Back in 2009, Disney acquired Marvel Entertainment and the world was never the same again. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) was born and from it, countless intertwining movies and TV shows were made. This all culminated in 2019 for what was possibly the biggest cinema event of our generation: Avengers: Endgame.
Sadly, Marvel maestro and creator of many of the featured heroes, Stan Lee, didn’t live to see the finale, and passed away 12 November 2018. A sad day for many.
All that being said, most of us tend to forget that Marvel is owned by Disney, but one Instagram artist hasn’t. Anastasia Ivanova has produced some incredible, extremely life-like images, from Eddie from Stranger Thingsto Thomas Shelby from Peaky Blinders.
But arguably, their most iconic creations can be found in a series that depicts what Marvel heroes would look like as Disney villains, and it’s something we didn’t know we needed up until now. Take a look for yourself.
1. Scarlet Witch as Maleficent
Judging by how intense the WandaVision TV show was, Scarlet Witch makes a perfect fit for the character Maleficent. Played brilliantly by Angelina Jolie in the 2014 film of the same name, Scarlet Witch would definitely be our go-to pick should the two universes ever collide.
After being appointed the new Captain America by Steve Rodgers, it seems almost blasphemous to imagine Sam Wilson as anything but one of the good guys. However, after seeing Ivanova’s rendition of him as Dr. Facilier from The Princess and the Frog, we can now see how playing the villain might actually suit him.
Despite not actually being a witch, Mother Gothel’s spooky appearance fits astonishingly well with Agatha Harkness. If there ever was a perfect collaboration, this would be it.
This one just makes sense. As much good as Doctor Strange has done, there’s always been something a bit off about him, especially in the recent Spider-Man adventure Spider-Man: No Way Home. Seeing him play an evil magician with a lust for power? Makes sense to me.
Last, but most definitelynot least, is everyone’s favourite Norse trickster, Loki. Not only is Ivanova’s artwork here absolutely stunning, but the idea of Loki playing Hades fits so well I don’t know why it hasn’t been done already. You’re missing a trick here, Disney!
Though we’ve previously covered the work of artist Helen Morgun by listing 30 of her best drawings of celebrities reimagined as Disney characters—as in, characters from iconic Disney movies like Jason Momoa as Tarzan or Taylor Swift as Tinkerbell—we’ve never tried our own hand at producing such creations. Because we’re obviously not as artistically talented as Morgun, we got a little help from Voilà AI Artist, an art app that uses artificial intelligence to turn your photos into stunning paintings and drawings depending on which feature you go for.
For this listicle, we wanted to turn the most adored celebrities of 2022 into Disney-inspired cartoons—think big princess eyes and Pixar-level smiles for that childlike quality. In fact, there’s some research behind why the princess formula is so effective: enlarged eyes, tiny chins and short noses make them look more like babies, which helps create an air of innocence and vulnerability. That being said, there’s also evidence that adults who have such ‘babyfacedness’ are seen as less smart, more congenial and less likely to be guilty of crimes.
Regardless of this, we went ahead and turned 30 celebrities into the cutest versions of themselves—because we all need a bit of feel-good content once in a while.
1. Zendaya
When Zendaya attended the 2015 Oscars aged 19, she walked the red carpet in a white silk gown, with her hair in dreadlocks. Shortly after, on E’s Fashion Police, Giuliana Rancic reviewed the young actress’ look, commenting: “That hair is swallowing her. I feel like she smells like patchouli oil.” An offscreen (and never-identified) voice added, “Or weed.”
Outrage followed the racist segment, and Zendaya herself decided to speak up about it in a statement shared on Instagram. It’s safe to say that her response went viral.
It is with this in mind that we reimagined Zendaya as a Disney character—a strong, unapologetic and politically-aware princesse.
2. Tom Holland
How could we mention Zendaya without following up with Tom Holland? When their relationship got confirmed back in July 2021, with paparazzi pictures of them kissing in Los Angeles, the internet simply lost its mind. Since then, the power couple has been, well, just that—Hollywood’s number one ship.
We’ll be honest, Holland is so good looking our first AI renditions added some eyeliner and blush on him. This was what we got on our third try:
3. Harry Styles
When we think of a handsome British man like Holland, we can’t help but also visualise Harry Styles—probably because they both give off that ‘gentleman/good boyfriend’ vibe. When it comes to most of us, Styles already looks like a Disney character—apologies—prince. You’ll understand then why it came as a surprise that the image just below made the singer look slightly douchey to us… We blame the moustache.
4. Timothée Chalamet
It is common knowledge on the internet that Timothée Chalamet—along with Emma Chamberlain and Anya Taylor-Joy—is hailed as a live representation of what Tim Burton’s characters are most recognisable for: baggy (but charming) eyes, gangly limbs, chiselled cheekbones and of course, ghostly complexions. While the image featured below does picture Chalamet with a nice golden tan, no one can argue that, otherwise, he truly looks like he belongs in Corpse Bride. And we think that’s pretty hot, just to be clear.
5. Kim Kardashian
No shade Kim, but it seems like Voilà AI Artist mistook you for Ariana Grande here—just look at the signature high ponytail and makeup. Fair enough, the initial image we used to transform the reality TV star already featured some of the elements mentioned here, but we also can’t help but see Grande in the cartoonish almond-shaped eyes too.
6. Pete Davidson
It’s recently been revealed that Britney Spears has no idea who Pete Davidson and Scott Disick are. And while we are fully aware of who Kim’s beau is—duh—we’re not sure exactly who the guy pictured underneath is. What happened to those charming bags under his eyes?
Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker have been together since January 2021, announcing their engagement in October the same year. Kourtney and Scott Disick, meanwhile, were on and off for over a decade, and share three children—Mason, 12, Penelope, 9 and Reign, 7.
The pair called it quits for the final time in 2015, and have both had various partners since. Despite this, numerous reports have claimed there’s been tension between Barker and Disick over the last few months, not least because of thatInstagram DM exchange.
9. Travis Barker
According to a source at E! Online, “Travis has no bad blood against Scott, but it’s hard for Scott to be around him and Kourtney. He’s not over it.”
The insider continued, “He feels like Kourtney was the one that got away and [he] still can’t wrap his head around the fact that [Travis and Kourtney are] getting married soon. He feels like he’s not going to find someone like Kourtney.” Are we even surprised?
Apart from the fact that both celebrities are probably the cringiest currently out there, we’re not exactly sure why Megan Fox is with MGK. Or why she’s okay with her relationship being a pale copy of Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton’s past one.
We’re not sure why Voilà AI Artist decided to enlarge Bella Hadid’s left ear five times but we’re here for it. She looks absolutely adorable—when doesn’t she anyway?
13. Kendall Jenner
As she should, Kendall Jenner looks slightly more basic—still pretty, don’t get us wrong, but basic nonetheless. It’s probably why she’s always given off ‘pick me girl’ energy her whole life.
14. Drake
At the risk of repeating ourselves… Did you know that Mr ‘Hotline Bling’ also has a very shady past when it comes to underage girls? Heck, he even has a shady present.
15. Dua Lipa
Though it’s nowhere near as bad as this list’s number 30, Dua Lipa’s cartoon self is definitely not the best either. She just doesn’t look like herself, right?
16. Robert Pattinson
Long gone is the Twilight era Robert Pattinson we all knew and loved, regardless of how much he clearly hated his infamous character, centenarian vampire Edward Cullen. He’s now been replaced by a more mature and confident self—one who’s playing the iconic role of The Batman, no less! Ah, they grow up so fast.
17. Zoë Kravitz
Facing Pattinson as Catwoman is Zoë Kravitz—honestly, who else could have played the part? Kravitz’s cartoon reimagination is giving us Atlantis: The Lost Empire flashbacks with how much she looks like Princess Kida. And that’s a compliment, because Princess Kida is definitely at the top of our list when it comes to Disney’s hottest characters.
18. Kylie Jenner
Meanwhile, Kylie Jenner has recently made headlines after she announced that she and Travis Scott—I guess we’ll never know why that man is still somewhat accepted in the Kardashian family—have made the decision to change their baby’s name from Wolf to… Well, they’ve not decided on it just yet. But be sure they’ll probably pick something that’s easy to turn into a multimillion-dollar business. Ka-ching!
19. Rihanna
Speaking of babies, though Rihanna hasn’t officially announced her due date, she revealed mid-March that she was in her third trimester. The singer-turned-beauty mogul revealed to ELLE how far along she was while discussing whether her glow should be attributed to pregnancy or her Fenty Beauty. “I mean, they go hand in hand. There’s a pregnancy glow,” she said. “There’s also those days, girl. Especially in the third trimester where you wake up, and you’re like, ‘Oh, do I have to get dressed?’ Makeup for sure helps you feel like a real person.”
20. Doja Cat
Did you know that Doja Cat will be playing a set at Lollapalooza 2022 during the end of July along with other names such as Green Day, Dua Lipa, Metallica and… David Solomon, the CEO of investment bank Goldman Sachs, who will be playing a DJ set there? What is happening to the world?
We hope (and know) she’ll be looking as cute as her Disney-inspired self:
21. Lil Nas X
After letting his fans take a breather following the success of his album Montero, Lil Nas X is now back after a three-month hiatus from Instagram and Twitter. “Why are people surprised I’ve been away for so long? Have y’all really never heard of maternity leave?” the 22-year-old hitmaker wrote on Twitter, referring to the long-running gag of him giving birth to his baby—also known as his debut album—on 17 September 2021.
why are people surprised i’ve been away for so long? have y’all really never heard of maternity leave?
No, we haven’t seen Fresh just yet. Yes, we’ve already added it to our Disney+ watchlist. And of course, just like the rest of TikTok, we’re obsessed with the movie’s iconic dance.
23. Cardi B
On Tuesday 22 March, Nicki Minaj—not Cardi B, pay attention here—took to Twitter to express gratitude for a HotNewHipHop piece titled Why Nicki Minaj Is One of the Greatest of All Time. The op-ed, written by Joshua Robinson, detailed Minaj’s rise within the music industry and the undeniable impact she’s had on the rap game.
Minaj shared one of the article’s paragraphs that praised and compared her to other female rappers, Cardi B included, along with a praying hands emoji and a few eyebrow-raising edits. The screenshot posted on her Twitter showed the names of her fellow female artists scribbled out with no explanation.
The move immediately polarised fans, as some saw it as amusing while others considered it unnecessary and petty. Cardi B has not publicly responded to Minaj’s post—yet.
24. Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift has teased a new song titled ‘Carolina’ in a new trailer for Where the Crawdads Sing, a forthcoming adaptation of Delia Owens’ 2018 novel of the same name. Aaron Dessner, founding member of the rock band The National, produced the track. A move that has sparked controversy among her fans for participating in the adaptation of a book that some TikTokers have argued promotes racist colonialist views towards Africa and Africans.
25. Beyoncé
The Oscars 2022 takes place on Sunday 27 March, with Jessica Chastain, Leonardo DiCaprio, Denzel Washington, Kristen Stewart, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman and Benedict Cumberbatch among the acting nominees. Stars set to present awards include Lady Gaga, Mila Kunis and John Travolta.
Both Beyoncé and Billie Eilish have been announced as performers for the ceremony. Talk about a winning duo.
26. Olivia Rodrigo
You probably know all about the drama surrounding Olivia Rodrigo, Joshua Bassett, and her massive hit single ‘drivers license’. Simply put, they were dating, they broke up, Rodrigo wrote a song about it. But did you know that Bassett was admitted to the hospital for heart failure only days after the track was released?
In a recent interview with People, Bassett opened up about what led to his hospitalisation, suggesting that stress from the overall reaction to the song contributed to his condition. “I was sleeping 16 to 20 hours a day,” he said after noting that he was feeling worse “every day.”
“I couldn’t even stand up for longer than 30 seconds,” Bassett further revealed.
27. Billie Eilish
For the Oscars ceremony, Billie Eilish and Finneas will perform ‘No Time to Die’ from the James Bond film No Time to Die, which the brother-sister duo wrote.
28. Keanu Reeves
Chinese streaming platforms have reportedly pulled multiple Keanu Reeves films off their sites after his participation in the annual Tibet House Benefit Concert earlier in March. The 57-year-old actor participated in the virtual concert alongside Laurie Anderson, Patti Smith, Cyndi Lauper, and Iggy Pop on 3 March 2022.
Soon after, Chinese nationalists took to social media to protest his participation. The status of Tibet is the subject of a decades-old dispute. While Beijing maintains that Tibet is an inalienable part of China, Tibetans say their country has historically been independent.
At least 19 of Reeves’s films were removed from major Chinese streaming platforms like Tencent Video and Youku, according to the Los Angeles Times.
29. Nicki Minaj
Meanwhile, Nicki Minaj is, like we mentioned above, living her best life, celebrating her achievements and posting them on Twitter—nothing wrong with that. Plus, look how cute her Disney reimagination looks! We wish we could see the whole outfit.
30. Dwayne Johnson
Last but not least, we thought it would be nice to bless you all with a cute image of American actor Dwayne Johnson, aka the Rock. What we didn’t anticipate however, is for him to look like a demonic infantile version of himself who perhaps just rummaged through his mother’s makeup cupboard. Check him out:
