Meet your new Tinker Bell!

Black-ish star Yara Shahidi has been cast to play Tinker Bell in Disney’s upcoming live-action film, Peter Pan and Wendy. With this news, the actress-activist becomes the first Black woman to portray the beloved fairy.

According to outlets, Shahidi will star alongside Alexander Molony and Ever Anderson, who will portray the movie’s titular characters. Jude Law is also set to play Captain Hook.

The 20-year-old star confirmed the news on Instagram over the weekend, announcing the news with a fan-made illustration of a Black Tinker Bell. “Thank you for all of the love. It, truly, means so much to me 💕🧚🏽‍♂️” Shahidi captioned the picture. “I’m excited for this next adventure! Artist: @alexcollectsofficial.”

The Grown-ish star’s casting news is Disney’s latest stride to diversifying their live-action films. As fans may remember, Shahidi’s grown-is co-star, singer Halle Bailey, was cast to play Princess Ariel in the upcoming film adaptation of The Little Mermaid in 2019.

Apart from Shahidi’s standout performances as a TV star, she’s also acted in a number of films, including the big-screen adaptation of the YA novel The Sun Is Also a Star, and family-friendly flicks Smallfoot and Fearless.

As fans know, Shahidi has been a big advocate for calling attention to the need for diversity and inclusion on-screen.

She expressed as much during the 2020 Emmys. "The stories we tell on TV shape how we see ourselves in others, and how we are seen can many times determine how we are treated," she said, per BuzzFeed. "The dream of television is the freedom to live our full and nuanced lives outside of boxes and assumptions. We continue to strive for a more complete definition of inclusivity."

DJ A-OH

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