Will there ever be a Disney Prince?

[WarriorDreamer]

What we are really missing is a Disney Prince. We have never had a Disney Prince before and I think it's about time we had one. I understand that Disney doesn't think prince's sell but I think that some boys/ men identify with the idea of wearing armor and slaying dragons. Disney thinks that the only heroes that boys are interested in are superheroes but there are plenty of good fairy tales out there with a prince as the main character. I also think it's time we had a Disney hero franchise as well. I doubt a Disney prince franchise would sell because what boy would want merchandise of Snow White's prince? But a Disney hero franchise would work well, because then you can include heroes like Tarzan, Hercules and Wreck-it-Ralph who are not princes. If they did make a film about a new prince he could be included in the franchise, while I think the first prince worthy enough to be called a Disney hero would be Prince Phillip, the first two didn't even have names.

What do you think?

[PatrickvD]

What we are really missing is a Disney Prince.

[lord-of-sith]

Prior to opening this thread, I was 99.9% sure that the author had mistakenly left the word "gay" out of the title.

[thelittleursula]

Snow White's Prince, Prince Henry Charming, Prince Phillip, Prince Eric, Beast/ Prince Adam, Aladdin, Prince Naveen, Flynn/ Eugene all count as Princes and Eric, Aladdin, Naveen, Flynn are named.


Adam and Henry's name are not official yet but everybody calls him Prince Adam anyways and Henry is what France dubbed him I think. Still it's names.

[Atlantica]

I think it could be interesting to have a movie like Aladdin released now; with the prince and the main character, and still cater to girls with having a princess character.

Though Tangled came pretty close, no ?

[mdseverin]

I think a Disney prince film is a good idea. Aladdin is the closest film to use that idea, but not really in the same sense that the OP is talking about. The other princes mentioned (Charming, Phillip, Eric, etc.) were not the main character in the film. I would like to see Disney develop an animated feature that the main character was a prince/knight and have some cool dragon slaying action scenes.

As far as a “Hero” line, I don’t see that happening. Boys like action, so Disney would have to have several action styled films that would appeal to boys. The Princess line is successful because girls like to dress pretty and wear beautiful dresses and jewelry. Boys like to dress up as superheroes that have cool weapons. That would be a huge departure for Disney animation and risks losing the traditional family friendly audience. Now that Disney owns Marvel and LucasFilms, I doubt they would do anything to abandon that market they have been successful in for decades.

[Lnds500]

Cause we all know princes are the studio's forte. Aladdin is the closest thing we can get IMO.

[thelittleursula]

Cause we all know princes are the studio's forte. Aladdin is the closest thing we can get IMO.

And at the moment they treat it's like Jasmine's movie and center Jasmine's face everywhere, even when advertising the movie on Disney Channel and Disney Kindy Channel.

So the chances of having a movie like Aladdin again is tiny.

[GreatGreg]

Aladdin is an underdog story, not really a prince story.

There are lots of Disney princes, but you would first have to come up with a good story as boys like action and adventure a la Dragon's Lair or The Hobbit, not a wimpy prince sitting on his throne.

Then again, now that Disney owns STAR WARS and Marvel, there is really no need for them to come up with an iffy prince movie. They already have the boys' market cornered. In short, it would be foolish for them to invest in an unknown prince movie when they already have so many licensed characters for boys that they can invest in and crank out the dough.

[Atlantica]

In that sense, are girls the more powerful side in Disney Animation ? The female - driven movies are the icons and have been more successful; granted, fairy tales do tend to lean towards female stories, but there are plenty of male-driven stories they could have used.

Like you said, they have Marvel etc, Pixars 'buddy' movies, there really isn't a need to have a male - centered Classic. The closest we will come to it would have been Flyn.

I don't see why they didnt persevere with the 'Hero' line; I know my brother collected everything it had and loved it...then it just stopped being made.

[PatrickvD]

I'm kind of tired of male or female centered discussions. The Disney princess franchise has really divided things into two. We even look at the classics in this light now. It's tiresome.

[GreatGreg]

TARZAN and HERCULES could have been big hits. But they weren't.

Disney's hit a groove with their PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN films, so they are milking that.

[Flanger-Hanger]

Does Prince of Persia not count?

[GreatGreg]

Sure. It counts as a missed opportunity.

[Super Aurora]

Sure. It counts as a missed opportunity.

Other than the fact that Its not created by Disney to begin with.

[Flanger-Hanger]

Sure. It counts as a missed opportunity.

Other than the fact that Its not created by Disney to begin with.

Like 90% of their other princes or male leads.

[PatrickvD]

TARZAN and HERCULES could have been big hits. But they weren't.

Tarzan was pretty big actually. It sold more tickets than any Disney or PIXAR animated feature of the past three years.

[ajmrowland]

It is high time for us to have a male royal protagonist. Just so long as it's not contrived.

[Super Aurora]

Other than the fact that Its not created by Disney to begin with.

Like 90% of their other princes or male leads.

Majority of them are public domain meaning anyone can use them. Thus disney created their own ver of the "princes" of those movies that are staple to Disney itself. Prince of Persia isn't one. Disney had to buy license to make live action one.

[milojthatch]

You know what? Disney already tried a "Disney Heroes Line" made up of male action heroes from the Animated Classics like Peter Pan and Tarzan. It didn't do very well. Frankly, based on what I've read, that was a HUGE part in why Disney bought Marvel in the first place. Spider-Man and Thor get to be Disney's "boy" line.

I agree with PatrickvD however, it's a little tiresome how all Disney films have to be "boy" or girl" films. Can't they just be "films?"