Disney cuts 'transgender storyline' from new Pixar series

The series Won or Lost, created for Disney Plus, is already controversial even before its broadcast.

Too inclusive? Too woke? Disney has been facing this type of controversy for several years. And the studio decided to respond by cutting from its next Pixar series, Win or Lose (Win or Lose), a plot initially planned in the screenplay and involving a transgender character.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, which first reported the news, Disney removed “a few lines of dialogue” from an episode that referenced a character's gender identity. A Disney spokesperson confirmed the change in a statement to TVLine, noting that “When it comes to animated content for younger audiences, we recognize that many parents would prefer to discuss certain topics with their children on their own terms and according to their own agenda.”

In other words: it's not the studio's place to talk to children about transidentity. Which obviously took a toll on the morale of the young transgender actress Chanel Stewartwhich doubles the character in question: “This really discouraged me” she admitted to Deadline after receiving the news from Disney on Monday evening. “As soon as I received the script, I was excited to share my journey to help empower other young trans people. I knew this would be a very important conversation. Trans stories matter and they deserve to be heard.”

The message sent by Disney will raise questions and will not fail to create controversy. And even Stewart's mother confesses that this cut was “upsetting, because my daughter is transgender and this is her life. I thought it was very important not to hide this fact. There may be parents who aren't ready to have this conversation, but this is the world we live in and everyone should be represented. Everyone deserves to be recognized.”

According to Channel Stewart, Disney assured him that his character would “still an integral part of the show, but that she would now be a cis girl, a straight cis girl.“

The series Win or Lose will follow the intersecting trajectories of several characters, each of them approaching a future softball match differently. Each of the eight episodes will address the point of view of one of the protagonists of the story.

Broadcast on Disney Plus from February 19, 2025.