Fact Check: Is Jenna Ortega replacing Rachel Zegler in Snow White? Rumors explored 

The upcoming musical fantasy film Snow White, directed by Marc Webb, and co-produced by Marc Platt Productions and Walt Disney is based on the German fairy tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by the Brothers Grimm. This book was first published in 1812 and is an award-winning children's book. This film is also a live-action adaptation of the 1937 Disney film of the same name.

In the upcoming Disney movie, Rachel Zegler will be playing the character of Snow White. She is not being replaced by actress Jena Ortega and the whole controversy surrounding Jenna Ortega being the next replacement for the Disney princess is a hoax. The rumor was started by a TikTok account called @Celebrity_corner.

This movie is going to be released on March 21, 2025. Other than Rachel Zegler playing the lead, the movie is also going to star Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, Wendy H. Meier as a villager, and Emilia Faucher as the young Disney princess among others.

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Why is there a rumor about Rachel Zegler being replaced?

A TikTok account @Celebrity_corner had uploaded a three-part post, in which it was shown that Jenna Ortega wanted to play the role of the Disney princess. The video also said that she was appreciative of the opportunity, and was in the middle of reshoots for the movie.

The TikTok post also claimed that featuring Zegler as the Disney princess could turn the movie into a flop because her downfall in Hollywood started, with her exit from Paddington 3 (2024). However, the real reason why she had to quit the Paddington 3 project was because of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.

The TikTok user also claimed that Disney will soon announce it officially with a trailer drop, in which Ortega will be seen as the new Disney princess. Another video titled “Jenna Ortega EXCITED to replace Rachel Zegler from Snow White” also shows that fans preferred Ortega over Zeglar. All these series of posts were the reason why the rumor started in the first place.

Zegler was even trolled by netizens, because of her skin color and ethnicity. In the books, Snow White is described as a princess whose skin is white as snow and Zegler is a Latina, which made the internet troll her for her skin color.

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Why was there a backlash against Rachel Zegler's casting?

Zegler commented and criticized the original Snow White movie from 1937. She told Variety that her version of the Disney princess is not someone who wants to be saved by a prince or is deeply in love. She is a leader, who can act independently, make her own choices, and is not driven by stereotypes.

She said to Variety-

“I just mean that it’s no longer 1937. We absolutely wrote a Snow White that... she’s not going to be saved by the prince, and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love; she’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be.”

She also criticized the character of Prince Charming and called him a stalker, which made fans and the internet wonder if Disney would take action against her for being vocal about matters regarding the film. The comments made by Zegler led to a backlash against her casting.

However, she will remain as the Disney princess, even after all the speculations and backlash.

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Jenna Ortega as Snow White

Jenna Ortega has been featured in multiple movies and shows like Miller's Girl (2024), Scream (2022), You (2018), Wednesday (2022-present), and more.

Even though fans might want Jenna Ortega for the role of the Disney princess, it would be very hard for Disney to acquire her, as she is currently busy and has six upcoming projects.

Fans might see her in a future project with Disney but in the upcoming project, Rachel Zegler will be seen playing the Disney Princess without a doubt.

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Snow White is going to be released on March 21, 2025.