Part 3/9:
A focal point of controversy involves the race swapping of Ariel with Holly Bailey, an African American actress. Such casting choices have ignited debates over whether these modifications serve artistic storytelling or merely appeal to superficial diversity quotas. Disney executives and Bailey herself have openly emphasized that this adaptation aims to portray Ariel as a "modern woman." They claim the new version seeks to break from traditional tropes, asserting that they plan to "improve" on the original — a statement that many interpret as a move to modernize Disney's classic story in ways that align with contemporary gender identity and social values.