I'm not remarkably interested in reading things like this. I just don't think there's any surprise there. I don't think they know something I don't. The potential fall of Disney is going to excite a lot of writers, especially those who have kind of been gunning for it for years now. We can just let them have their moment and then keep doing what we do.
I think the best thing Disney fans can do at this point is NOT play into this hysteria about Disney entering a new dark age and just take their offerings as they come. I don't think that necessarily means singing their praises with every movie, whatever the merit, but I do think it means remembering that headlines, even from prominent outlets like The New York Times, are designed to lure in clicks, and in the long run they will just be footnotes in the chronicle. Mostly I think it means remembering that the real dialogue belongs to the fans.
I do think there is an outcome where five years from now, we have a handful of new Disney classics finding their placement in the pyramid, and that awkward post-pandemic transition was just kind of a close call. The frustrating reality of it, I'll acknowledge, is that much of this rests in the hands of the artists and their ability to navigate the not-inconsiderable challenges currently besetting them presently, but it's also not like Disney hasn't gotten itself out of tight scraps before. Whenever they get do back on their feet, we'll be ready. And in the meantime, there's still a lot on the table that's open for discussion.
As far as Disney kowtowing to the far-right goes, I think it's also important to remember that Encanto was a huge boost for them and became a genuine cultural force in ways that rival, and in some ways even surpassed, Frozen. Not to mention that even within the treasure trove of golden age MCU, Black Panther stands as one of their most celebrated and lucrative accomplishments. They have received positive reinforcement for being thoughtful and inclusive.
I think there will be a potential drop-off in racebending characters, at least headlining characters, and that is worth getting a little frustrated about. But we'll probably continue to see stories built from the ground up around underrepresented cultures.
I'll admit I'd be a little more concerned about prominent LGBT representation in Disney, though. The far-right has had more success in quashing that, it seems.
