When Disney announced in 2019 that Halle Bailey, a famous American Rhythm and Blues (R&B) singer, had been selected to play the role of Ariel in Disney’s forthcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, massive backlash bombarded social media. Bailey’s casting sparked discussions on race, as people began complaining that she did not look anything like Disney’s original version of Ariel who was depicted as white. However, living in a world where diversity matters, the controversy on whether The Little Mermaid should not be played by a black actress is questionable.

Ever since Disney revealed the casting of Halle Bailey for its upcoming live-action remake of the 1989 animated film The Little Mermaid, the internet has been flooded with critics complaining that Ariel should not be black. Critics argue that the film must not deviate from its original animated version where Ariel is portrayed to have fair skin, red hair, and blue eyes. From this, those discontented by the casting have taken to social media to share their disapproval, and the hashtags #NotMyAriel and #NotMyMermaid began trending on Twitter.

Moreover, when Disney first revealed its official trailer on YouTube last September 10, the video received over 1.5 million dislikes within 48 hours, eventually leading Disney to remove the dislike counter from the video. The arguments for why a black actress can’t play the role of Ariel have become an increasingly debatable topic as those in favor of casting Bailey applauded Disney’s efforts toward diversity, while those against it severely criticized it for ruining childhood memories. Although nearly two years have passed since the first reveal of Bailey to play the role of Ariel, the decision still seems unpleasing to some Disney fans as they point out that a live-action film is meant to be an actual replication of the original animated film.

Even now the dispute continues as to whether a new, dark-skinned Ariel would somehow contradict the classic version of The Little Mermaid. While there are worries that casting Halle Bailey misrepresents the original work itself, pointing out that she cannot be given the role of Ariel sounds absurd because mermaids are imaginary characters. Just as Bailey mentioned in an interview with Variety Magazine, she wants little girls just like her to know that they are special in every single way - a statement that has garnered much support from her fans.

It is rather peculiar to be debating over what skin color would be suitable for Ariel. In fact, the original 1837 tale written by Hans Christian Andersen does not clearly define the color of the mermaid. Although Disney had produced its own iteration of The Little Mermaid to have white skin, red hair, and blue eyes, it is not the only definitive work. Ariel can be interpreted as having a totally different image, and this would not change the story told through the film. No one owns the universal concept of what mermaids look like, and the “white, blue-eyed” mermaid is not the only version to stand.

Following the heavy backlash, Freeform, a cable channel owned by Walt Disney Television, wrote on its social media account that despite the original author of the story being Danish, Ariel is still a fictional character. Given that Disney has had only one prominent black princess in history, the new Ariel seems to be an inspiration for young black girls as they see a young woman of color just like them in their favorite show. With hopes that the controversy will not overshadow the film, the new version of The Little Mermaid starring Halle Bailey is set to be released on May 26, 2023.