Disney’s Cruella’ Faces Backlash From Social Media Over Depiction of ‘101 Dalmatians’ Villain

The trailer for Disney’s upcoming origin story Cruella dropped on Wednesday morning, and the first look at Emma Stone‘s glam villain got people talking. The trailer didn’t offer too much insight into the movie’s plot, but it did showcase some stunning costumes, an imperious Emma Thompson, and the possibility of an unhinged performance from Stone.

Comparisons to the Joker popped up immediately, and Twitter was divided in terms of whether or not Cruella looked worthwhile. While most agreed that the aesthetic looked fun, the never-ending parade of Disney remakes, sequels and prequels leaves many over it and exhausted.

Are We Supposed To Sympathize With A Villain?

People were curious if the film would be a straightforward origin story for the classic 101 Dalmatians villain, or if it will go the Maleficent route and portray her more as misunderstood and sympathetic. Most thought that this would be an odd choice for a puppy killer. “How in the hell am I gonna sympathize with a protagonist named CRUELla that kills dogs and wears their skin,” one Twitter user wrote. “Cruella De Vil is basically girl boss animal cruelty,” joked someone else.

Do We Need More Villain Origin Stories?

“Does every villain in film history need to be jokerfied?” one person wrote. Some argued that a backstory could be compelling for some villains, but Cruella De Vil might not be the one. “I’m all for a villain backstory, but there is nothing playfully macabre about ‘here’s how I started killing all the puppies,’” wrote another. However, if they were going for illumination, Cruella might be a misfire. “What’s amazing about the Cruella trailer is that I feel like I understand her even less after watching it,” tweeted writer R. Eric Thomas.

The Joker Comparisons

The most common comparison made online was to the Joker, due to Stone’s manic attitude and clownish makeup. “The CRUELLA trailer LOOKS nice but also i think sometimes ladies who love fashion should be allowed to remain ladies who love fashion and not the joker,” tweeted writer Karen Han. “Why does everyone want to be the joker. his life sucks,” pointed out Han. “finally. time for jokeher,” tweeted editor Hannah Woodhead. 

Praise for Stone’s Performance

However, people were quick to point out that Stone’s performance, even the British accent, looked fun and inventive. She seemed to nail the tagline of “brilliant, bad, and a little bit mad.” “Emma Stone is going to be so iconic as cruella” tweeted one stan account. 

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