For the readers on the go:
Recently, Yara Shahidi has been enlisted to play the first Black Tinker Bell in the upcoming movie ‘Peter Pan and Wendy.’ The character were previously played by white actresses. This is Disney’s latest move to increase diversity in live-action films after casting Halle Bailey as Ariel in an upcoming take of ‘The Little Mermaid.’
Dive Deep:
Earlier this month, Disney+ had assembled directors for Marvel’s first-ever Muslim hero series. Pakistani filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (Bad Boys for Life), Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Oscar winner), and Meera Menon (The Walking Dead) will bring Marvel Studios’ first Muslim hero, Ms. Marvel, to Disney+.
Ms. Marvel centers around Kamala Khan, a Pakistani American living in a religious family in NJ while trying to find her own way. Marvel Studios chief said that Kamala Khan will be included in future Marvel films.
Disney had also featured the first bisexual lead in the history of television in ‘The Owl House’. The character, 14-year-old Luz Noceda had shown interest in boys before, is now pursuing a recurring female character in the show rated for children aged 7 and above. Show creator Dana Terrace said that Disney executives initially forbade her from including an LGBTQ+ character but that her stubbornness paid off and now she’s “VERY supported” by Disney.
