The Spire

Tucker Scott ‘26

Opinions Editor

The sad reality is that Disney is dead. The mouse king has finally fallen after a over 50-year rule. Now, some will claim that the fall of Disney was because of streaming services, movie burn out. the pandemic, or any number of reasons. But the truth is they fell because of their own arrogance and laziness and a focus on divisive politics instead of entertainment and good movies. They thought they could wade into politics and there wouldn’t be consequences but there were.

It is clear from the news that Disney and their actors have been making that over the last five years especially as they have become more and more political. Whether it was Rachel Zegler (Cinderella) ripping Cinderella, saying the story was sexist, Anthony Mackie saying Captain America shouldn’t be about America, or all the divisive messaging they put into their children’s shows. They thought that since they were the dominant entertainment platform, they could get away with politicking. But it turns out that most people, when they sit down to watch a Disney movie, want to enjoy the stories instead of getting lectured about their supposed racism for liking Dumbo or sexism for liking Beauty and the Beast.

To see a clear picture of this, look no further than the complete collapse of Marvel. I’ll admit the only new Marvel movie I’ve seen in the last 3 years was “Deadpool vs. Wolverine.” Other than that, I haven’t really seen any of the shows or movies since “Wanda Vision,” and I haven’t wanted to. Just look at the disaster in the series “What If?” As someone who loves Marvel, I was ecstatic to see a series that had possibilities when the writers could do anything. And there were so many interesting stories to tell, especially since they got back their IP of the X-men. But instead of what if Ghost Rider was a samurai, we got what if Agatha went to Hollywood. Instead of what if Deadpool kills the Marvel universe, we got what if Howard the Duck and Darcy had a child. I’m sorry, but who was your target audience for a human and a duck having a child together? Is there any adult who wants to show that to their kid? Is there any teenager who would want to see that? And, of course, those are just the most egregious examples but “Eternals” was an unmitigated disaster, and the Marvels was even worse. “She-Hulk” was cringy, oversexualized, and full of lectures. “Black Widow” was lazy and “Thor: Love and Thunder” was a massive letdown. In truth, Disney and its writers got lazy. Every movie is either a sequel or a live-action remake but done significantly worse. And what new movies they have made have been either so politicized or plots that make so little sense that they appeal to pretty much no one. 

I say all this as someone who was a fan of Disney. I remember going to Disney World with my brother and sister when we were younger. I remember my sister meeting the princesses, my brother meeting Goofy, and waiting in line for a space adventure with my dad. And it’s not just the theme park. Disney movies and shows hold a special place in my heart. I must have seen Frozen one million times with my sister when she was younger, and I remember watching Mickey’s Christmas Carols every Christmas. I remember watching “Peter Pan” on the couch with my brother. So when I say these things, I don’t hold any joy in declaring the end of the Disney era. I hope Disney can return to their roots someday and start making good movies and shows again. But if they don’t do something, Mickey Mouse will be left to history.

Copy Edited by Charlotte Collins ’26

Featured image courtesy of The Walt Disney Company