2026 is the year for film. With the release of movies like “Project Hail Mary” and “Spiderman: Brand New Day,” as well as the future productions of (literally) every romance book adaptation and live action Disney movie, it’s hard to deny it.
So naturally, when I opened TikTok to do my daily scrolling one day in December and saw a video with 30 thousand likes fan casting Mckenna Grace as Rapunzel, my immediate thought was, “are you kidding me?” McKenna Grace? The girl who’s been the go-to child actor ever since she was five? Do people ever get bored?
The term fan casting refers to the trend where fans of a book or movie play with their imagination, unofficially building their dream cast based on their opinions.
While everyone is entitled to their opinion, when it comes down to worldwide phenomenons like “Tangled,” fan castings tend to become disagreeable, bizarre and purely based on popularity.
And it doesn’t surprise me. When fans imagine a character, they aim for a look that’s exactly like the original and a strong resemblance between the actor and the character.
For the case of Rapunzel, in addition to Mckenna Grace, fans casted Sabrina Carpenter, Florence Pugh and even Sydney Sweeny all because of just a few resemblances. Notice anything? Blonde hair, light eyes, a good singing voice and millions of followers. Yet, they failed to even glance at underrated Teagan Croft, who actually got cast.
This is exactly the problem: fans prioritize superficial similarities between actors and characters, overlooking the lesser-known actors whose demeanor fits the role better.
As reported by CNN, fans were harassing Rachel Zegler for being cast as snow white as she embodied her Colombian roots and didn’t resemble the exact characteristics of Snow White, like her skin not being “as white as snow.”
Even in situations like these, fans failed to look past the actress’s appearance, dismissing the real message casting directors were trying to convey: a push towards greater diversity in roles that were traditionally white.
Casting directors hold one of the most important jobs in production, as they build the show’s most significant part, the cast. Being pressured by fans to choose the actor/actress that best serves the majority distracts them into having to choose between an actor that actual fits the role versus appealing to fans’ wants.
Fan casting is a fun way for audiences to get excited about upcoming movies and shows, but it can start to feel repetitive when the same actors are suggested over and over again. Meanwhile, professional casting brings a level of thought and expertise beyond what social media can bring.
