With fall fast approaching (the excitement is real, people), Once Upon A Time is gearing up for its fifth season. While I am thrilled Once Upon A Time is coming back and adding a Camelot storyline — as well as Brave's Merida — to its always expanding cast of characters, I would love to see the show delve even deeper into Disney's archives for inspiration. There are a truly crazy amount of obscure Disney characters out there for OUAT to include. Belle, Ariel, Snow White, and Charming are great and all, but what about Baloo from The Jungle Book? Should he be disqualified just because he's a bear? I don't think so.
If OUAT feels like mixing things up, there are some seriously cool, albeit a little bit obscure, characters just waiting for a new spin to be put on their stories. Just because they aren't as popular as Frozen's Elsa doesn't mean characters from smaller movies like Lilo & Stitch should be disqualified. After all, the fairy tale world has proven to be incredibly expansive — who can say where its borders truly lie? I think there's room for everyone, but especially these eight Disney characters who could totally turn everything you think you know about Storybrooke upside down.
1. Baloo, The Jungle Book
The easygoing nature of Baloo would translate into a much needed laid back, observational character. The OUAT team has no cool, but a human Baloo would force them to see the humor in the outlandish situations they find themselves in. I know he's busy, but just imagine Burn Notice and Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell in the role! The campy fun would be off the charts.
2. Bernard & Miss Bianca, The Rescuers
A couple of badass British detectives would do OUAT some good. The police station is woefully understaffed, and Bernard and Miss Bianca would make for an adorable new, crime-solving couple to help the Charmings solve the mysteries of Storybrooke. Also, they could totally originate from the same time frame as Alice and Wendy-era Peter Pan, which would give them an easy connection to pre-existing characters.
3. Ichabod Crane, The Adventures Of Ichabod & Mr. Toad
How can anyone say no to an awkward, jumpy schoolteacher who teaches Henry English and steers clear of all the bridges in Storybrooke just in case? I would love to see a ghostly element added into the magic. After all, Disney has made its share of A Christmas Story adaptations.
4. Princess Eilonwy, The Black Cauldron
Since OUAT is already adding the Camelot cast to the story, now would be the perfect time to draw from the vastly underrated The Black Cauldron. While any of the characters would be great, the lesser known Princess Eilonwy would be the perfect choice since she is a princess who saves the hero. Toss her into the Camelot mix and let her show off her hero skills — also, she would be a great match for Will, who never gets enough screen time.
5. The Wardrobe, Beauty And The Beast
Imagine: The Wardrobe has been left enchanted in Mr. Gold's shop for ages. Then a spell wakes her up and a fashion-obsessed opera singer is let loose on the town of Storybrooke. Again, she would infuse some fun, but also be totally ticked off at Mr. Gold or Regina — whichever one of them enchanted her and then forgot.
6. Hades, Hercules
Storybrooke has faced all manner of human and magical threats, but they've never faced a god. What would happen if Hades himself let his presence be known in Storybrooke? As a villain, he could be a fun baddie without all of the personal baggage that Regina and Mr. Gold carry around. I love the idea of a tired, old god biding his time until he can make some mischief in a small New England town.
7. Nani & Lilo, Lilo & Stitch
It has been awhile since OUAT was visited by any true outsiders. Nani and Lilo could be normal humans who show up in Storybrooke after Nani receives a mysterious job offer. Honestly: My true motivation here is to give Henry a friend and partner-in-crime who is his age. Think of the potential mischief! Not to mention, the fact that it would be cool to involve some regular world people in the action who truly have no connection to the fairy tale world.
8. Dani Dennison, Hocus Pocus
I am choosing a live action character here, which I know is not something that ever really happens on OUAT, but I have a solid reason: Storybrooke can be claustrophobic at times. I like the idea that there are other places in the outside world where magic is very real. Having gone through such a crazy experience at such a young age, Dani could have easily caught the magic bug and now own an expansive collection of tomes collecting so-called fairy tales. Not only would she be a great resource for the Storybrooke characters, she could also eventually pull the Sanderson sisters into the story!
These are just a few offbeat characters who could spice things up in Storybrooke. Think about it, OUAT!
Images: Disney; Giphy (8)
