For decades, Disney villains were the embodiment of pure evil — dramatic, menacing, and unapologetically wicked. From Cruella de Vil’s obsession with turning puppies into fashion statements to Maleficent cursing a baby out of spite, these characters didn’t just commit bad deeds — they relished in them. But a new musical show at Walt Disney World is asking an unexpected question: What if these villains weren’t evil after all, just misunderstood?
Set to debut May 27 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida, the live production titled “Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After” is already stirring debate among fans and scholars alike. The show’s premise is simple yet subversive: iconic Disney villains gather to plead their case before a live audience, each arguing they’ve been treated unfairly by history — or more precisely, by the stories told about them.
Rewriting the Rules of Evil
Cruella de Vil, Maleficent, and Captain Hook are front and center in this theatrical reimagining. Rather than being the one-dimensional antagonists we know from childhood, these characters are portrayed as complex figures wronged by the heroes, misunderstood by society, and in need of redemption.
“We wanted to tell a story that's a little different than what's been told before: which one of them has been treated the most unfairly ever after,” said Mark Renfrow, creative director of the new production, in a promotional video.
While Disney has flirted with villain redemption in recent years — think Maleficent (2014) or Cruella (2021) — this marks one of the first times the theme has taken center stage in a theme park production. And it’s sparking an important cultural conversation: When did villains stop being villainous?
A Trend Toward Redemption
The rebranding of villains is not unique to Disney, but the media giant has leaned heavily into this narrative trend. In recent years, audiences have seen origin stories that humanize villains, explore their trauma, and justify their motivations.
In Maleficent, for instance, Angelina Jolie’s titular character isn’t the evil sorceress we knew from Sleeping Beauty, but a betrayed fairy-queen seeking justice. Cruella recasts its fur-obsessed antagonist as a rebellious fashion genius with a tragic backstory. Even Marvel, under Disney's umbrella, has built sympathy for characters like Loki, Wanda Maximoff, and Killmonger, exploring the gray areas of morality.
This shift reflects a broader societal movement toward nuance and empathy. Today’s audiences crave complexity. We want to know why people do bad things — what shaped them, who hurt them, what choices they had. The days of cackling caricatures are fading, replaced by morally ambiguous characters whose motives feel more grounded in reality.
Not Everyone Is On Board
But this change isn’t without its critics.
“I think it's wonderful when you still have stories where villains are purely villainous,” said Benjamin Murphy, a professor of philosophy and religious studies at Florida State University’s Panama City campus. “When you have villains reveling in their evil, it creates a clear contrast between good and bad — something that can be morally instructive, especially for children.”
Murphy argues that the reinterpretation of villains can blur moral lines and downplay the consequences of truly harmful behavior. “If everyone is just misunderstood, then what do we make of real evil in the world?” he asks. “Are we at risk of romanticizing harmful behavior because we’re afraid to call it what it is?”
This perspective resonates with some fans who feel nostalgic for the bold, unapologetic villains of the past — the ones who didn’t need a sympathetic backstory to command the screen.
A New Kind of Storytelling
Yet, defenders of the new approach argue that these villain redemptions add depth to familiar tales and reflect a maturing audience. The idea of a hero-villain binary, once sufficient for fairytales, feels increasingly out of step in a world where mental health, trauma, and systemic injustice are part of everyday discourse.
“Reframing villains allows us to tell stories about empathy, forgiveness, and growth,” said Marlene Castillo, a Disney fan and writer who specializes in media psychology. “We’re not saying what they did was right — we’re just saying there’s more to the story. And that’s a powerful lesson, especially for kids.”
Indeed, the courtroom-style format of Unfairly Ever After invites viewers to think critically. The show doesn’t necessarily declare any one villain innocent, but rather raises questions about how stories are told — and who gets to tell them. It encourages audiences to reconsider narrative bias and reflect on how perspective shapes our understanding of truth.
Disney’s Strategic Move
From a branding perspective, the show also aligns with Disney’s broader push toward inclusivity, diversity, and emotional intelligence. The company understands that younger audiences — raised on therapy talk, social awareness, and nuanced storytelling — are less likely to engage with outdated tropes.
Moreover, humanizing villains opens the door to new merchandise, spin-offs, and cross-generational appeal. You don’t just sell the idea of a villain — you sell their journey, their pain, their redemption. It’s marketing gold.
And it’s working. The Descendants franchise, Maleficent films, and even villain-themed merchandise have become staples of Disney’s offerings. “We’ve seen the anti-hero rise in popularity for years — Deadpool, Joker, Loki — and Disney is smart to tap into that trend,” said Castillo.
What's Next for Villains?
So, what does the future hold for Disney villains?
If Unfairly Ever After is any indication, we may continue to see a blend of humor, heart, and redemption in future portrayals. Villains may still do bad things — but they’ll do them with a backstory, a motive, and maybe even a song to explain it all.
Whether that’s a loss of narrative simplicity or a gain in emotional richness depends on who you ask. For some, it’s a welcome shift that mirrors the complexity of the real world. For others, it feels like a softening of stories that used to be more black-and-white.