I already posted this on Facebook, but I’m so excited about this idea for a final project that I just have to share it everywhere. In case you didn’t see, I’m planning on writing a screenplay for this “Disney Princess Avengers” movie that has been floating around Hollywood. I’ll share the final draft next week, but for now, here’s a more fleshed-out analysis of who I would cast as each princess with the comparable Marvel role listed next to them.
Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Iron Man: Yeah, there’s no way I’m picking Kristen Stewart as the leader of this team. Goodwin has experience playing the character on Once Upon a Time; while I’ve never actually seen the show myself, a quick glance at some photos convinced me that she would be the perfect Snow White, the first Disney princess just like Iron Man was the first superhero introduced in the MCU. As a bonus, she also has experience co-leading a movie (Zootopia).
Lily James as Cinderella/War Machine: Although I wasn’t blown away by the 2015 live-action version of Cinderella, I thought James was phenomenal as the beautiful and kind-hearted princess. There’s no need to change the casting here; she’s also proven that she has a mean streak in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (or so I’ve heard since I didn’t bother to see the movie). War Machine has always just been a carbon copy of Iron Man and Cinderella shares many of the same qualities as Snow White: beautiful, musically talented, friendly to animals, etc.
Elle Fanning as Aurora/Ant-Man: I haven’t seen Maleficent where Fanning played Sleeping Beauty, but from what I’ve heard, she was quite good in it (even though mostly everything around her wasn’t). I believe that Dakota’s sister is one of our brightest young actresses from her work in Super 8 and 20th Century Women. She’s also slated to play author Mary Shelley in an upcoming biopic, so there’s no doubt in my mind that she can handle this kind of project. As for the Marvel comparison, it came down to process of elimination, but Ant-Man seems like the kind of guy who would be asleep most of the time; he certainly was when we first met him in Civil War.
Emma Stone as Ariel/Thor: There is currently a live-action version planned, but no one has been cast as Ariel, so it’s time for me to get creative. There are many gorgeous redheads working in Hollywood (Amy Adams, Jessica Chastain), but I set out to find someone younger who can also sing. We all know how great Stone was in La La Land; her performance of “Audition” confirms that she would absolutely destroy “Part of Your World.” Throw in a dry sense of humor (Easy A) and a mean streak (Zombieland, Birdman) and I don’t see how you can top this casting. So why is Ariel in the Thor role? Both of them have one powerful weapon: the hammer and the voice. Why else would Ursula want it so badly?
Emma Watson as Belle/Hulk: Once again, there’s no need to change the casting here; Watson is the embodiment of beauty and intelligence, making her the perfect Belle as we saw in the live-action Beauty and the Beast. She’s sharp-witted and linked to a monstrous beast…hmm, who else do we know like that?
Freida Pinto as Jasmine/Falcon: We’re in a similar situation as The Little Mermaid; Guy Ritchie (ugh) is making his live-action Aladdin, but no actors have been cast as of this writing. May I suggest Pinto as Princess Jasmine (and as a bonus, you could cast Dev Patel as Aladdin)? Not only would this be a Slumdog Millionaire reunion, but it’s an example of authentic diverse casting and a chance for Pinto to get more work (I only know her from the above film and a small role in Rise of the Planet of the Apes). Falcon’s only distinguishable ability is flight and Jasmine could fill those shoes (wings?) if she’s allowed to use the magic carpet.
Vanessa Hudgens as Pocahontas/Black Widow: This is probably the most controversial and out-of-the-box choice of all, but I have some specific reasons for casting Hudgens as Pocahontas. First of all, her father is of Native American descent; it’s a thin connection, but valid nonetheless. We all know Hudgens can sing, from her solid work in three High School Musical movies to a brilliant turn as Rizzo in Grease: Live. There is also some semblance of a mean streak from Sucker Punch (never thought I would use that movie to support an argument). Beautiful and tough? Why, that describes Black Widow perfectly.
Jamie Chung as Mulan/Captain America: Dipping back into Once Upon a Time, I’m casting Chung as the only Asian princess; honestly, I feel like she doesn’t get enough work. Take her character from Big Hero 6 and combine it with the Mulan you know and love from the animated film…who doesn’t want to see that right now? Like our beloved Captain America, the two of them are patriotic and natural leaders. I also realized that I can use Sucker Punch again to defend my choice (I’m ashamed of myself).
Anika Noni Rose as Tiana/Black Panther: I approached these last five princesses the same way; that is, I thought their voice actors would work just as well in live-action. Rose is one of the “elder stateswomen” in this lineup, but she would spend about half her time behind a mask. I know, I couldn’t find a better connection to Black Panther, but they are both strong independent individuals who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.
Mandy Moore as Rapunzel/Spider-Man: Hair and webbing serve very similar purposes in this scenario, don’t they? I haven’t seen any of Moore’s work outside of Tangled (although I hear This is Us is fantastic), but she could totally pull this off if her performance in the animated movie is any indication.
Kelly Macdonald as Merida/Hawkeye: You should be able to figure out how the two are related. I hate Brave as a movie, but Merida could definitely prove useful in the Disney Princess Avengers, provided her arrows are equipped with explosives.
Idina Menzel as Elsa/Vision: Finally, someone with real superpowers! Elsa could easily be the leader, but because she doesn’t always demonstrate her power for fear of hurting anyone, she’s relegated to sidekick status like Vision.
Auli’i Cravalho as Moana/Scarlet Witch: When the character already looks like the actor, all you have to do is sit back and enjoy. Assigning Scarlet Witch to Moana was another process of elimination, but they are both newer recruits to the team and secretly powerful. Maybe this is why she relates to Vision more than anyone else; they could take over the team and no one would really be surprised.
The funny thing is, I could actually see this movie getting made without going over budget because apart from one A-list star in Emma Stone, the rest have only been in a handful of films. If Disney ever gets their hands on this property, I hope they consider some of my suggestions (highly unlikely, but a guy can dream).
Differing Opinions 