It’s a tough day for the TQ+ community as it failed to insert itself into yet another major property in the name of cultural dominatio— I mean, inclusivity.
If you’re like me, you grew up playing the Legend of Zelda games, dating all the way back to the top-down NES game that would go on to create a fandom so loyal that any major title releases are considered holidays. To this day, the Zelda games are one of Nintendo’s most dominating properties, and many were both overjoyed and a little worried when they announced a Legend of Zelda movie was on the way.
It wasn’t too long before there was big drama surrounding the flick, as rumors abounded that transgender actor Hunter Schafer was in the running to be cast as the eponymous Princess Zelda.
As That Park Place noted then, the Euphoria star — a man who identifies as female — was being considered by Nintendo to take on the role of gaming’s second most famous princess behind Princess Peach. That was false, as TPP reports that this rumor came from a PR firm associated with Schafer, and not any official sources within Nintendo or Sony.
Then, on Wednesday, we got word from the man, the myth, the legend, Shigeru Miyamoto himself, that the roles for both Zelda and the hero Link have been cast as Bo Bragason and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, respectively.
This is Miyamoto. I am pleased to announce that for the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda, Zelda will be played by Bo Bragason-san, and Link by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth-san. I am very much looking forward to seeing both of them on the big screen. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/KA5XW3lwul
— 任天堂株式会社 (@Nintendo) July 16, 2025
Miyamoto added that the film is scheduled for a May 2027 release, less than two years away.
There was celebration across the board, not just because we’re getting a Zelda movie where Miyamoto has clear oversight, but also that Zelda isn’t going to be a prince in a dress.
Naturally, the TQ+ community, who had been waiting with bated breath to see if the rumors were true, had an absolutely normal reaction to the news that a woman was going to play a woman.
So because Nintendo didn’t wanna put Hunter Schafer as Princess Zelda in live action, your reaction is you want this actor to be able to m*rder Shigeru Miyamoto?
Yeah I’m glad Nintendo doesn’t listen to this side of their fan base, these people are insane dude pic.twitter.com/OvtrRzLocS
— Endymion (@EndymionYT) July 17, 2025
hunter schafer zelda i will avenge you…… https://t.co/yrun7DsguU
— rylie (@uhohswaggalert) July 16, 2025
Not all of them were so intense, but the delusion was definitely there.
when a trans woman looks closer to zelda than an actual woman pic.twitter.com/KzEUvYZXkL
— KOVNAH (@Kovnah) July 16, 2025
#notmyzelda https://t.co/PIdtghyPOI pic.twitter.com/wN6lcRPX9T
— evan loves worf (@esjesjesj) July 16, 2025
Dude can’t even play a woman in real life. How do you expect him to play one on screen? pic.twitter.com/72wIrfjQsD
— Brandon Morse (@TheBrandonMorse) July 17, 2025
I feel the need to point out that they always use this photo and this photo alone to advocate for Schafer to play Zelda, but if you look at photos that are a bit more candid, you’ll see that Schafer isn’t nearly a good fit to play any woman, really.
Notice they only ever use that one photo, of that one time, of that one angle of Hunter Schafer to say OMG ITS ZELDA!
The masculine jaw line and Adams apple don’t lie. The shoulders and collar bones don’t lie. Sorry. pic.twitter.com/oGSjVlsVvu
— Mobius Zero (@DG2842) July 17, 2025
I also think it’s good to point out that these people don’t care about who fits the role best. If they were being honest with themselves, they’d admit that Schafer’s likeness to Zelda isn’t there and that a lot of time and effort would go into a CGI budget to make him look like he fits the role.
This wasn’t about what’s best for the movie, but what’s best for the TQ+ community, and if that’s the case, then there’s no real reason to take any advice from them about who should do what.
Editor’s Note: The mainstream media continues to deflect, gaslight, spin, and lie.
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