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Unlikely Allies: Barbie, Peter Pan, Spider-Man and Link usher in next era of disability representation.

A still from the game of Link a blonde, light skinned person wearing a black hood and blue shirt standing in front of a white horse in a field in a happy 'a-ha' pose. Silly font white text and stars have been added in ' am a disabled icon.'
Amy Marks

Dec 19, 2023

Barbie, Spider-Man, and Link—these unlikely characters have become unlikely but extremely welcome allies in a new wave of disability representation sweeping through mass pop-culture media in 2023. As we surpass the year's midpoint, it's evident that this year's most significant pop culture moments have broken barriers by featuring disability representation on a level never seen before.

Let's delve into the gaming world, where 'The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom' by Nintendo has been setting records as the 'Highest Rated Game Of All Time' on OpenCritic, as per data from NintendoLife. Here, the protagonist, Link, loses an arm early in the game, relying on a prosthetic throughout his journey. The prosthetic itself is essential to the core gameplay as it gains magical powers from the elders of Hyrule (the world of the game). Initially, when starting the game, I clocked this use of prosthesis but it wasn't until my friend made a joke that Link was a 'disabled icon' that I realised this was unusual representation and that we rarely see an amputee as a hero. We either don't see them, or they become some sort of villain-like character, depressed, seeking to become "able" again, such as Nebula in Marvel's Guardian of the Galaxy series. Link's prosthetic is hardly acknowledged by characters in the game and his abilities are either unaffected or enhanced by the prothesis. We also inadvertently see energy management as a key component of game play much like disabled people must rest, recover and rehab to gain more or maintain energy in earlier stages of the game players are faced with the constant choice of how much energy is expendable before the next unexpected creature shows up. It's incredible that Nintendo, intentionally or not, gave us this representation.

Truly a disabled icon.

A still from the game of Link: a blonde, light skinned person wearing a black hood and blue shirt standing in front of a white horse in a field in a happy 'a-ha' pose.

We also recently saw a glimpse of the new wave of disability representation in 'Spiderman: Across The Spiderverse' with the introduction of Sunspider in the film. (Note: Sunspider is not explicitly named.)

Sunspider is a fan-created character that was eventually picked by Marvel to be featured in the comic book Spider-Verse (Vol. 3) # 6 and was co-written by black, disabled, queer woman and comic book writer Tee Franklin. In the film, she was voiced by Danielle Perez, a disabled voice actress. It's incredible that Sony and Marvel cast authentically, even for this small role. It is a notable move from both studios.

A comic book illustration of an orange-suited spider woman with a white cap with a spiderweb pattern. Swinging through the city via spiderwebs while on crutches.

While Sunspider only appears in the film for about 30 seconds, it's notable that Sunspider was given lines and visible, prolonged screen time compared to the hundreds of background spidersonas. The purpose of her dialogue is not her disability. It is not even mentioned. Honestly, it took me a few seconds in the movie theatre to realise the gadget she was utilising in the scene was a modified wheelchair. Given that this role was cast and not delegated to general background voice actors, I am hopeful we will see Sunspider return in part two of the film next year.

A great example of the attitude shift towards characters and actors with disability and I hope they signify a move towards authentic storytelling and casting. However, earlier in the film, it makes the awful choice to demonise people with facial and other visible skin differences. While only one line, I was extremely gutted when the film's main villain, 'The Spot' commented about their family's inability to love them due to their acquired facial difference. It was a throwaway line that didn't add much to the character or the story but I could immediately feel the damage it would do to others in the disabled community. For a film that the creators pride in diversity and inclusion, this was a misfire I hope will be corrected in part two.

A seemingly naked man who is superficially white and marked with black spots including one covering his face. He is standing in a supermarket.

I think this is endemic of the problem when we only portray disabled people in extremes as heroes or villains we lose the reality that disabled people exist in every setting of life, and we are not just fictional story pieces. Society and creatives lose sight of the harm these stereotypes cause. This isn't ideal representation by any means.

Woody Harrelson's movie, 'Champions', released in March, features authentic casting of actors with intellectual disabilities. While commendable, the film falls short in truly embracing diverse representation, relegating these actors to merely serve the character arc of the lead, Harrelson. Such instances remind us that disabled characters deserve more than just serving as plot devices to evoke empathy and heroism towards the able-bodied characters. A classic case of an able bodied person being seen as godlike for just being around disabled people.

For a more in-depth look at this film I highly recommend this review by Cathy Raey for The Guardian.

On a positive note, Disney's latest reimagining of Peter Pan includes a Lost Boy with a disability, signaling progress in portraying disabled characters as integral community members rather than outliers.

Now, to the girl of the moment, Barbie. I have yet to see Barbie. However in two scenes that have been released, we can see at least two Barbies with visible disability. I am yet to check if these characters were cast authentically but I think this is great representation showing disability in the community, even the perfect community of Barbieland - disability does not impact the perfection of a Barbie.

A behind-the-scenes video still image of the back of a wheelchair user with blonde hair and a shiny gold outfit pushing her hot pink and silver wheelchair into the scene that appears to be a pink outdoor stage already occupied by other barbies in various white and silver outfits.

While I would've loved a main Ken or Barbie to have disability I think this incidental integration is a significant step and I hope we can see even more nuanced and normalised disability in the coming months. I also hope we can see more representation of disabled people of colour. As well as people with hidden disability where hidden disability is explicitly acknowledged, proudly and positively displayed rather than coded or inferred later on by audiences.

In the president's oval office of the 'pink house' in Barbie. A black woman in a pink ballgown with a sash that says president stands happily at her desk. Other women stand in pairs in various pastel outfits talking to each other, and one Barbie is an amputee.

To all creators reading this: We are at the beginning of a powerful wave of change. To resonate with mainstream audiences, including disabled individuals in your media is no longer an option but an imperative. Embrace the diversity of our world and let authentic disability representation lead the way in shaping a more inclusive society.