Disney has given its fans live-action adaptations of some of its most popular fairytales. “Cinderella” (2015) introduced the world to the fantastical reality that Disney’s live-action adaptations bring to the cinematic experience.
Among Disney’s many upcoming live-action projects, a “Prince Charming” project was announced to be in the works. Variety reported that Chris Hemsworth is in talks for the titular role, and he is rumored to be starring alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones as princess Cinderella.
The rumored casting of Hemsworth, who is 41 years old, and Edgar-Jones, who is 26, has sparked conversation about the unusual but common castings of older men in romantic roles with younger women. On X, users spoke out about the 15-year age gap between the rumored co-stars.
“Why does the prince have to randomly be 45 and the girl be born in 2000,” one user wrote in a post on X which received over 154,700 likes.
In a post originally in Spanish, another user* commented on the rise in age gap-based cinema and its seeming effect on their perception by the public.
“It's kind of a stupid complaint considering everything that's going on, but it's incredible that the age gap boom has made people, especially women, no longer care about the innate misogyny that actresses are always 10-20 years younger than their male counterparts,” the user wrote in an X post.
Many of the replies underneath a post from X account Film Updates announcing the castings reflected similar opinions.
“I love Chris Hemsworth but damn they couldn’t also get a 36-40-year-old princess or a younger prince,” another user wrote in a response to the rumored castings.
Halle Bailey, who played Ariel in “The Little Mermaid” (2023), and Rachel Zegler, who is set to star in “Snow White” (2025), are the most recent Disney princesses. They are 24 and 23 years old, respectively, and highlight a trend of live-action Disney princesses being relatively young.
Elle Fanning starred as Aurora in “Maleficent” (2014) and was 16 years old when the film was released. Lilly James was 25 years old when “Cinderella” (2015) was released. Emma Watson, who played Belle in “Beauty and the Beast” (2017), and Naomi Scott, who played Jasmine in “Aladdin” (2019), were both 26 years old when their films were released. Liu Yifei was the oldest Disney princess, starring in “Mulan” (2020) when she was 31.
A similar age gap between "Jurassic Park" stars Laura Dern and Sam Neill came under scrutiny in 2022. Dern, who was 23 at the time of the original film, and Neill, who was 42, addressed the issue in an interview with The Times. The two reflected on how such a disparity would be viewed as inappropriate in today’s society.
“I am 20 years older than Laura,” Neill said. “Which at the time was a completely appropriate age difference for a leading man and lady! It never occurred to me until I opened a magazine and there was an article called ‘Old geezers and gals.'”
“People like Harrison Ford and Sean Connery acting with much younger people,” Neill said. “And there I was, on the list. I thought, ‘Come on. It can’t be true.'”
Dern added to Neill’s comments, stating how large age gaps were normalized during the ‘90s.
“Well, it felt completely appropriate to fall in love with Sam Neill,” Dern said. “And it was only now, when we returned in a moment of cultural awareness about the patriarchy, that I was, like, ‘Wow! We’re not the same age?’”
Buzzfeed writer Kat Pickhardt wrote about 50 age gaps in major projects. In "Magic in the Moonlight” (2014), Emma Stone was 25 while Colin Firth was 53. Catherine Zeta-Jones and Sean Connery had a 39-year age gap in "Entrapment" (1999), with Zeta-Jones being 29 and Connery 68. "WandaVision" stars Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany were 31 and 49, respectively, at the time of the project.
The casting rumors surrounding Disney’s upcoming "Prince Charming" project have reignited discussions about age disparities in Hollywood. While Disney’s live-action princesses are consistently cast as young women, their male counterparts often span a broader age range and highlight an industry trend many see as outdated.
As audiences grow more critical of these disparities, studios may need to reconsider casting practices to align with evolving societal expectations. Whether Hemsworth and Edgar-Jones are officially cast or not, the conversation underscores a broader cultural shift toward equitable representation and the importance of reflecting modern values in beloved fairy tales.
