It’s learned that Disney has dumped a transgender storyline that was originally a part of the Pixar Win or Lose animated series set for Disney+.
The trades report that while the character still remains in the show, Disney has eliminated “a few lines of dialogue” from an episode that set up and referenced a character’s gender identity.
Disney confirmed to THR that it yanked the transgender story, and THR says a source filled them in that Disney made the decision several months ago:
“When it comes to animated content for a younger audience, we recognize that many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline.”
Win or Lose is Pixar’s first-ever original series which debuts on Disney+ in 2025. The series follows the intertwined stories of eight different characters as they each prepare for their big championship softball game. Win or Lose reveals what it actually feels like to be in the shoes of each character—the insecure kids, their helicopter parents, even a lovesick umpire—with incredibly funny, very emotional and uniquely animated perspectives. Directed, written and executive produced by Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates, and produced by David Lally.
Disney also recently pulled an episode of Marvel’s Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur which sounds a lot like Win or Lose. The episode features a trans teen, a boy on a girl’s sports team, where the opposing coach is the super villain who doesn’t like the teen boy on the girls team. Marvel’s Daredevil: Born Again is also said to feature a trans storyline.
Transgender actor Chanel Stewart voices the character in question in Win Or Lose, responded as follows along with her mother to Deadline :
“It was upsetting because my daughter is transgender and this is her life. I felt like it was very important that we not hide that fact,” Stewart’s mom Keisha tells Deadline. “There may be some parents out there who are not ready to have that conversation, but this is the world that we live in and everyone should be represented. Everyone deserves to be recognized. And it felt like it was just another setback for the LGBTQ community, because it’s very hard on transgender teenagers … transgender people, period. Especially when you’re young and you’re trying to figure out how to navigate this world that you live in and be able to grow into your own person.”
“I was very disheartened,” adds Stewart. “From the moment I got the script, I was excited to share my journey to help empower other trans youth. I knew this would be a very important conversation. Trans stories matter, and they deserve to be heard.”
“It’s just that my character would now be a cis girl, a straight cis girl,” says Chanel Stewart, who is repped by KEY Talent Management and Innovative Artists. “So yeah, that’s all they really told me and that I was still a part of the show.”
