Kathryn Hahn has confirmed she will play Mother Gothel in Disney's live-action remake of Tangled through an Instagram video featuring a t-shirt with her animated character's image. This casting is considered perfect, as Hahn excels at portraying complex villains who appear friendly on the surface. The announcement ended months of speculation about the role originally voiced by Donna Murphy.
After Scarlett Johansson dropped out to focus on other films, Hahn's casting makes more sense, especially given her performance as Agatha Harkness in Marvel's WandaVision, which showcased her ability to deliver layered villain performances.
Why This Mother Gothel Casting Is Genius
Mother Gothel is one of Disney's most psychologically complex villains, using emotional manipulation and gaslighting disguised as maternal protection to imprison Rapunzel. Unlike traditional villains motivated by pure evil, she functions as a toxic parental figure. Kathryn Hahn is well-suited for this role, as she has shown the ability to portray characters who are charming yet threatening, as evidenced by her performance as Agatha Harkness.
Like Gothel, Agatha initially appears helpful but harbors darker motives. Hahn's vocal skills, showcased in Agatha All Along, will also be essential for Gothel's villain song “Mother Knows Best,” which highlights her manipulative tactics.
The Cast Is Stacked
Hahn joins previously announced leads Teagan Croft as Rapunzel and Milo Manheim as Flynn Rider, with filmmaker Michael Gracey of The Greatest Showman directing from a script by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, who wrote Thor: Love and Thunder and Do Revenge. Teagan Croft is best known for playing Raven on HBO Max's Titans, while Milo Manheim is a familiar face to Disney fans from the Zombies franchise and Dancing with the Stars.
The roles were originally voiced by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi in the animated film, which grossed nearly $600 million worldwide and earned an Oscar nomination for “I See the Light,” one of Disney's most beloved romantic duets that will definitely be part of the live-action version.
This Project Almost Got Cancelled, Hurting Mother Gothel's Chances
What makes this casting announcement especially significant is that this project was almost completely scrapped after the intense backlash surrounding Disney's live-action Snow White in 2025. Sources indicated that Tangled, along with other live-action projects, was quietly cancelled as Disney reassessed its entire slate, with concerns over fan fatigue, creative direction, and public perception reportedly forcing Disney to pause development and leaving the future of Rapunzel's live-action debut very much in doubt.
But Disney appears ready to move forward again after the project's near-cancellation, especially after last year's billion-dollar hit Lilo & Stitch proved that live-action remakes can still succeed when they're executed well and received positively by audiences instead of generating backlash before they even release.
The Music Will Be Key
While no official announcement has been made about the music, it's expected that Alan Menken and Glenn Slater's fan-favorite songs from the animated version will be utilized, including “When Will My Life Begin,” “Mother Knows Best,” “I've Got a Dream,” “I See the Light,” and “Healing Incantation.” Mother Gothel's villain song, “Mother Knows Best,” will be particularly important for establishing Hahn's interpretation, as it's a masterclass in emotional manipulation set to music.
No release date or production start has been confirmed yet, but with the major cast now in place including Hahn as Mother Gothel, Disney is clearly moving forward with confidence after months of uncertainty about whether this project would even happen.
