Credit: Collider and Inside the MagicIt’s not a secret that nearly everyone and their brother has a favorite Disney character. From Snow White to Mirabel Madrigal, the company is responsible for creating some of the most beloved characters in modern media. However, there’s been a noticeable unbalance that’s taken over the studio for the past decade or so.
Films like Encanto, Frozen, and Moana are very popular, there’s been something missing from the company’s repertoire in recent years. While the studio has made incredible progress with its powerful female leads like Elsa, Raya, and Mirabel, it feels like the male characters and men in the audience are getting the short end of the stick lately.
Has Disney Diminished Its Leading Men?
Before getting into it, this isn’t a Portlandia-styled “what about men?” statement, but an observation of Disney’s decrease in male leads. Although the studio has plenty for guys of all ages to enjoy, man cannot live on Marvel and Star Wars alone. While women have always played strong roles in many of the company’s classic films—the studio practically built an empire on princesses, after all— the male leads have diminished significantly in the past few years.
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Of the last seven Walt Disney Animation Studios feature films, only two (Strange World and Ralph Breaks the Internet) had male characters as the focal point and not in a supporting or shared lead role. With such great examples as Mei (Turning Red), Luisa Madrigal (Encanto) and Judy Hopps (Zootopia), Disney has worked wonders in providing animated representation for women, but when was the last time Disney gave its male audience a tried-and-true Disney hero?
How long has it been since Disney has had an actual male hero, as in a sword-swinging, swashbuckling, “who put the glad in gladiator,” hero? Onward’s Barley Lightfoot or maybe Maui both come to mind, and both were years ago. In an age where the current culture cries out for better examples of non-toxic masculinity, one would think Disney would be the first to provide positive male role models for its viewers.
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I’m happy to see the studio utilizing more female protagonists, but there’s nothing wrong with wanting something for the men in the audience, too. a strong female protagonist, Just as every little girl who watches a Disney movie needs a character like Belle, Merida, or Tiana, boys need to see the same strong character values like compassion, honesty, and in their heroes like Hercules, Woody, and Flynn.
Do you think Disney needs more male representation? Tell Inside the Magic what you think in the comments below!