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The backlash has been fierce. Social media users and conservatives have mocked the reimagined characters, branding the project as part of Disney’s problematic pattern of race-swapping and gender-bending. Comments such as "woke don't care much for dwarves" and criticism directed at the overhaul of the characters' appearances have proliferated.
Mainstream outlets like The Daily Beast and Daily Mail reported on the leak, with initial coverage portraying the photos as fake and misleading. Yet, the truth proved inconvenient for Disney, which was caught trying to manipulate the narrative and shift blame onto "misleading" images rather than addressing the core concerns about the creative direction.