Disney's Mirabel Madrigal (Stephanie Beatriz) is the star of Disney's Encanto. She's a quirky, driven fifteen-year-old who has everything going for her except one thing. Most of Mirabel's family get magical powers. For instance, her sister, Luisa (Jessica Darrow), has super strength and can move buildings and lift donkeys over her head. However, Mirabel doesn't get any magical gift. So, of course, Mirabel's lack of powers makes her all the more determined to solve the family's problems when their magical house starts falling apart.
There are other non-magical characters in the Madrigal household. For instance, Agustín Madrigal (Wilmer Valderrama), Mirabel's father, married into the family after falling in love with Julieta (Angie Cepeda). Félix Madrigal (Mauro Castillo) also married into the family after meeting Pepa Madrigal (Carolina Gaitán). Of course, Abuela Alma Madrigal (María Cecilia Botero) doesn't have powers either, but she was the whole reason the family got the miracle in the first place.
Mirabel is undoubtedly the protagonist of Encanto, but an early version of the story had a different spin on the magical family. According to Art of Encanto, one side character almost kicked off an alternate version of the story. Director Byron Howard explained that "before the character of Mirabel was born," Agustín would've led the Madrigals. "In a different version, Agustín was a patriarch who found the Encanto where he builds a magical home," Howard said. Art of Encanto also includes images where Agustín, donning a "resplendent" mustache, builds the house. Like in Disney's film, the children born in the Encanto house each get a special gift.
An Agustín-focused story would've been all wrong for Encanto. In Art of Encanto, Agustín's story would still give the children magical gifts, so core elements would stay the same. However, the film is all about respecting Colombian culture, and a patriarchal story wouldn't fit. Alejandra Espinosa, an expert on Colombian culture, explained to the directors that a father-focused story was "all wrong." Espinosa said in Art of Encanto, "You can't tell a story of a patriarchy in Colombia; women are in charge here." By making Mirabel the central character in the story, the filmmakers took the advice to heart.
In the end, Encanto is a women-led story. From Mirabel and her sisters to Abuela Alma, the Madrigal women lead the family in Encanto to remarkable success. In addition to creating a narrative that viewers can enjoy, Encanto has reached unprecedented territory for Disney films. The film has received multiple Oscar nominations and is even heading back to theaters ahead of the ceremony. Additionally, the Encanto soundtrack remains at the top of the list for Billboard albums, and "We Don't Talk About Bruno" is number one on the Hot 100. So, overall, it appears to be a good decision to let Mirabel take the lead in Encanto.
