Part 6/10:
Yara Shahidi, star of Peter Pan and Wendy, has publicly defended the film’s approach. During an interview, she emphasized that Disney's motivation was to provide “the fairy tale we deserve,” claiming the goal was to give Black and Brown audiences a more inclusive experience. She described her discussions with the director, David Lowery, as efforts to “bring some new fun” and “repackage old stories for new audiences.”
However, critics argue that this strategy reduces beloved classics to vehicles for identity politics rather than respecting their original magic. They contend that the casting decisions—placing Black and brown actors in roles historically associated with white characters—are more about signaling virtue than creating authentic, new stories.