For many, Disney has been a mainstay of our lives since we were kids. We grew up with animated classics like Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King. And we continue to have our childhoods and minds imprinted with Disney films in the form of The Incredibles, Encanto, and Frozen. That’s not even taking into account how Disney has branched out with Stars Wars, Pixar, and the powerhouse that is Marvel. With all of these properties, it’s easy to see why Disney’s D23 is something that fans have flocked to since its first expo in 2009.
Remezcla got the chance to attend this year’s D23, specifically for the Disney Entertainment Showcase. And it was clear two seconds into entering the Honda Center that Disney is backing itself more than ever. For years, Disney panels at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) were something that fans waited hours outside Hall H for the chance to be the first to see what news was released. Now, Disney has its own thing, only sharing some news at SDCC like Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and airing the Deadpool & Wolverine movie.
D23 is a space for Disney to connect with fans of their namesake, Star Wars, Pixar, National Geographic, and Marvel. And the Entertainment Showcase is the VIP experience for Disney fans to connect with the shows and movies they love. Being a fan myself, whenever I’m entering these spaces, I’m unapologetic in looking for people like me. We enjoy Disney, Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, etc. And having Coco, Encanto, and Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin in The Mandalorian isn’t enough. I want more. That’s especially true because historically we haven’t been in these spaces and Latine representation on the big screen is still lacking with the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative reporting that in 2023 Latines were only represented in 5.2% of speaking roles in a study of 1,700 popular films released that year. And that’s not taking into account TV shows, from Gordita Chronicles to This Fool, that have been canceled.
The Walt Disney Company isn’t innocent either when it comes to shuttering projects. Let’s be clear about that while we celebrate what we saw at D23. This Fool was canceled by Hulu and the streaming service is owned by The Walt Disney Company. Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion, Diary of a Future President, and National Treasure were canceled by Disney. So there’s a healthy dose of these cancellations that hurt, even months later, combined with excitement for Pedro Pascal in Fantastic Four, Diego Luna and Adria Arjona in Andor, Zoe Saldaña in Avatar: Fire and Ash and Elio, and Rachel Zegler in Snow White. It’s a fine line to walk as a fan but also one that I consistently battle with as a critic and journalist. And yet I was still in that room at the D23 Entertainment Showcase.
Surrounded by thousands of people I got to watch Disney fans lose their collective minds over and over because of the projects coming and that featured people like me. Auli’i Cravalho opened things up with dancers honoring her Polynesian heritage and singing a song from Moana 2. The love for Saldaña was clear when she came out for Avatar: Fire and Ash and then returned for Elio, which also stars America Ferrera and is written by Coco’s Adrian Molina. Then there’s Luna, who doesn’t miss an opportunity to greet fans in Spanish first and foremost, while taking the stage to talk about Andor. In addition we got to see Lin-Manuel Miranda for Mufasa: The Lion King, Rachel Zegler for Snow White, Anthony Ramos for Ironheart, and Aubrey Plaza for Agatha All Along.
This is without even going into who wasn’t at D23 like Danny Ramirez for Captain America: Brave New World and the Latino who has blown up in the last couple of years.
Throughout the night at the Entertainment Showcase we caught glimpses of our space sister from another mister and the internet’s boyfriend, Pedro Pascal. (Oscar Isaac called Pascal his “space sister” during my interview here.) And logically I know that people love Pascal. He’s goofy, talented, and looks like a Disney prince whether he’s wearing white flowing shirts at the SAG Awards or getting high with Nicolas Cage in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent and becoming a meme. He’s the moment. And being in that room at D23, there’s something “woah” about watching people scream, clap, and shout for him entering the MCU in Fantastic Four and continuing his space journey in The Mandalorian & Grogu movie. The excitement was real even though he wasn’t physically there because he’s filming.
At the end of the day, there’s something invigorating about sharing in this collective joy of films and TV shows that stars people who most likely grew up like me, speak my language, share similar experiences, and want more Latine people on the screen just as much as I do. But at the same time, it doesn’t mean I’m going to stop pushing for more. Because if there’s anything I learned at D23, it’s that we make the room erupt into cheers, we make change, and we are involved in some of the biggest projects in the entertainment industry for years to come. I’m going to continue advocating for more from studios, streaming services, and networks alike. And if they doubt our power or the need to include us in the room or on screens, I’ll use the fans at this 2024 D23 Entertainment Showcase as evidence. They want more of us. I want more of us. So invest in us. Believe in us. And we’ll come with cash on hand.
To learn more about D23 and how you can attend, click here.
