Ever since it was announced that Disney was looking into adapting 2010’s Tangled into a live-action movie, fans have been coming up with all sorts of talent to reprise the beloved roles of Rapunzel, Flynn Rider, and co.
In case you missed it, the news that Disney was developing a live-action take on Tangled first broke in December 2024 with Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey attached. The project was then reportedly put on hold in April of 2025 before being revived a few months later. Now, per The Hollywood Reporter, Disney is targeting a June 2026 shoot in the UK for the project.
Though the live-action Tangled is still reportedly in early development as of late 2025, that hasn't stopped fans from coming up with their dream cast for the potential movie. In the past, Disney has adapted a fair share of musical movies into live-action films, including Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Snow White, and soon Moana, among many others.
While some fans are manifesting open-call castings so a completely new face could bring the Tangled cast to life, others have already found familiar faces that could work for the role. If you, too, are curious and excited about the prospect of the cast, we’ve combed the internet to find some of the most popular choices for the titular roles in a live-action Tangled — and also added a few of our own. Jump to a character to see the fan cast choices, or keep reading for it all!
Rapunzel
The main role in Tangled is Rapunzel, and she was voiced by Mandy Moore in the 2010 movie. Some of the key defining traits for Rapunzel — aside from her 70-feet-long blonde hair — are that she is intelligent, joyful, and educated despite spending her entire life trapped. Also important to the plot of the original movie is her age — she is turning 18. However, given who we know has auditioned for the role already (and the fact that this is Hollywood), the character might be aged up or played by someone older if the live-action goes ahead. Now, let's get into the options!
16-year-old English singer and actor Freya Skye could be an excellent option for film-accurate casting, given her age, appearance, and skills — and her name is already making the rounds among fans. She is best known for her role as Nova in Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires and Piper in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, so it's safe to say she's already on Disney's radar. (And yes, Michael Gracey did recently start following her on Instagram.) According to The Hollywood Reporter, the star has tested for the role.
Dove Cameron is another super-popular dream cast option among fans, and there's even a Change.org petition making the case for her as Rapunzel. The 29-year-old actor and singer is known for her love of musicals, and she has already proven to look great in both blonde and brunette hair.
23-year-old star Sadie Sink is no stranger to Broadway — pun not intended. Having most recently starred in John Proctor Is the Villain, there's chatter that Sink could have gone for the role of Rapunzel, and fans seem to be on board with the idea.
Another Stranger Things alum that could embody Rapunzel is 19-year-old Priah Ferguson. While we haven't really seen her sing in the past, the star recently told Teen Vogue she's adamant about showing she's not “a one-note actress” and that she wants to take on a role with a love interest. Now, that does sound familiar…
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan has repeatedly called Rapunzel her dream role and expressed interest in joining the live-action Tangled. As documented on her social media, the 23-year-old star has been taking singing lessons, so she's fully going for it.
19-year-old double threat Mckenna Grace is also a fan favorite to play Rapunzel, and she was asked about it during the press tour for Regretting You. “She is Rapunzel,” co-star Mason Thames said in an interview when asked about the fancast.
Isabel May's name is also among those popping up in chatter about live-action Tangled casting. Though the 25-year-old has not openly addressed the rumors, she does fit the bill for Rapunzel and has shown off her singing skills in 1883.
25-year-old Zombies alum Meg Donnelly is also a popular fan choice to play Rapunzel in a live-action adaptation of Tangled. People have also fan cast the perfect Flynn to her Rapunzel.
Bridgerton alum and One Piece star Charithra Chandran threw her name in the hat for the Rapunzel race back in 2023 with a cheeky TikTok set to the film's soundtrack, wearing the character's trademark purple color. “I've seen the comments,” she captioned the video, alluding to fan cast comments.
23-year-old Wednesday star Emma Myers, who rose to fame as the lovable Enid Sinclair in the hit Netflix show, is also among the names being thrown around for Rapunzel, and fans seem on board, but we have not yet been privy to her singing chops.
There have also been since-debunked rumors that Mean Girls alum Avantika could step into the shoes of Rapunzel. Though the rumors were met with racist tirades and backlash, they also led many fans to consider Avantika for their dream cast, saying she'd fit the bill given her mannerisms.
Gigi Hadid might not be a popular option among fans, but the 30-year-old model revealed that she had auditioned for the role of Rapunzel before the production was put on hold in an interview with Vogue, admitting that she even took singing lessons to prepare for the audition. “I was really proud of my scene. The singing… I knew they were going to go with a real singer, but I’ll show you my audition scene later,” Hadid told fellow cover star Kendall Jenner.
26-year-old Broadway star Jasmine Amy Rogers cheekily put her own name in the race for the titular role on the live-action Tangled, tweeting “It’s not too late to cast me as Rapunzel.
Though she's likely busy living the pop star life, Sabrina Carpenter has long been a popular fan cast choice for Rapunzel, and even Mandy Moore gave her her approval in an interview with Elite Daily. “I could see her with 50 feet of hair or something,” Moore said in 2024. “She looks like a Disney princess in real life.”
As noted by The Hollywood Reporter, Lola Tung, the lead of Prime Video's hit series The Summer I Turned Pretty, was considered for the titular role of Rapunzel in the live-action Tangled but reportedly did not test for the role due to scheduling conflicts, leaving many fans to lament what could have been online.
White Lotus season 3 star Sarah Catherine Hook is also among the names that The Hollywood Reporter noted are in the running for the role.
21-year-old Australian actor Teagan Croft, best known for her work on Titans, has also tested for the role of Rapunzel, per The Hollywood Reporter.
29-year-old English actor Olivia-Mai Barrett has also reportedly auditioned for the role of Rapunzel. Her latest project is Amadeus, alongside White Lotus alum Will Sharpe.
Flynn Rider
Alongside Rapunzel, Flynn Rider (a.k.a. Horace, a.k.a. Eugene Fitzherbert) is a main role in Tangled. In the original animated movie, he is voiced by Zachary Levi. Flynn Rider is described as a swashbuckling thief with a sarcastic sense of humor. He's not the traditional Disney prince, but rather, a cockier, funnier take on the archetype. Flynn's age is not mentioned in the movie, but given additional info we've gotten in spinoff sequels, he's believed to be in his early 20s. Now, options!
Mason Thames is a popular fan cast for Flynn Rider, and the actor was asked about it with Regretting You co-star Mckenna Grace. “I keep on telling him that he could make a really good Flynn Rider,” Grace admitted, to which Thames replied: “I'm only in if she's in.”
31-year-old House of the Dragon actor Fabian Frankel also seems to be a super-popular fan cast choice for Flynn, with edits galore if you look up his name and the movie's title online. While he's older than Flynn in the movie, you can't deny that smile!
Another fan-favorite for the role of Flynn is Zombies and School Spirits star Milo Manheim. From the looks to the mannerisms and the singing chops, it's undeniable that 24-year-old Manheim does give Flynn; and according to The Hollywood Reporter, he has tested for the role.
27-year-old British actor Corey Mylchreest, known for Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story and My Oxford Year, revealed that he had auditioned for the role of Flynn Rider but was told "they wanted someone with singing experience.” Mylchreest joked that he was “born to play” the role but ultimately passed because of scheduling conflicts. However, that was all before the project was even paused.
Another popular fan choice for the role is 33-year-old Taylor Zakhar Perez, known for his roles in Red, White and Royal Blue and The Kissing Booth. Though also older than the character in the original film, fans say his charming smile, lustrous hair, and charisma embody the spirit of Flynn Rider.
Avan Jogia has also been a name that fans have suggested for Flynn, and he reacted — rather stoically — to news in 2023.
Though not as mainstream a choice, a corner of the internet is also manifesting 22-year-old English actor Louis Partridge as Flynn Rider, and, hey, we see the vision.
The Summer I Turned Pretty star Sean Kaufman could also be a great Flynn Rider. While we haven't seen him sing yet, Kaufman's got the humor, the sassiness, the flair, and, right now, the hair as well. After all, he did tell Teen Vogue: “With every single project, I want the audience to see a completely different side of me.”
A singing actor with great hair? Look no further than Stranger Things star Joe Keery. The 33-year-old has long been a fan favorite for the role in a live-action remake, but he has yet to weigh in on the chatter.
Another Stranger Things star that some fans have said could make a great Flynn Rider is none other than Caleb McLaughlin. McLaughlin has shown us how charismatic he can be as Lucas Sinclair — that, paired with this outfit right here, and we see the vision.
29-year-old Australian actor Josh Heuston, known for Dune: Prophecy, has also risen as a top name among fans as of late.
One of the most alluring traits of animated Flynn Rider is his smile, and we could see 29-year-old Mason Gooding bringing his own magnetic smile to embody the role. He’s known to be charismatic and versatile, and that makes him great Flynn in our books.
Back in 2024, before the project was even announced, OG Flynn Rider, Zachary Levi, dream cast Timothée Chalamet for the role. Though Chalamet does dabble in the musical world, as we saw with Wonka, he is in his #seriousactor era at the moment. Also, the long Flynn Rider-esque hair is gone!
Per The Hollywood Reporter, 27-year-old Canadian actor and singer Charlie Gillespie has also tested for the role of Flynn Rider. He is best known for his role as Luke Patterson in Netflix's Julie and the Phantoms
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Scottish-Indonesian actor Gilli Jones, who primarily works in theatre, has also tested for the coveted role. According to his bio at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Jones sings, plays piano, guitar, and accordion, and is also a proficient dancer.
Mother Gothel
The main villain and antagonist in Tangled is Mother Gothel, the character voiced by Donna Murphy. A twist of the wicked stepmother trope, she is Rapunzel's guardian and the reason she's trapped inside her tower.
One of the most popular choices for Mother Gothel among fans is Donna Murphy, who lent the original voice to the animated character. Fans would love to see the actor reprise the role as a nod to the original movie.
Another popular choice seems to be Kathryn Hahn, and she reacted to the dream cast in 2024. “I mean, I’m really good at karaoke," she said when asked about stepping into the shoes of Mother Gothel.
Another dream cast for Mother Gothel — and emphasis on dream — seems to be Cher. After all, the iconic singer was the inspiration behind the animated character's physical appearance.
Anne Hathaway also seems like a popular fan cast choice for Mother Gothel, and we know she can sing.
Another popular fan cast choice for Mother Gothel is Tracee Ellis Ross, who embodies the character's effortlessly chic vibe.
When you think about it, the plots for The Substance and Tangled do have some similarities, so it's no surprise that some people want to see Demi Moore bring Mother Gothel to life.
Wicked legend Kristin Chenoweth was supposed to be the original singing voice for Rapunzel before the role ultimately went to Mandy Moore, so it'd be interesting to see the star get a second chance as Mother Gothel.
Another Wicked alum who's also become Disney royalty and could become the perfect Mother Gothel is, without a doubt, Idina Menzel.
As reported by Deadline in October 2025, Scarlett Johansson seemed to be in early talks to potentially take on the role of Mother Gothel. However, per The Hollywood Reporter, that's no longer the case as the star will be busy shooting The Exorcist and The Batman Part II in 2026. If you are wondering whether the star can sing, she did lend her voice to punk-rock porcupine Ash in Sing.
