Disney Reportedly Wants Glen Powell as Gaston for a Live-Action BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Prequel
Disney may have found the next actor willing to flex in front of a mirror and convince an entire village that he’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened to them.
Glen Powell is reportedly being eyed to play Gaston in a new live-action Beauty and the Beast prequel. Disney has spent years digging through its animated library for live-action remakes, sequels, spinoffs, and villain-focused stories.
Gaston is certainly a character who could carry a movie of his own, especially if Disney wants to explore how this ridiculously confident hunter became the guy we eventually meet in Beauty and the Beast.
The report comes from The InSneider, and as of right now, nothing has been officially announced by Disney, so the casting should still be treated as a rumor until the studio confirms it.
Powell has become one of Hollywood’s most in-demand leading men, and Gaston feels like a pretty natural fit for him. He has the movie-star charm, comedic timing, physical presence, and ability to play an absurdly confident character without completely losing the audience.
The bigger challenge is that he’d be following in the boots of Luke Evans, who gave us a fantastic Gaston in Disney’s 2017 live-action Beauty and the Beast.
Evans knew exactly what made the character work. His Gaston was pompous, egotistical, vain, and increasingly dangerous, but he was also convincingly capable. Evans sold both the ridiculous comedy of that ego and the threatening side of the character when the story moved toward its final confrontation.
I have no doubt that Powell could deliver a memorable version of Gaston. This also this isn’t Disney’s first attempt to explore Gaston before the events of Beauty and the Beast.
A Disney+ prequel series was previously in development that would have brought Evans back as Gaston alongside Josh Gad as LeFou. The story was set to explore the early years of their friendship while introducing members of their families and expanding their history together.
That project was eventually put on hold and eventually faded away, leaving fans wondering whether Disney had given up on the idea altogether. Apparently, the studio still sees potential in Gaston’s past, only this time it could be approaching the character from a different direction with Powell taking over the role.
Gaston begins Beauty and the Beast as the celebrated hero of his little corner of France before revealing just how entitled, manipulative, and vicious he can become when he doesn’t get what he wants.
A prequel could dig into how he earned his reputation, where his massive ego came from, and what his relationship with LeFou looked like before Belle and the Beast entered the picture.
Of course, Disney still has to prove there’s a story worth telling beyond simply giving a recognizable villain his own movie. Turning him into the central character without sanding away the qualities that make him a villain will be the tricky part.
What do you think about Powell in the role of Gaston?