King Magnifico from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ new film, “Wish,” has all the hallmarks of a classic Disney villain. He’s exceedingly vain, like Gaston from “Beauty and the Beast”; he practices sorcery, like Ursula from “The Little Mermaid”; and his evil powers are shown as a ghoulish shade of green, as with Maleficent from “Sleeping Beauty.”
But ahead of the movie’s wide release Wednesday, some Disney fans on social media said they felt that something about King Magnifico, voiced by Chris Pine, fell flat.
While many fans online hadn’t seen the movie yet, they based their initial criticism on the character’s song, “This Is the Thanks I Get?!” which dropped on Spotify and was teased in trailers ahead of the movie’s debut. In a lengthy Reddit thread discussing the movie, one person wrote: “Is he even the real villain?” Another wrote, “how long has it been since we’ve been given a cool iconic villain?” Some on TikTok joked that “This Is the Thanks I Get?!” sounds like ChatGPT had been asked to write a villain song in the style of Lin-Manuel Miranda. Others questioned whether Disney had run out of ideas.
The early fan takes are most likely fueled by nostalgia, according to some Disney experts and fans. The beloved brand has set a high bar over the decades, and many across age groups, particularly those who grew up with the classics, have an affinity for what they believe are the better Disney eras.
“You grow up in this culture of, like, Hades and Ursula and Maleficent and those sorts of villains … and these new villains are introduced, they just don’t do it for you,” said Lindsay Hahn, a professor of communications at the University of Buffalo, who co-authored a January study that found Disney heroes and villains have retained their values for eight decades. “They don’t have that same nostalgic quality that you’ve grown up with.”
“Wish” follows Asha, a 17-year-old voiced by Ariana DeBose, who lives in the magical city of Rosas. King Magnifico, who rules the city, periodically grants its citizens wishes. But when Asha learns that King Magnifico has no intention of granting the vast majority of the wishes, she goes on a mission to free them. During her quest, she accidentally summons a magical star (named Star), who helps her along the way.
“Wish” also commemorates the studio’s 100th anniversary, which is why the film includes nods — or Easter eggs — to Disney’s classics. For example, Peter Pan is visible in one wish, and Asha has a friend (one of seven) who can’t stop sneezing, like the lovable Sneezy from “Snow White.”
A spokesperson for Disney didn’t respond to a request for comment.
“Wish” writer Jennifer Lee said in a recent clip on Walt Disney Animation Studios’ official YouTube channel that the team behind the film took inspiration from “classic Disney villains,” later adding that “every great villain needs a great song.”
In an interview with ComicBook.com, Pine shared his initial reaction to the character’s design.
“I mean, I don’t know if I’m up there [with Scar and Ursula], but I certainly gave my best, my best effort,” he told the publication. “Credit’s really due to Ben [Rice] and Julia [Michaels] who wrote incredible music and gave me the shot to try to pull it off. I just had great fun doing it. I thought the guy had great eyebrows.”
I mean, I don’t know if I’m up there [with Scar and Ursula], but I certainly gave my best, my best effort.
— Chris pine on his character king Magnifico
But that classic Disney villain energy doesn’t appear to translate effectively, according to some fans who posted their early feedback based on what has been released online.
“It just lacks the sinister feeling and bombastic energy of the older Disney villain songs that were so iconic in the past,” said TikToker and Disney fan Alex Ruiz, 24, who was among the fans who joked about the song being written by AI.
“This is the Thanks I Get?!” trades the weight and power of past villain songs for a light and boppy feel with pop backup vocals. Some even said the lyrics sound more akin to the plight of millennial parents or dog owners than an evil king.
“I let you live here for free, and I don’t even charge you rent /I clean up all your messes and I’m always there when you need to vent! /I give and give and give and give/ You’d think they’d all be content/ And all I really want is just a little respect,” Pine sings. “And this is the thanks I get?!”
During the bridge of the song, the music, lyrics and visuals take a darker turn as King Magnifico unleashes a dark magic to deal with Asha’s star. Some listeners said that is the one part of the song that does feel like it nods back to the classic villain songs of Disney’s past. But it quickly abates as the song returns to its upbeat pop sound.
King Magnifico’s only other song is a sweeping duet with Asha called “At All Costs,” in which they talk about protecting the wishes.
Disney villains have historically been fun characters whom viewers love to hate — but not so repulsive that they’re hard to enjoy, according to culture commentator Lindsay Ellis, who shared her thoughts in a 2017 YouTube video that asked: “Are Disney Villains going extinct?”
Ellis elaborated in a recent phone interview, in which she said she believes Disney has attempted to replicate the movie formula success of its 2013 box office hit "Frozen." While the movie has an atypical "bad guy" with its Hans character, it lacks a traditional villain.
"I think there's sort of like a safeness in not having a concrete antagonist in your story, especially if they do get redeemed or whatever," Ellis said.
The criticism of King Magnifico is plentiful but not the only take online — some said they enjoyed the character and his song.
But others, like culture commentator Matt Goldberg, argue that he simply lacks the charm of other Disney villains.
“Disney seemed to have an idea, and it’s like: ‘Oh, well, Magnifico will be handsome. We’ll get him to be voiced by Chris Pine, who is a good actor and charismatic and, like, this will all work,’” said Goldberg, a former Collider writer who wrote a 2023 essay for the site titled “What Happened to the Great Disney Villains?” “But It doesn’t quite come together.”
