Pedro Pascal has found himself in hot water after publicly showing support for Rachel Zegler, who has been at the center of controversy following Disney’s live-action Snow White flop.
Pascal’s Post Sparks Debate
The Mandalorian star, who turns 50 this week, took to Instagram to share a photo of the 23-year-old actress with the caption: “@rachelzegler #icon.”
While some saw it as a simple show of support, others weren’t so forgiving, questioning why Pascal would stand by Zegler despite the ongoing backlash surrounding her and the film.
A Box Office Disaster
Disney’s latest remake, directed by Marc Webb, has been anything but a fairytale at the box office.
Despite its massive $350 million budget (including marketing), the film has only pulled in around $143.1 million globally since its March 21 release.
Critical reception has been brutal—Snow White sits at a disappointing 41% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, though audiences have been slightly more forgiving with a 74% rating.
On IMDb, however, the film has plummeted to a harsh 1.6/10 from over 266,000 ratings.
Fans Call Out Hollywood Hypocrisy
Many critics of Pascal’s post were quick to point out that both he and Zegler work for Disney.
Some took to social media to argue that Hollywood elites seem out of touch, with one user sarcastically questioning what made Zegler an “icon” aside from working for the very company she has criticized in the past.
Others went further, mocking Pascal and warning that his outspoken support could harm his future projects—especially his upcoming role in Marvel’s Fantastic Four.
Comparisons to Gina Carano’s Firing
Another major point of contention was Pascal’s lack of public support for his former Mandalorian co-star Gina Carano, who was fired in 2021 for controversial political statements.
Several social media users resurfaced the incident, questioning why Pascal would stand by Zegler but never spoke up for Carano when she lost her role.
Carano, who played Cara Dune in The Mandalorian, has since sued Disney and Lucasfilm for wrongful termination, with a trial set to begin in September.
Zegler’s History of Controversial Comments
This isn’t the first time Rachel Zegler has found herself in the middle of a storm.
The actress previously faced criticism for dismissing Disney’s original Snow White as “extremely dated” and taking issue with the film’s romantic storyline, calling the prince a “stalker.”
More recently, she landed in hot water for a pro-Palestinian tweet that she refused to take down, and she was later forced to apologize for a separate comment where she wished “Trump supporters never know peace” after the former president won reelection.
What’s Next for Pascal and Zegler?
Despite the backlash, both stars have big projects ahead.
Pascal is set to reprise his role as Joel Miller in season two of The Last of Us, which premieres April 13 on Max.
Meanwhile, Zegler is gearing up to play Eva Perón in a West End production of Evita, opening June 14 at the London Palladium.
Whether this controversy dies down or continues to follow them remains to be seen—but in today’s world of social media outrage, Hollywood stars are always just one post away from another firestorm.