Disney’s Pixar Debuts First Non-Binary Character To Big Screen In ‘Elemental’
With the release of Disney’s latest Pixar movie, Elemental, the production studio is taking another step toward a more inclusive cast of characters by introducing Lake Ripple, a non-binary water being.
Elemental follows the story of Ember and Wade, two people (elements?) from very different backgrounds who go on an adventure and discover that, though they come from different worlds, they’re not too dissimilar. As her name suggests, Ember is an elemental fire being, while Wade is water. The story seems to follow how xenophobia can prevent people from understanding those around them, and how they might find connections they never knew existed, given a chance.
In fact, Wade’s younger sibling, Lake, is introduced to the audience using they/them pronouns to further drive home this point of acceptance to those around us. The character was voiced by non-binary voice actor Ava Kai Hauser, who took to Twitter to announce the news.
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT I got to play Pixar's first nonbinary character! Meet Lake!
— 🛸 Kai Ava Hauser 🛸 (@JustAVoiceActor) June 16, 2023
I voice Lake in the new movie #Elemental! I'm seeing it in theaters tonight with my friends, so you can catch it in theaters too if you wanna see them. 💙 pic.twitter.com/6kBPGvCATE
Fans who had seen the movie praised the fact that Pixar did not make Lake’s gender identity a big deal and that it was just subtly brought to light when Ember was first introduced to them. This made Lake’s identity feel more authentic and less like a token character for visibility.
its the subtlety of how Lake is introduced to Ember that makes my heart sing. We dont need to treat lgbtq+ characters any different from straight characters. Pixar knows true allyship ðŸ³ï¸ðŸŒˆðŸ³ï¸âš§ï¸ðŸ’š https://t.co/RHXjCaE5H3
— Pixar's Chonky-Cute Era Supremacy😊 (@disnerdpodcast) June 17, 2023
Last year, Disney debuted its first same-sex kiss on Lightyear between a lesbian couple and its first gay character, Ethan Clade, in Strange World.
Does Disney have a long way left to go in making its movies a more inclusive place for people of all sexualities and gender identities? Yes. But at least, this is a step in the right direction.
[via Indy100 and The Direct, screenshot via Pixar]
