Disney has spent the last few years stuck in an impossible position. No matter what direction it takes, the studio ends up getting hammered from both sides of the political spectrum.
If it leans into representation, conservative audiences accuse it of pushing an agenda. If it steps back, the liberal community calls it cowardly. The result is a company that looks terrified of upsetting anyone and, in the process, has lost the ability to feel authentic.
The numbers reflect that. Disney’s stock has dropped 24% in the last five years, and many recent productions have fallen short of expectations.
The backlash is just as contradictory: when they cast a Samoan actress as Moana, they were branded “racists.” When they cast a Latina actress as Snow White, they were called “out of touch.”
In 2025, it seems that whatever Disney does, someone is furious, and the films caught in the middle are paying the price.
#1 Moana
Disney’s first teaser for the 2025 live-action Moana was supposed to be a nostalgic, hype-building moment. Instead, it immediately triggered a wave of anger, with some fans accusing the studio of being “racist” for the way it presented the new lead actress.
The teaser introduces 18-year-old Catherine Laga’aia as Moana. Despite the actress being of Samoan descent, many viewers argued she looked nothing like the animated version.
The criticism focused mainly on her hair: in the film, Moana has thick, tight curls, while the live-action teaser showed the actress with looser waves and straighter strands.
Users on X posted side-by-side comparisons, insisting Disney had “taken the hair off her.”
One viral complaint read, “Why did they straighten the actress’s hair if Moana doesn’t have straight hair?” Another wrote, “How do they think someone who lives on an island is getting her hair blow-dried like that?”
Image source: Disney
#2 Versa
Disney’s 2025 short film Versa, a gentle, emotional story about love and loss, was unexpectedly turned into ammo for a cultural battle.
The film, which debuted at the Animation is Film Festival, follows a young couple moving through a “cosmic dance of life,” an idea described by animator Malcon Pierce as a visual journey through parenthood and all the emotions that come with it.
Some netizens, on the other hand, took aim at the film’s imagery: a man and woman holding hands under a rosy sky, a star illuminating her pregnant belly, and two glowing stars near their hearts.
They saw it as the perfect opportunity to land a blow on their political opponents, particularly those who believe it’s inappropriate to include LGBT elements in products aimed at children.
“My 3-year-old granddaughter looked at me with her innocent eyes and said, ‘Grandma, is it normal for a woman to love a man?’ Disgusting…” one person wrote on social media, flipping the script.
“Keep this disgusting heterosexual breeding propaganda away from children’s impressionable minds,” another added.
Image source: Disney
#3 Snow White
The Snow White remake seemed doomed from the start. Lead actress Rachel Zegler’s attitude, Disney’s handling of the story, and behind-the-scenes tensions that spilled into public view long before the movie hit theaters.
The casting of Zegler as Snow White was already a sore spot for many fans.
Detractors weren’t subtle about it: they argued the character is literally named Snow White because of her pale skin, and Disney cast a naturally tan Latina actress in the role. The decision felt out of touch, and instead of calming the conversation, Zegler made it worse.
She repeatedly dismissed the original film as dated, joked that the Prince was a stalker, and bragged that her Snow White “won’t be saved by a man.” Every new soundbite came off as smug and condescending for a segment of the audience.
At the same time, the film’s initial decision to replace the iconic seven dwarfs with a ragtag group of diverse “bandits” was widely panned and seen as an overcorrection. For many, it ultimately hurt the very group it claimed to protect by eliminating roles that could have gone to actors with dwarfism.
Reports of Zegler and her co-star, Gal Gadot having a tense relationship behind the scenes were also brought up. The two stars were said to have “nothing in common,” and differ on fundamental political issues.
Mix all of this and you have a recipe for what some outlets dubbed “The year’s worst reviewed movie.”
Image source: Disney
#4 Lilo & Stitch
The live-action Lilo & Stitch remake set off its own wave of backlash after fans noticed a key change to one of the most memorable characters.
Once the trailer dropped, viewers quickly focused on Agent Pleakley, the anxious one-eyed alien who, in the original, spends most of his time in wigs and dresses while trying to blend in with humans in Hawaii.
In the new version, Pleakley appears in men’s clothing.
Director Dean Fleischer Camp tried to address the criticism in a Q&A video after the trailer went live.
Responding to a comment that read, “How dare they ruin Pleakley’s disguise like that,” he revealed that he had actually wanted to keep Pleakley’s look closer to the 2002 film.
“I have had people message me, ‘Why is Pleakley not wearing a dress?’ And I just want to say, I tried… I tried,” he said, even sharing a sketch of his early concept, complete with a red wig, floral dress, and sandals.
The backlash served as a perfect example of how, in this cultural climate, creators are faced with lose-lose situations. Was the change made so as to not offend LGBT audiences with a caricature? Was it made to appease conservative viewers?
Netizens pondered both possibilities.
Image source: Disney
#5 Elio
Elio arrived in theaters carrying more behind-the-scenes drama than most Pixar releases, and the biggest flashpoint was the claim that the studio removed the film’s original queer identity.
Former staffers told The Hollywood Reporter that early cuts portrayed Elio with clear personality traits and visual cues aligned with director Adrian Molina’s own identity as an openly gay filmmaker.
One example cited was a scene where Elio made outfits from beach garbage, including a pink tank top he proudly modeled for a hermit crab. Another reportedly cut moment involved photos in the boy’s bedroom hinting at a crush on another boy.
None of that made it into the finished film.
A 2023 test screening in Arizona raised red flags when viewers said they liked the film but not a single person said they’d pay to see it in theaters.
Molina was outed, replaced by new co-directors Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi. Despite their best efforts, the film opened to just $20.8 million domestically, the worst opening weekend in Pixar history.
Image source: Pixar/Disney
