26 Disney Live-Action Fan Castings That We Wish Would Come True

Starting with the release of the live-action Alice in Wonderland in 2012, Disney has continued to announce many upcoming live-action remakes. So far, we’ve seen Cinderella, The Jungle Book, and Beauty and the Beast, all of which have been a huge success amongst both critics and fans. The next movies that have been announced are Dumbo, Aladdin, The Lion King, and Mulan. Those four films have already been cast and they’ve included huge stars such as Beyonce to play Nala and Will Smith to play the Genie. Even though so many movies have already been brought to life, there’s still plenty more that are in production by Disney. Incredibly popular films like The Little Mermaid and The Hunchback of Notre Dame are currently in the works, with no cast yet to be announced. Of course, that leaves plenty of time for us hardcore fans to speculate, obsess, and pick which actors we think will fit each role best.

When it comes to fan-casting, there’s no right or wrong answer. You could dream up actors that are no long with us, such as Aubrey Hepburn, to play Snow White. Fan-casts give us the ability to imagine a whole new world where our favorite actors can play the Disney characters we love the most. Many of the fan-casts that I’ve listed are extremely popular, with many fans supporting the idea. Some of them are from films that are currently being produced, and may or may not have a cast yet. Then there’s two or three of them that are my very own personal wishes, that I’ve decided to throw in just in case. Who knows, maybe Disney will listen to me (fingers crossed). Now, let’s get started! First up:

26 Lady Gaga As Edna Mode

Lady Gaga is just like Edna Mode: She’s weird, heavily into fashion, and actually quite short. Maybe not as short as Edna Mode, but coming in at 5’1, all Gaga needs is a black bob wig and she’d be Mode-Ready.

I’m not quite sure Edna Mode would approve of Gaga’s previous fashion choices though, considering she’s been seen wearing capes before (Yikes!). But since Gaga’s been recently getting into acting, with her latest success being A Star Is Born, there’s no one better to portray Edna Mode.

25  Anya-Taylor Joy As Rapunzel

Rapunzel is one of those characters who everyone loves to fan-cast, although while I was searching for fan-casts of her online, they all seemed to be outdated. If Tangled were to be made into a live-action film, Disney would get a new and upcoming star to play her. Which is why I decided to pick Anya-Taylor Joy.

Anya is one of Hollywood’s newest rising stars and basically everyone is loving her right now. Even if you haven’t seen a movie of hers, I’m sure you know her. But for future reference: Anya has most popularly starred in Split and The Witch.

24 Dakota Fanning As Elsa

Speaking of uncanny resemblances, Dakota Fanning is another actress who looks exactly like a Disney character. Not only does she look a lot like Elsa from Disney’s Frozen, Fanning is also the appropriate age to play her.  Fanning has been acting since she was just a little girl and she’s still working on plenty of films now. Her next film will be Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time in Hollywood. She’s a star that just won’t quit it and we hope she never does!

23 Elle Fanning As Anna

Anna and Elsa look almost identical, so it would only make sense for the live-action adaptation to have nearly identical actresses. Which is why if Dakota Fanning plays Elsa, then her younger sister Elle would be perfect for the role of Anna.

Just like Dakota, Elle is also approximately the right age to portray Anna. When she has her hair dyed, she’s even more perfect for the role. Elle Fanning has previously played Aurora in Disney’s Maleficent, but that shouldn’t be a problem since Chris Evans managed to play both The Human Torch and Captain America. If he can play two different characters in Marvel, then Elle can play two different Disney princesses.

22 Eddie Murphy As Frozone

Just look at that smile! Eddie Murphy is without question meant for the role of Frozone. He’s funny and an incredible actor. If the Incredibles were to ever have a live-action adaptation, they’d definitely need an all-star cast to do justice for the classic films.

Who better to play the man who loves his super-suit than Eddie Murphy? Frozone was originally voiced by Samuel L. Jackson, but Murphy has the looks and personality that’d make him perfect for the role.

21 Letitia Wright As Tiana

Letitia Wright is Black Panther’s new breakout star. Wright actually played Princess Shuri in the film, so she’s already experienced in acting like royalty. You know what they say: once a princess, always a princess.

Wright not only resembles Tiana, but she’s got the charm to pull her off too. She’s funny, talented, and if you’ve seen Black Panther, you’d know she’s clearly up to date with memes too. Let’s face it, Letitia Wright deserves to be a princess in every movie she stars in (and maybe even in real life too).

20 Priyanka Chopra As Jasmine

Priyanka Chopra wouldn’t be an ethnically-accurate portrayal of Princess Jasmine, which is why I can’t fully support the casting, but you can’t deny she does resemble the character a lot. To be fair, Naomi Scott, the actress who’s playing Jasmine in the upcoming adaptation of Aladdin is half white and Indian, which also isn’t accurate.

Chopra is actually from India, while Jasmine is completely Arabian. It would have been nice if Disney could actually cast an Arabian actress for the role.

19 Helena Bonham Carter As Mother Gothel

Helena Bonham Carter’s resemblance to Mother Gothel is insane. Honestly, it’s as if the character artists used Carter’s photos as a reference picture to animate Gothel. Her curly long dark hair, pale skin, and larger eyes make her nearly identical to the Disney villain.

Helena even has plenty of experience playing evil characters, especially from her role as Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter. If Disney ever makes a live-action Tangled and doesn’t cast her, I’ll actually be devastated.

18 Kylie Bunbury As Kida

Kylie Bunbury has slowly made her way into the spotlight. Her career mainly resides on television, but she did star in the film Game Night alongside Rachel McAdams and Jason Bateman. She’s previously starred in the series Under the Dome, Twisted, and will soon be appearing on Central Park Five.

There’s currently no live-action adaptation of Atlantis in the works, but if there ever is, I sure hope she’s on the radar for it. From what I’ve seen of her, she’s a fantastic actress that deserves to make her way into more big-time films.

17 Zendaya As Ariel

Ever since Zendaya has been rumored to play Ariel, the thought has not left my head. Zendaya is one of the biggest stars right now, she started out on Disney Channel’s Shake It Up and has managed to move on up to huge films, such as Spider-Man: Homecoming. She’s even going to appear in the sequel, Spider-Man: Far From Home, as Peter Parker’s new love interest.

Zendaya doesn’t look much like the original Ariel, but give her a red wig or some hair dye, and I think she could be perfect for the part. It would also be nice to see her return to her Disney roots for a change.

16 Millie Bobby Brown As Wendy Darling

Millie is one of the most popular child stars at the moment. She’s currently one of the main characters of one of Netflix’s most popular shows, Stranger Things, and she’s already cast in plenty of big films. She’s only 14, but she’s incredibly successful and her fame doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

If there would be anyone to play Wendy in a new adaptation of Peter Pan, Millie would be the girl. Even better news: she’s actually English like the original Wendy, so she wouldn’t have to put on a fake accent.

15 Grant Gustin As Milo

Atlantis: The Lost Empire is one of the heaviest fan-casted Disney films, though it may not be as popularized as others. So many fans say Andrew Garfield should take on the role of Milo, but I digress. Although Garfield is an amazing actor, Milo should be played by someone younger, such as Grant Gustin.

Seriously, look at Gustin in that photo. Honestly, it looks like a still from a live-action Atlantis film, but it’s not. It’s actually a still from Gustin’s CW series The Flash. 

14 Queen Latifah As Ursula

Queen Latifah as Ursula is one of the most popular fan-casts on the web. It’s so popular, she even did a photoshoot as the character for Disney Dream Portraits. Latifah is a phenomenal and hilarious actress, it would be fantastic to see her dive under the sea and take on a completely different character.

She already has the talent for the role, now all that’s missing is the contract. Disney, what are you waiting for?

13 Jonah Hill As Syndrome

This is a fan-cast that can’t be unseen. It’s almost like Jonah Hill is already Syndrome, especially with his red hair. Believe it or not, out of all of the roles Hill has played, he’s never actually played a super-villain.

That shouldn’t stop him though, considering he’d be completely amazing as Syndrome. He’s proved himself to be a versatile actor over the years, going from primarily comedy films to now drama movies too. Could the superhero genre be next for him?

12 Noah Schnapp As Peter Pan

Considering Millie is my dream-cast for Wendy, of course, her Stranger Things co-star Noah Schnapp is who I’d choose to play Peter. Not only is he co-star, but he also happens to be her rumored boyfriend – but that’s beside the point. Despite Schnapp barely appearing in season 1 of Stranger Things, he proved himself to actually be an incredible actor in season 2. He has a huge range of emotions and his acting abilities are so good that watching him cry made me want to cry too.

Even though there have already been way too many Peter Pan adaptations, if they ever decided to make another, I really hope they choose him.

11 Cierra Ramirez As Audrey Ramirez

If you ever watched The Fosters on Freeform, then there’s a good chance Cierra’s character Mariana was your favorite character (She was definitely mine!). After the series finale, she voice acted for two Marvel Rising TV films. She’s also set to star in the spin-off to The Fosters, which is titled Good Trouble.

Cierra must be meant to play Audrey from Atlantis: The Lost Empire, considering they look so much alike and even share a last name! Coincidence? I think not.

10 Aziz Ansari As Kuzco

From Parks and Recreation to stand-up comedy, Aziz Ansari is one of the funniest guys on TV. It’s honestly really hard to think of actors that would be able to embody Emperor Kuzco, but I have no doubt that Ansari is one of the few that are capable.

If you’ve watched Parks and Rec, you’d know he has both the personality and the voice to portray this character. In fact, his character Tom was actually a lot like a modern-day Kuzco, as you can see in the image above. I can already hear him crying out “LLAMA FACE!”

9 Dwayne Johnson As Kronk

Before you read the title, I’m sure you already knew who this man is. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson needs no introduction. You’ve seen him in movies before, you still see him in movies today.

The Rock is an incredibly diverse actor that has played so many different roles. As of lately, he’s often taken up the role as the big, muscular, lovable goofball. Which is exactly the same way you could describe Kronk from Emperors New Groove. From his appearance all the way to his acting skills, Dwayne Johnson would truly bring Kronk to life unlike any other.

8 Rihanna As Cruella De Vil

Considering her incredible style, talent, and entrepreneurship, Rihanna is who Cruella De Vil wishes she could be. She initially started off her career as a musician, but now she’s branched out into the makeup industry and film. The last film she starred in was Ocean’s 8, alongside Sandra Bullock and Anne Hathaway.

Unfortunately, we probably won’t be seeing Rihanna play Cruella any time soon. Disney already has a film in the works, with Emma Stone set to take on the Dalmatian fur coat.

7 Avan Jogia As Aladdin

During the casting process for Aladdin, Disney reported that they were having trouble finding ethnically accurate actors – which led the internet to provide some help (because it’s really not that hard). Many fans really wanted Avan Jogia, the former Nickelodeon star, to portray Aladdin. Apparently, Jogia even auditioned for the role.

Instead, the part was granted to Mena Massoud. But if you’re interested in seeing Jogia on the screen, you can catch him in the upcoming series Now Apocalypse and the sequel to Zombieland.

6 Jon Hamm As Captain Hook

There’s just something about Jon Hamm that makes me think “pure evil” – but in the best way possible. He was the bad guy in both Baby Driver and an episode of Black Mirror. He’s got the dark hair and intense blue eyes that resemble Captain Hook, too.

Jon Hamm is so fit for the role of Captain Hook that when I suggested the idea to my friend, he told me that Hamm already played Hook in the 2003 adaptation. In reality, it was Jason Isaac who had the role, but next time, it should really be Jon Hamm.

5 MacKenzie Foy As Violet

Last seen in The Nutcracker, MacKenzie Foy is starting to become pretty known. This casting was my own personal choice for obvious reasons. Just look at them! They both have piercing blue eyes, a tall slim-figure and incredibly long, dark hair.

MacKenzie can no doubt pull off that mysterious-gothic look that Violet displays. She was in both Twilight and The Conjuring, which are pretty dark films, so surely she can play a mysterious role like Violet.

4 Lana Condor As Snow White

Ever since To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before came out, fans have been raving about Noah Centineo, but what about the actual star of the movie? Lana Condor was absolutely amazing in that film. She’s funny, adorable, and stylish.

So why should she play Snow White? Well, look at her! Snow White is described as having “lips red as the rose, hair black as ebony, skin white as snow.” If you look at Condor, she perfectly fits the description. Condor deserves to get more roles and I personally think she’d make a fantastic Snow White.

3 Karen Gillan As Merida

Karen Gillan has been rapidly making her way to the top films. Gillan started out on the incredibly popular BBC series Doctor Who, and has since then starred in Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Infinity War.

If there’s anyone that should play Merida right now, it’s her. She’s got the right hair color and she’s Scottish. Gillan is also a fantastic actress, who’s already played a variety of different roles despite being fairly new to stardom.

2 Rita Moreno As Yzma

Rita Moreno has been a successful actress since decades before I was even born. Moreno starred in the original West Side Story, in which she won an Academy Award for. Now, she’s even going to be in the remake of the film.

Considering Moreno has won an Oscar, a Grammy, and even a Tony award, this Puerto Rican superstar is way more than capable of portraying Yzma in the Emperors New Groove. Surprisingly, even with all of her success, she’s never starred in a Disney movie. Fingers crossed for this to be her first one!

1 Eva Mendes As Esmeralda

Every time I think of who could play Esmeralda in a live-action Hunchback of Notre Dame, Eva Mendes is always the first actress who comes to mind. Ever since she married and had children with her husband Ryan Gosling, she hasn’t been starring in many films. Her last film, Lost River, was released in 2014.

Despite her lack of films, she’s personally my favorite choice for Esmeralda. Mendes looks like Esmerelda, wears beautiful hoop earrings, and is an amazing Latina actress. Here’s a fun fact: she actually named her daughter Esmeralda!

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