Stay up to date with notifications from TheĀ Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Disney removes transgender storyline from new Pixar series Win or Lose

The animated show, which debuts on Disney+ in February, follows a middle school softball team

Kevin E G Perry
in Los Angeles
Wednesday 18 December 2024 02:55 GMT
Comments
Pixar's Win or Lose official trailer

Disney has removed a storyline focused on a transgender character from the upcoming Pixar series Win or Lose.

The animated show, which is set to arrive on Disney+ on February 19, 2025, follows a co-ed middle school softball team.

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, a Disney spokesperson said: ā€œWhen it comes to animated content for a younger audience, we recognize that many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline.ā€

The character wil remain in the show, but several lines of dialogue that referenced gender identity have reportedly been removed.

The series, in which comedian Will Forte voices Coach Dan, tells the story of a middle school softball team named the Pickles in the week leading up to their championship game. Each of the eight episodes are set to focus on the off-the-field life of an individual character — including players, a parent, a coach, and an umpire.

Pixar’s animated series ā€˜Win or Lose' is set to debut in February 2025
Pixar’s animated series ā€˜Win or Lose' is set to debut in February 2025 (Pixar/Disney/YouTube)

Disney and Pixar have come under scrutiny for their handling of LGBTQ+ storylines before.

In September, a report by IGN claimed that Pixar executives had sought to squash LGBTQ+ plotlines in Inside Out 2 during the making of the film. The instruction, claimed the report, was to make the film ā€œless gayā€.

Back in 2022, Walt Disney World became embroiled in a feud with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis after the company criticized the ā€œDon’t Say Gayā€ law, which banned classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades. The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District later approved a settlement between allies of Ron DeSantis and Disney that apparently brought that feud to an end.

After the ā€œDon’t Say Gayā€ law passed in 2022, reporters from The Independent and other outlets found that Disney entities and affiliates contributed tens of thousands of dollars to the GOP lawmakers who championed the law, despite the company’s history of LGBTQ+ advocacy.

However, several Disney stars spoke out against the law. Oscar Isaac, who stars in Marvel’s Moon Knight, criticized the ā€œridiculous lawā€ in a statement to Variety.

Apple TV+ logo

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.

Try for free

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Apple TV+ logo

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.

Try for free

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

ā€œIt’s insane. It’s insanity. And I hope that Disney as a company comes out as forcefully as possible against this idea. It’s astounding that it even exists in this country,ā€ the 43-year-old Oscar nominee said.

Late night TV show host John Oliver, who voices Zazu in Disney’s 2019 live-action remake of The Lion King, called the company ā€œmorally bankruptā€ for donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to Republican senators backing the ā€œDon’t Say Gayā€ bill.

ā€œMarginalized creators have made billions of dollars for Disney,ā€ Oliver said. ā€œNow, should it embarrass them that it took them until this week to realize that they shouldn’t take that money and use it to actively undermine those creators’ interests? Who’s to say? I’ll tell you. I am. I’m Zazu, remember?ā€

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in