Disney’s Live Action ‘Tangled’ Just Revealed Its Villains, and They’re Absolutely Massive

Disney’s live action remake machine has weathered plenty of criticism in recent years, especially following a rocky stretch that included Moana’s disappointing box office performance. Despite that recent setback, the studio has continued pressing forward with its next adaptation, and this week delivered a genuinely surprising piece of casting news.

That surprise arrived through new set photos and footage captured on the Spanish set of Disney’s live-action ‘Tangled,’ giving fans their first proper look at the film’s central villains. The Stabbington Brothers, the thieving duo who once worked alongside Flynn Rider before he betrayed them, are being played by real-life identical twins Patrick and Hugo McPherson, who were spotted scaling a wall during filming.

What makes the casting especially striking is the twins’ towering physical presence, with both actors standing at six feet seven inches tall. In the original 2010 animated film, the characters known as Sideburns and Patch were voiced by Ron Perlman and John DiMaggio, marking a shift for a franchise where actors from the animated versions rarely return to voice or portray their characters in live-action adaptations.

The same batch of set photos also gave fans their first glimpse of a mural depicting Corona’s King and Queen alongside a baby Rapunzel, adding a small but meaningful visual callback to the film’s opening backstory. Alongside that reveal, new footage captured Milo Manheim in full action as Flynn Rider, giving audiences an early sense of how the film’s tone and choreography will translate the animated original’s adventurous energy.

Teagan Croft, known for her role in ‘Titans,’ leads the cast as Rapunzel, while Manheim takes on the role of Flynn Rider. Kathryn Hahn joins the ensemble as the villainous Mother Gothel, marking her second time playing a centuries-old witch who does not age, following her acclaimed turn as Agatha Harkness in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Diego Luna has also been cast in a still undisclosed role created specifically for this new adaptation.

Michael Gracey, known for directing ‘The Greatest Showman’ and ‘Better Man,’ is helming the project from a screenplay written by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson and Michael Montemayor. Production has been unfolding across multiple locations in Spain, including Alicante, Tarragona and Girona, with additional filming taking place in Burgos and Álava, following a shooting schedule that began in late June and is expected to continue for several months.

Fans have already noticed some subtle departures from the animated source material within the early set photos. Rapunzel’s dress appears in a noticeably deeper shade of purple compared to the lighter tone worn by the character in the original film, while her massive braid of hair is expected to rely heavily on visual effects for the film’s more elaborate stunt sequences rather than practical styling alone.

The film also carries some behind the scenes history worth noting, having originally been rumored to attract filmmaker Baz Luhrmann as director before Gracey ultimately came aboard the project. Casting speculation has also included hopes from fans that Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, who voiced Rapunzel and Flynn in the original animated film, might return in supporting roles as King Frederic and Queen Arianna, though nothing has been officially confirmed on that front.

With production continuing steadily across Spain and a growing wave of set photos offering fresh looks at the cast, anticipation continues building for how faithfully this adaptation will honor the beloved 2010 original. Given the massive physical presence the McPherson twins bring to their roles alone, the Stabbington Brothers already look primed to stand out as one of the film’s most visually memorable additions.

What do you think of the first look at the Stabbington Brothers in Disney’s live-action ‘Tangled ‘? Share your thoughts in the comments.