We all know and love those cartoons, films, and series that rocked our youth and molded our childhood. However, seeing black women as the main characters makes it more impactful and beautiful. Here are some of our favorite Black women in mythical roles.

Cinderella

Cinderella is the story of a young woman who is forced to work by her awful step-mother after the death of her birth parents. It is a tale of many trials and tribulations butt in the end Cinderella finds peace and love. Cinderella is one of the most famous fairy tales in the entire world. We couldn’t start this list without mentioning Brandy’s iconic portrayal of the Disney Princess.

The live-action Cinderella movie aired in November 1997 starring the R&B singer, Brandy as Cinderella. It was a more diverse cast compared to the cartoon. The late Whitney Houston portrayed the fairy godmother, Whoopi Goldberg portrayed the Prince’s mother, Victor Garber played the Prince’s father, and Paolo Montalbàn was the Prince, who was Asian. The film is known for its cultural impact worldwide and has been a turning point in cinema history.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella had a good review and received 7 Emmy nominations in 1998. 24 years later, the film will be available on Disney + from February 12 for those who want to see it again or watch it for the first time.

007 Agent

Lashana Lynch, 33, is a Jamaican-born English actress who is becoming the new face of 007 agents. She started her career in 2012 in a British series, then she starred in films such as Fast Girl, Still Star-Crossed produced by Shonda Rhimes, Y, and even Captain Marvel. In 2019, she was finally cast for the James Bond film, No Time to Die as Nomi.

Daniel Craig who played James Bond retired, but in the film James Bond is in exile in Jamaica and Nomi will take the number 007. Lashana Lynch is the first woman and the first black woman ever to take this role. “I am a part of something that will be very, very revolutionary,” she said. The release is scheduled for Spring 2021.

Batwoman

Javicia Leslie is a 33-year-old German-born American actress. She appeared in films and series such as The Family Business, Always a Bridesmaid, and God Friended Me. Since January 2021, she is the new Batwoman face of the second season, available on The CW. Her predecessor on this role was the actress Ruby Rose.

Javicia Leslie is the first black female to have a superhero role in history! She will represent the LGBTQ community as well which is very important for her. “I think as long as we continue to diversify our writers and our creators, we’re able to then diversify the content that shows up on the screen.” – Javicia Leslie said.

The Little Mermaid

American actress and singer Halle Bailey, 20, known for her duo Chloe x Halle and for her appearances in series like Black-ish or Grown-ish, announced in 2019 she joined the cast of a Disney film. In The Little Mermaid, she will take on the role of Ariel, the most famous red-haired mermaid in the world. Halle is the first black woman to play this role. The Little Mermaid will be releasing this year. Congratulations Halle!

Tinkerbell

Black-ish star Yara Shadini is portraying the emblematic Tinkerbell in Disney’s Peter Pan and Wendy. The well-known story of the boy who doesn’t want to grow up will now have a black Tinkerbell! A little dose of melanin can only make the story richer. The exact date of release is unknown, but MEF will keep the audience posted. We can’t wait to tune into the black girl magic fairy dust of our Tinkerbell.