Milo Manheim found himself at the center of online ire after Disney revealed its cast for the live-action remake of Tangled.
The exciting update for fans quickly turned into a heated discussion across social media platforms.
Disney recently confirmed that Teagan Croft has been cast as Rapunzel, while Manheim has been chosen to play Flynn Rider in the remake of the 2010 animated film.
However, the exciting announcement came after a long global search for the leads, but many fans shifted their attention away from the film and towards Manheim’s political views.
After Oct. 7, Manheim shared a message on Instagram that read, “My heart goes out to everyone affected by the attacks in Israel.”
Fans later pointed out that he did not post anything about the genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza.
The 24-year-old star’s previous online interactions also resurfaced, including likes and comments supporting pro-Israel content shared by musician Matisyahu, who is described as an avowed Zionist.
Soon after the casting news broke, the backlash grew louder, with fans writing comments like “Not our flynn please,” “we will NOT watch,” and “Flynn Rider would never.”
A viral post compared the situation to the Snow White controversy and claimed that Disney failed to learn from past criticism.
Despite the backlash, the film continued to move forward.
The remake is directed by Michael Gracey, written by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson and produced by Kristin Burr for Walt Disney Pictures.
Also, the casting for the role of Mother Gothel has not yet been revealed.
