderson will be taking the roles of Peter Pan and Wendy as the titled characters. Jude Law will portray Captain Hook, while Alan Tudyk will be taking on the role of Mr. Darling. Tinkerbell will be played by Yara Shahidi, causing the most controversy right now. On the Director’s chair will be David Lowery, tasked with bringing this imaginary island of Neverland to life.

The Backlash Against Peter Pan and Wendy

Like with The Little Mermaid starring Hella Bailey, the backlash against Peter Pan and Wendy is expected. The film completely overhauls the original and sadly falls into every trap from previous Action films. There is a reason why people are so obsessed with animated series and movies. It creates a fantasy world and captures magic unlike anything else. For many years, Disney has understood this and stood atop the mountain of animation alone.

Sadly, these days, that magic has long since left the company. Now a shell of its former self in terms of quality, Disney is holding on for dear life as critics rip it apart. Live-action films cannot capture the magic of the original animation and fall far short in many other aspects. Like with the CGI in The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan and Wendy suffer from a similar problem. Although not plagued by bad CGI, the film does need more lighting. The entire trailer is riddled with darkness. This is a far contrast from what we are used to with the animated Peter Pan Movie.

The actual casting is another significant point of contention. The lost boys in this film are no longer boys. With girls now part of the lost boys’ group, many felt it took away from the original. This was a small change that I did not mind. Based on the trailer, the movie has much deeper problems than a few girls dressed as lost boys. Before getting to those problems, we must address the giant elephant in the room.

The Peter Pan Race Swapping Debate

Disney decided that with Peter Pan and Wendy, they would follow a recent trend of swapping the skin color of a leading actor. Yara Shahidi will be making the role of Tinkerbell her own. Up until the announcement of this live-action, Tinkerbell has always been portrayed as white. Alexander Molony, the titled character of Peter Pan, is also of mixed-race descent. As one can imagine, this could have sat better with those who were not in favor of Race-swapping characters. One of the only main characters to keep their original Race is Captain Hook. In typical internet fashion, this, of course, also received pushback. Many felt that they kept Captain Hook white to drive the point of evil white men home. Of course, if they were to have swapped him, that would have also been a problem.

I will say the same thing whenever it comes to the debate of Race swapping. Inclusion and diversity are essential. Although I know that Disney only does this to pander, I am okay with it if it means more representation. I also stated this in yesterday’s piece, but I have a long list of things that make a movie bad. The race or sex of a character is not reflected on that list. My criteria for a film are simple. Just write a good script and cast good actors. Everything will fall into place after that. With that said, it is just my personal opinion. One that you are allowed to disagree with. Disagreeing with this take does not make you a racist. The topic of race swapping is a complicated one for many.

Just Create Your Own IP

A big argument for those against Race swapping always comes down to one simple thing. Why can’t you create a new IP? You have classic characters. They come in all races, all colors, and all sexes. Leave them as is and create new characters. Unfortunately, the topic of race swapping is complicated, and there are no easy answers. Creating unique IPs with strong black or gay leads is worth exploring. It is also something already happening. Disney recently released a new IP, Strange World. The lead character, Ethan Clade, played by Jaboukie Young-White, is black and gay. As you can imagine, the film was dismissed as a woke disaster.

Once again, this movie’s problems ran deeper than people simply not liking a black or gay character, but the point is new IPs do exist. The second argument is always to recreate strong black or female leads from the past instead of race-swapping. Movies and series with strong black leads have always existed. From Wesley Snipes as Blade To Halle Berry as Storm from The X-Men, black-led Firms are there. The question becomes, why can’t existing IPs become more inclusive as well? The answer will come down to your feelings on the topic. I cannot tell you how to feel. Therefore, I am still trying to determine a clear answer for you. Unfortunately, all I have to offer is my own opinion.

The Pandering Of Disney

When it comes to Disney, everyone knows where their values lie. Most people, by this point, know that Disney does not stand for any social issues. Their interest solely lies in the profit margins. The moment that gets affected, you will see how quickly they throw social problems out the window. You do not need to look further than the recent Buzz Light Year Movie starring Chris Evans. They had a lesbian couple in the movie. When some religious nations voiced their displeasure, Disney quickly removed it.

One of the most famous examples is John Boyega in Star Wars. Disney was quick to use him in the West, but when China said no thank you, they shrunk him down on the posters quicker than you could blink. Large Corporations like these are sadly never on your side. All you can do is hope that you are part of the group they happen to pander to this time.

Conclusion

Race Swapping will continue to happen. You will have those who do not mind, and you will have those aggressively pushing back. Some will argue in good faith, and others will say in bad. It would be disingenuous to pretend that some critics of Race swapping were not deeply shallow over their reason. Although some want IPs to stay untouched, a small group of losers simply have a meltdown every time they see a black or gay person.

This might represent a small portion of the fan base, but it can be touchy for the actors stuck in the middle of those comments. On the other hand, you have those standing ready to call you every nasty name in the book for the crime of not liking a movie or series. They will deflect any criticism and label it toxic fans. Ultimately, more diverse casting for Existing IPs is set to continue, and only you can decide whether you will support it.