The new Peter Pan movie has received backlash after Disney cast a Black actress as Tinker Bell, with some people having unwarranted outrage and others questioning why original characters aren't being written for Black performers.
Peter Pan is a story that has been loved through generations since it was first thought up by Sir James Matthew Barrie in Scotland in the early 1900s.
There have been many retellings of the classic story, with the late Robin Williams arguably performing the most notable portrayal to date.
Disney has an abundance of stories to choose from, and they seem to enjoy creating modern remakes of classic films and Peter Pan is the latest story to receive such treatment.
See the trailer for Peter Pan & Wendy below:The announcement has received backlash from certain corners of the internet after Black-Ish star Yara Shahidi was cast as the iconic fairy, Tinker Bell.
It seems important to remember that Tinker Bell is completely fictional, and fairies don't actually exist, so a Black actress getting the role shouldn't warrant the outrage that it has.
Whilst it's good to pay homage to the classics and to love them for what they accomplished when they were first released, arguing that Tinker Bell should remain white due to previous portrayals seems odd.
One individual took to Twitter to write: "This is just woke nonsense. Turning historically white characters black is white-erasure & lame. Please stop."
Others have questioned why Disney is casting Black performers in classic roles instead of writing new, original stories with Black leads.
"There are incredible African stories to be told. Why does Hollywood continue to ignore this and just casts them in remakes? Mami Wata should be made by Disney. It is currently on the market with little coverage, especially by social media," one Twitter user wrote.
Of course, despite the negative critics getting all frustrated over a fictional pixie, there were plenty of Disney fans who couldn't wait to see Shahidi as the sassy Tink.
One Twitter user rightfully pointed out: "tinkerbell is a fairy, fairies don't exist stop complaining yara shahidi will be amazing [sic]".
A second praised: "I have no idea who Yara Shahidi is but she looks amazing as Tinkerbell and I wish her the best in the role."
Another social media user added: "Yara Shahidi looks really stunning and cute as Tinkerbell in #PeterPanAndWendy. It bugs me so much that older racist folks are making such big deal that a young beautiful black actress is playing an iconic fairytale character for a new generation knowing their childhood is over."
And let's just say it louder for the people at the back:
The latest version of The Little Mermaid has received similar backlash after Black actress Halle Bailey was cast in the leading role of Ariel.
Speaking to THE FACE magazine, the 22-year-old gave her thoughts on the unwarranted criticism she has received: "As a Black person, you just expect it and it’s not really a shock anymore."
Speaking on her YouTube channel, Bailey explained why casting Black performers in classic stories is important: "I want the little girl in me and the little girls just like me who are watching to know that they're special, and that they should be a princess in every single way. There's no reason that they shouldn't be. That reassurance was something that I needed."
She went on: "It was an inspiring and beautiful thing to hear their words of encouragement, telling me, 'You don't understand what this is doing for us, for our community, for all the little Black and brown girls who are going to see themselves in you."
Bigotry hidden behind claims of wanting to keep classic stories "faithful" to the original is still bigotry.
Regardless of the backlash, both Shahidi and Bailey are sure to shine in their roles!
