In the film, Luisa is shown lifting pianos and wagons –and donkeys – over her head. She’s described as the “rock” of the family. She has physical and emotional strength – but most importantly, she’s in a body that also
looks strong and powerful, something Disney (and most other studios) has never celebrated before in their female characters.
And, maybe to Disney's surprise – kids – and adults – all over the world are loving Luisa and her muscles.
Reactions to Encanto and especially Luisa have been trending on social media ever since the movie dropped, and to a lot of women, it means finally feeling representation in a 'princess' movie. On Instagram, fitness influencer and ex-swimmer Lucy Davis dedicated a post to Luisa Madrigal, writing:
"Thank YOU, Disney.
When I was younger, I always thought the Disney princesses all looked the same physique wise, with a tiny waist and being overall very thin, quite superficial.
I have had a muscly athletic physique since being a little girl & would have absolutely loved to see the character Luisa when I was growing up! The artists for Encanto had to push hard for Luisa to have big muscles. AND, from this, so many girls find her completely relatable! She looks f*cking awesome. Swipe for some article headings..
There is just something so refreshing
about someone who can bench press you in a Disney film; who looks happy and comfortable in her own skin, and who is a woman with muscle."
Another fan of the movie took to Twitter to express her love for Encanto – and Luisa:
And as for how kids are reacting to a Disney girl who looks nothing like any other Disney girls, well, take a look:
Had to fight for Luisa's muscular frame
It seems no one is more surprised with Luisa's popularity than Disney themselves – who, as it turns out, had some serious concerns about the character's physical build while the movie was being made.
Encanto artist Dylan Ekren reveals that Luisa Madrigal almost didn't have her signature bulging muscles, as Disney pushed for a more petite design.
Ekren is an illustrator and character modelling supervisor who worked on
Encanto, and has
revealed that it was incredibly difficult to convince Disney that Luisa should forgo the petite and slim build of many other Disney women to have a muscular frame instead.
"I think we all just wanted to do it in a way that worked well with the style and really made sense for the character and I’m really proud of the way that she turned out," Ekren wrote on his Twitter account in July last year, which has since been made private.
"The entire team was so awesome. I just pushed buttons in the right order."
