The members of the Family Madrigal will likely return in Encanto 2, but the magical characters could have to deal with a twist. Most of the members of the Family Madrigal get powers in Encanto, except Mirabel, which strains her relationship with Abuela Alma. However, Mirabel's lack of gifts also drives her to determine why the family's magical house falls apart. Though Disney hasn't detailed official plans, Encanto 2 is likely on the way, especially as the original became the fastest movie to reach 200 million streaming hours on Disney+. The soundtrack has also achieved unprecedented success, spending several weeks at the top of Billboard's albums chart.
In terms of an Encanto sequel, Lin-Manuel Miranda, who created the movie's catchy songs, believes it's a question of "when," not "if." If Encanto 2 pushes through, original Encanto director Jared Bush explained on Twitter that the Family Madrigals' powers may have limitations. When asked whether their powers would work outside the village in Encanto, Bush said, "They’ve never been beyond the village, so it hasn’t been established." Notably, in Encanto's ending, the mountains protecting the village open to the outside world, exposing the community. Bush's statement may mean the powerless Madrigals will have to face the real world in a sequel.
The Madrigals Should Lose Their Powers In Encanto 2
It'd be a logical twist if the Madrigals lose their powers in Encanto 2. In Encanto, Mirabel often feels like a fish out of water, trying to navigate the world while her family members have magical gifts to help them. Encanto 2 could reverse that. Since the village is open to the world after Encanto, a sequel may have the Madrigals venturing into it. Disney's Art of Encanto revealed the original almost had Mirabel and Alma visit the latter's hometown, which wasn't in the Encanto valley.
Encanto 2 may just explore how powerful each Encanto character is when they don't actually have their unique gifts. This opens the door for Mirabel, who hasn't had powers her whole life, to help everyone else on their way. Of course, the Madrigals could still maintain their powers in Encanto 2. The family appears to get their abilities back after briefly losing them in Encanto, so the mountains cracking open don't affect the family. In all likelihood, the Family Madrigal will maintain their powers if they go out into the real world. But, if they don't, Mirabel is there to help guide the way in an Encanto sequel.
Encanto Also Set Up The Perfect Prequel
Encanto 2 doesn't need to pick up where the first movie left off, as Encanto already established more than enough lore for the perfect prequel about Abuela Alma's earlier life. It would be interesting to see how Abuela, who rose to the role of the community's protector, survived Encanto's Colombian history-inspired civil war. While the Madrigals losing their powers would make for a compelling sequel, the same can be said for the origin of the Madrigals' gifts.
By exploring everything from Abuela's childhood to how she guided her fellow refugees to the safety of the valley, Encanto 2 could dive deeper into the socio-politics of intergenerational trauma, which was a core theme in the first movie. A prequel about Abuela's life would be a dark and challenging story to tell, but fortunately, the team behind Encanto already proved they can pull this off.
What Else Could Encanto 2 Explore?
Encanto 2 doesn’t have to leave the village to explore the Madrigal family either. While people from outside the village might visit it now that the mountain line has expanded in Encanto's ending, that doesn’t mean the Madrigals will necessarily be heading out of town. It’s possible that the next chapter in the Madrigals’ lives will involve Abuela Alma’s time as the family matriarch coming to an end. Alma has always been the one keeping the family together. If her time came to an end, Mirabel could step up to replace her and that would explain why Mirabel is the only other family member to not have a magical gift.
Encanto 2 could also explore the idea of others taking advantage of the Madrigals though. Even if the Madrigals don’t leave the village in the Encanto sequel, if new people enter the town from far away, they wouldn’t know about the gifts granted to the family by Casita. It would also be interesting to see how the village would deal with an influx of people who didn’t understand the miracle provided to them. The conquerors that Alma escaped in the first place could still be governing other areas of the country, which could put the village in danger of a hostile takeover as well.
There's even an Encanto theory that wonders if any of the Madrigals could go down a darker path. While all the Madrigals use their gifts to help people, Dolores Madrigal does not. She's the closest to a villain the family has yet as the use of her gift can be detrimental to those around her. Her ability to hear everyone means that she spreads secrets and gossip among the family, and that could certainly lead her down a darker road, even if unintentionally. Dolores as an accidental villain - or even a purposeful one - could make for an intriguing sequel as well.
There are so many different directions an Encanto sequel could go. The real question might be is there even going to be an Encanto 2? A Disney+ series following the family Madrigal instead of a movie sequel could allow writers to explore all the members of the family equally instead of focusing on just one or two in a movie.