Casting for Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid has been anything but smooth. The film set the internet on fire with the announcement of Halle Bailey as Ariel. Since then, the film has garnered internet controversy for all the wrong reasons over racial outcries of a fictional character.
Shortly after, it was said that Harry Styles was up for the role of Prince Eric. Having just worked with Christopher Nolan on Dunkirk, this casting was met with less backlash. But unfortunately, fans of Styles will have to wait another day for him to play a Disney Prince because today it’s reported that he will not play the character.
So who will play Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid? Looking at a previous report, a firm guess might point to none other than Asher Angel.
Could Asher Angel play Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid?
The possibility of Asher Angel playing Prince Eric is not unfounded. Back on July 19, Entertainment Tonight reported that the young actor actually auditioned for the role around the same time Styles was in the running for the part.
Variety reporter Justin Kroll also stated around the same time that Styles himself was “still on the fence” so the idea that Angel could’ve been a fallback choice is highly likely.
Speaking to ET, Angel also said at the time that playing the part of Eric would mean the world to him because he played the famous fish once from the animated movie in a musical theater production:
“It would mean so much to me. One of my first ever shows, I was Flounder. It was really cute. There’s video everywhere, if you guys want to look it up.”
He also says in the same interview that he hopes to work with Halle Bailey and believes she will kill the role of Ariel in the upcoming live-action remake.
Who is Asher Angel?
What also makes the possibility of Asher Angel portraying Prince Eric likely is that the star has a history working with Disney. Specifically, he has played Jonah Beck on the series Andi Mack since 2017.
And to top it off he is a musical talent and debuted a single with Wiz Khalifa on June 6, 2019 titled “One Thought Away” the video for that can be seen below.
Angel also appeared in this year’s DC Extended Universe film Shazam as Billy Batson, and he arguably was one of the better parts of the film, giving a heartfelt performance as an orphan. So, needless to say, the talent on this kid is completely undeniable.
As of right now, there are no confirmed reports if Disney will move forward with Asher Angel but if they do, the film will undoubtedly have a talented star for the role of Prince Eric.
While no official date is confirmed, The Little Mermaid is said to be out by April 2020.