Despite being a massive media conglomerate, many people still most closely associate Disney withits iconic animated films and classic cartoons. In more recent years, Disney has taken advantage of this in various ways–from television series to live-action remakes, to movies that are subversions of or commentary on Disney’s own works.
Official Disney-villain-led films have been one method of doing the latter in the last few years. In 2014, Disney releasedMaleficent, starring Angelina Jolie as the titularSleeping Beautyvillain. The movie functions both as an origin story and as a retelling ofSleeping Beautyfrom Maleficent’s perspective, painting her as a more heroic figure. WhenMaleficentand its 2019 sequel,Maleficent: Mistress of Evilwere both big successes, Disney was inspired to release more villain-inspired projects.
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Between 2015 and 2019, theDisney’s Descendantsfilms were released, and while they were for a younger audience and focused on the children of popular villains, there’s no doubt they followed a similar concept. However, the true successor toMaleficentcame with 2021’sCruella, which stars Emma Stone andtells the story of the101 Dalmatiansantagonist. It seems likely that Disney will go forth with more similar projects, but which classic Disney villain should or could get theMaleficentandCruellatreatment?
Ursula
This suggestion comes fromthe stars ofCruellathemselves. In an interview with Variety, Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, and Kirby Howell-Baptiste all said they would love to see an origin story starring Ursula,the main villain ofDisney classicThe Little Mermaid. Stone said it would be cool to see a non-human villain being explored–Ursula, of course, being a cecelia, or humanoid octopus. Ursula is known as the “Sea Witch,” possessing powerful magic and using it to make unscrupulous deals with desperate merfolk. Ursula has a powerful dislike for King Triton, Ariel’s father, and wants to destroy him and rule over the oceans.
In the stage musical ofThe Little Mermaid, Triton and Ursula are siblings, and it is said that Triton banished Ursula from the kingdom when her greed and use of dark magic caused her to try and take over the ocean. This is a story that could be explored in an Ursula-led movie. That said, with a live-actionThe Little Mermaid, starring Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, currently filming, it seems unlikely that an Ursula movie would be the next villain story to come.
Captain Hook
The main villain ofPeter Panremains a very popular and well-known character, despite the original film being released in 1953. A pirate captain with a hook for a hand, Captain Hook spends his days in Neverland searching for treasure, fighting his nemesis Peter Pan, and running away from the crocodile that took his hand. A Captain Hook-focused film could answer how the crocodile took his hand and why he replaced it with a hook, if he’s from Neverland and if not how did he get there, and what the origins of his feud with Peter Pan are. There is a non-canon novel from 2007 by J.V. Hart entitledCapt. Hook: The Adventures of a Notorious Youththat invents an origin story for the Captain, and that could inspire a film.
Peter Panis a story that has beenretold and revisited many times, and these retellings almost always include mean pirate captain Hook. There have even already been versions that make him a less villainous character; 2015’sPanpaints him as a young miner who teams up with Peter, and the television seriesOnce Upon A Timeintroduces him as an antagonist who later develops into a hero and romantic lead. It would be interesting to see what an official Disney villain-led film for him would look like.
Dr. Facilier
This character comes fromThe Princess and The Frog, and is known to audiences not only for his unique costuming, but for havingone of the best villain songsin a Disney movie. Known as the “Shadow Man,” Facilier is a scheming witch doctor who wants to take over New Orleans with the help of shadowy dark spirits, his “friends on the other side.” He is a voodoo practitioner, and appears to be in debt to said spirits. He has a disdain for the rich and powerful, and has no problem hurting or deceiving them–or anyone else.
The Princess and the Frogis the newest movie on this list, and so there have been less opportunities to reinvent or reboot Dr. Facilier so far. He had a brief appearance inDisneyDescendants 3and in its tie-in novel series. Dr. Facilier was also a recurring character onOnce Upon A Time, although he remained much more villainous than Captain Hook did. His time on the show did not function as an origin story, which is unfortunate, as there is a lot to explore within Facilier’s backstory. It is never explicitly stated how he came to have “friends on the other side,” or even how he turned to voodoo and black magic. A Facilier origin story could be darker in tone, exploring his descent into black magic and how he became known as the Shadow Man.
The Evil Queen
The main antagonist of classic cartoonSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs, this character’s official name is Queen Grimhilde, but she is generally exclusively known as either the Evil Queen or the Wicked Queen. Her look is instantly recognizable, andher story is well-known. The Evil Queen is obsessed with being the most beautiful woman in the kingdom, and so is desperately jealous of Snow White. She possesses a Magic Mirror which speaks to her, telling her she is the fairest in the land–except for Snow White. It is unknown how she came to possess the Mirror or her powers in general, and there is no reason given for her vanity and obsession with beauty.
With her movie being released in 1937 and the original fairy tale even older, the Evil Queen is another character that has been explored many times. There are versions of her in 2012’sMirror Mirrorand 2012’sSnow White and the Huntsman, different from each other and diverging from her usual aesthetic, but both beautiful and villainous. She also, along with the original Maleficent, inspired the design forEnchanted’s Queen Narissa. The character is one of the leads inOnce Upon A Time, another villain who turns hero. With so many versions out there, it would be interesting to see how Disney itself would approach the project.
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