Is Disney looking to recast Rachel Zegler as Snow White for its live-action remake?
Now set to release on March 21, 2025, the star of Disney's upcoming Snow White has been continually under fire for her various critiques of the original 1937 film, referring to the prince as "a guy who literally stalks her" and explaining her Snow White won't be "dreaming about true love" but rather becoming a leader.
Ongoing backlash coupled with recent rumors has fans questioning whether Disney intends to recast Zegler as the lead for its latest remake.
Is Rachel Zegler Getting Recast as Snow White?
On the heels of Paddington 3 recasting Rachel Zegler, rumors suggested the West Wide Story star had also been fired from Disney's Snow White.
In reality, Zegler exited the Paddington threequel due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes and her prior obligations to both Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Snow White, not because of controversy surrounding her Disney-related statements.
In fact, there's evidence pointing toward the actress' conflicting scheduling issues concerning her Hunger Games promotion and Snow White resuming production, both of which appear to have been worked out.
In addition, Zegler seemingly put the Disney recast rumors to rest with her own post on X (formerly Twitter), saying,
"The rumors are true :( I am three apples tall."
It's worth noting that Rachel Zegler's criticism of Disney's original animated film isn't the only reason audiences are angry about Snow White.
Disney has allegedly gone a different direction with the seven dwarfs, swapping the original concept for a group of mixed heights, genders, and ethnicities and sparking yet another firestorm from fans.
Why Disney Won't Recast Rachel Zegler
At the moment, Snow White appears to be more of a problematic headline for Disney than a box office solution.
However, the rumors swirling around a Rachel Zegler recast not only appear to be unfounded but unlikely.
Again, the actress departing Paddington 3 isn't evidence of Disney-related toxicity but actually an obligation to the House of Mouse.
Also, in the weeks following the SAG-AFTRA resolution, Zegler's Hunger Games prequel succeeded with critics, fans, and at the box office, proving to Disney executives that she can deliver an audience.
Finally, it's worth noting that Disney live-action remakes have a track record of fan criticism, and Zegler isn't the only one involved with Snow White who's responsible for its new direction.
Regardless of whether audiences agree with her opinions of the 1937 film, it would be unreasonable to recast the film's lead over comments that aren’t necessarily harmful or disparaging toward anyone but are in line with Disney's current leaning.
It will be interesting to see how Disney plans to promote Snow White and whether the remake experiences any further delays.
Snow White is set to release on March 21, 2025.
