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Credit: ITMThe ongoing conflict between the Walt Disney Company and Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, has become more than a circus at this point in the game.The Republican politician has stirred up more than his fair share of trouble in the past year alone, with or without Disney’s involvement. That being said, he might face a more permanent fate than a lawsuit.
Those who do not learn from history are destined to repeat it, and it looks like the governor is headed down the same path as many who have crossed Disney before. With their next animated masterpiece featuring an evil monarch, there’s a possibility DeSantis might be the perfect model.
DeSantis as a Disney Villain
You know what they say, art imitates life. DeSantis has been making a big stink for Disney ever since Bob Chapek got them involved with the so-called “Don’t Say Gay Bill,” and it’s been trouble ever since. He might not be the next presidential hopeful, but he’s the perfect candidate for a villainous caricature.
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What do Ron DeSantis, Charles Mintz, and Jeffery Katzenberg have in common? They all took a stab against the Walt Disney Company and were immortalized in infamy by becoming Disney Villains.
Mintz to Muntz
On a literal front, we have the Universal Executive who captured the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit from Walt Disney himself, Charles Mintz. While most fans might not know that name, they’re likely far more familiar with the disgraced explorer in Pixar’s Up, Charles Muntz.
It’s widely believed that the conflict for the Pixar classic was heavily inspired by the feud between a young Walt Disney and his boss, Charles Mintz. The idea of a corrupt person in power with a vendetta against a colorful character truly isn’t so far fetched with all the media coverage on the subject today. However, Mintz is not the only fish in the tank.
Disney’s First Real Villain
Anyone with a basic understanding of Walt Disney animation Studios and their history knows about the feud between Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg. In the ’90s, Katzenberg was denied a promotion by Eisner and proceeded to sabotage some of Disney’s work, including the infamous Black Cauldron. After leaving the studio, Katzenberg later went on to join Steven Spielberg and the founding of DreamWorks.
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Since then, Katzenberg has been regarded as a dark figure in Disney’s history. Needless to say, the fandom hasn’t exactly looked on him with favor, many blaming his tampering for the near-destruction of Disney animation in the late ’80s.
What of DeSantis?
@deardelirious7 Replying to @sonic_rez #florida #disney #desantis #shrek #lordfarquaad
WARNING: Video above contains profanity.
As observed by @deardelirious7, it’s definitely not outside the realm of reality that Disney would turn their biggest objector into a villainous caricature. She might even be ahead of the curve as the glitter-clad King Magnifico in the recent Wish trailer certainly has at least one thing in common with the politician.
An evil ruler in a sharp suit who wants to control Disney’s magic? It definitely sounds like a tune we’ve heard before. We might be grasping a little bit with Magnifico, but to say Disney won’t at least throw some shade at DeSantis sometime soon is a pretty safe bet.
Do you think DeSantis is Disney’s biggest villain? Tell Inside the Magic what you think in the comments below!