Pixar's animated series Win or Lose arriving on Disney+ in 2025 faces recent backlash. Disney confirmed they cut a planned storyline for a transgender character from Win or Lose with some former Pixar staff members who worked on series reported as "devastated". This decision has created further discussions with LGBTQ communities and in media highlighting creative issues.
Disney's Decision To Cut Transgender Storyline Sparks Anger From Former Pixar Employees
Win or Lose which tells the story of a middle school softball team The Pickles originally included a transgender character with a storyline planned for specific episode which is all now removed. This has lead to public discussion and a media circus about Disney's choices regarding inclusion. All the original dialogue concerning gender identity was taken out by the production staff leaving one ex staff member Sarah Ligatich an assistant editor from Pixar that consulted on episode expressing serious distress. Poppa Henry a previously popular charecter in “Good Dinosaur” is one example of difficult casting decisions at Pixar studios from many years past showing the issue is not entirely new to Pixar staff and executives .
Ligatech herself who identifies as trans reported that she felt "devastated" about the creative choice not proceeding with the planned story arc with The Hollywood Reporter posting her opinion in print . She shared in this Hollywood reporter article that Disney’s goal seems more focused on revenue generation versus genuine storytelling citing Bob Chapek who previously noted animation is “conservative” in direction. The axed storyline that Ligatech helped create was intended to be beautiful showcasing transgender experiences with the decision to cut it viewed as a monetary move that does not take into consideration the life saving implications of stories. Disney's decision to remove this specific storyline was not taken lightly by many insiders and those interested in diverse and inclusive media and also creative arts such as those involved in writing and storyboarding.
“Beautiful” Axed Transgender Storyline Leads To Frustration Among Studio Employees
The episode showcasing this arc was completely finished prior to Disney's action resulting in last minute adjustments impacting the overall show schedule which is slated to release sometime February 2025. Another anonymous Pixar employee called this removed story "beautiful” highlighting how deeply upsetting this creative and story driven decision must be to those involved with that story arc of the film and all the planning and production that came from those long work hours by the creative team involved. Pixar staffers mention their work included “deliberating over which bathroom to use” while showcasing what daily life is like for trans individuals and how that storyline will create space to be explored openly and also without prejudice during its time.
Creative Staff Discusses the Decision as “Political” Influenced By Studio Defamation Lawsuits
Another ex-Pixar employee also noted a feeling that “It's 100 percent political” that Disney settled a large defamation lawsuit of 15 million with Donald Trump from ABC News this has lead to large public discussions. Disney has also been scrutinized for similar situations like the removal of a trans character from "Devil Dinosaur and Moon Girl”. Ligatech had spoken with executive producer David Lally on Disney's removal for Chanel Stewart who plays a character named “Kai”. Chanel’s involvement has many seeing this removal to be cruel due to the political conversation she needed to navigate during its removal,
Ligatech Mentions The Welcoming Attitude Of Netflix With LGBTQ Content Creation As Possible Alternative For Creators
Ligatech cited Netflix willingness for hosting authentic LGBTQ stories notably Nimona which earned Oscar nomination after not being developed in prior production studios. She mentioned this signals that indie studios may form due to Disney’s rejection of more authentic diverse media and storylines within the entertainment field. The premiere date is currently set for Disney Plus starting February 19 2025 after multiple revisions demonstrating the level of production issues brought on due to last minute storyline changes that will have impact on timelines .
Public Backlash Follows Disney’s Decision to Remove Win Or Lose’s Transgender Character Storyline
After a strong public reaction towards the removal of a trans character's story in “Win or Lose” from Disney several former Pixar staff discussed the situation via the Hollywood Reporter . The new show features a co-ed middle school softball team plus their families highlighting life events as they make their way to the final championship game, which was altered by this unexpected storyline removal of the character at Disney's own request and initiative. The studio tried saying that they chose to keep animated content geared to young families during production meeting however many did not agree with these justifications as being relevant .
Disney's Choice of Creative Suppression In 'Win or Lose' Creates Deep Divisions Among Workers and Public
Many Pixar workers voiced opinions about Win or Lose’s transgender narrative being removed some such as former assistant editor Sarah Ligatich said the choice "hardly surprised me" but did not keep it from being "devastating". She emphasized in the Hollywood Reporter report that Disney does not focus on storytelling for content but generating the largest possible profits mentioning prior discussions from ex CEO Bob Chapek's meeting where they said animation should be seen as “conservative”. Sarah also mentioned that the creative environment at the studios made her feel welcome yet it's removal for the episode created a serious problem which was previously well liked among the production staff.
Ligatech reached out to creative workers at “Win or Lose” namely executive producer David Lally to express opinions with special regard to Chanel Stewart who plays a character who is openly trans. She stated that it is unfair to the young star as she was tasked to perform as trans and then reconcile its removal plus how it also affected storyline. The creative team has worked on this storyline for many years and they are concerned with all the delays while knowing other studios such as Netflix happily embrace authentic and real LGBTQ content like the Oscar-nominated Nimona. There were some artists who did not want to be part of that creative episode however those individuals were able to opt out of production responsibilities. This showed a strong level of staff support within the workplace even with conflicting views on the story’s narrative structure and the character development choices.
Anonymous Pixar Employees Share Similar Opinions on Creative Story Decisions
Another ex employee who wished to remain private agreed with the other reports that decision was “100% political" as there was a recent Trump settlement plus the cancellation of "Devil Dinosaur and Moon Girl." The anonymous ex-employee was directly involved with editing and stated seeing the episode at an unfinished phase plus the completely finalized iteration including the sensitive and very poignant scenes of the character choosing what restroom to use during their day-to-day. This episode is cited as being well made and a loss for many as well as many within community who would have resonated with story. They also felt it would have helped to connect people who feel lonely due to unique situations.
Implications of Creative Changes on Win or Lose as Disney Face Criticism Over Storytelling Decisions
This decision of Disney shows further issues with LGBTQ inclusion in animated films and the prior changes made in “Inside Out 2” to soften the sexuality of Riley’s character that seem to cater to more conservative demographics after prior mixed reactions towards other previous films such as the film "Lightyear". Win or Lose seems to focus on an individual character for each episode making this decision about the removal very crucial since this show follows structure similar to “Creature Commandos” that uses each episode to progress the larger story narrative. Some ex workers say that the creative team was scrambling to address removal prior to the premiere in February.
Disney’s Current Practices Create Negative Feedback For Studios with Concerns About Future Filmmakers
Ligatich mentioned Disney’s continued approach towards these topics shows how Netflix studios give better avenues for filmmakers to share diverse and inclusive stories and if Disney maintains its more “conservative” perspective it may alienate creative talent wanting to bring authentic viewpoints to animated films. Parents who appreciate a studio handling important topics carefully like those from LGBTQ community are often overshadowed as the studio risks pushing away those that would support creative efforts showing stories of underrepresented groups from a more open and authentic lens with the stories as Disney makes further decisions which ultimately impacts not just their films but the future generations to follow.