While there’s definitely a racial component to the backlash against Rachel Zegler, many have also latched onto comments she made in 2022 concerning her Snow White casting. While at D23 and speaking to Variety, both Zegler and Gal Gadot, who will play the Evil Queen in the remake, spoke about modernizing the adaptation. “It’s no longer 1937,” Zegler said. “She’s not gonna be saved by the Prince, and she’s not gonna be dreaming about true love. She’s dreaming about becoming the leader that she knows she can be.”
This didn’t stick well with many on social media, particularly TikTok, where numerous users stitched the Variety video to call out Zegler’s comments and claim that someone who actually likes the original fairy tale should portray the character. Of course, if people want to watch the original “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” with all of its old-school ideas concerning womanhood, they can just…watch the original. It makes sense that a modern remake would pursue more contemporary ideas, so Zegler isn’t wrong in being excited to explore a new take. It’s also worth noting that Gadot is standing right next to her, agreeing with her statements, and she somehow managed to avoid the Snow White backlash.
Finally, there’s good, old-fashioned misogyny at play. With the Zegler online hate, there’s a woman of color speaking her mind and promoting more feminist ideas, so there are always going to be people who respond negatively to that.
