Summary

• The specific ages of the Madrigal family in Disney's Encanto are harder to determine, but director Jared Bush provided clarification on their ages and birth order through Twitter threads.
• Abuelo Pedro, the patriarch of the Madrigal family, was 26 years old when he sacrificed himself, as indicated by the age of the singer who performed the song in his flashback scene.
• The movie is set in the 1950s, based on historical and technological clues, such as references to the Colombian Civil War and the use of a 1950s-style camera.

Disney’s Encanto introduces an entire family blessed with magical powers, and the Madrigal clan's ages cement the generational aspect of the story. Three generations of the Madrigal family live in Encanto's Casita, including the matriarch Abuela and the movie's giftless heroine Mirabel. It's obvious that Mirabel is, for example, younger than elder sisters Isabel and Luisa, but older than cousin Antonio. But the specific ages of the Madrigal family are harder to pin down. Encanto raised many questions about the Madrigals' personal details, especially their ages, upon its release, like "Which Madrigal sibling is the eldest?" and "How old is Mirabel in Encanto?"

Fortunately, the movie musical’s director Jared Bush has answered the audience’s questions through several Twitter threads, clarifying confusion about the birth order in the Madrigal family, and noting the nuances in their ages and behavior. That is why, aside from the Encanto characters having special gifts, the Madrigals also possess unique traits brought about by their ages and stages in life. While those magic abilities stand out most in the characters, the ages of the Madrigal family add some interesting elements to the Disney adventure.

Abuelo Pedro

26 Years Old

The patriarch of the magical Madrigal family, Abuelo Pedro, who might secretly be the Casita, met Abuela Alma at a Day of the Little Candles holiday celebration. The two immediately hit it off, got married, and had triplets. Unfortunately, the conquerors disrupted the village they lived in, forcing the residents to flee and Pedro to sacrifice himself to save his family.

According to Bush, during the crossing the river sequence, which marks Abuelo Pedro's death in Encanto, he was the exact age as Sebastían Yatra was when he recorded "Dos Oruguitas." The Colombian singer performed the nostalgic song that played as the romance of Abuela Alma, and Abuelo Pedro was narrated through flashbacks. Yatra, born in 1994, was only 26 when he collaborated with Encanto creators, making Abuelo Pedro 26 when he died.

Abuela Alma

75-76 Years Old

Although she has no powers of her own, Abuela Alma is why the Madrigals were blessed with the miracle. Her candle gained magical abilities fifty years before Encanto’s story began. While the Disney movie’s timeline was purposely kept vague, Alma had overseen the community relying on her family over the past five decades, keeping the magic alive and the gifts of her children and grandchildren existing. So, assuming Abuela was almost the same age as her late husband, during the Encanto time period, she would then be 75 or 76 years old during the film's events. Voice actor María Cecilia Botero was 66 years old at the time of Encanto's release.

Julieta

50 Years Old

The mother of Isabella, Luisa, and Mirabel, Julieta is blessed with the ability to heal people with the food she cooks. In Encanto, she heals Mirabel’s hand and her husband Agustín’s bee stings. It has been 50 years since the miracle happened, so Abuela Alma’s triplets are more or less 50 years old. Also, Bush confirms that Julieta is the oldest among the siblings in terms of the Encanto ages, as shown by her urge to help everyone in the community. Julieta voice actor Angie Cepeda was 46 years old.

Agustín

Mid-To-Late 40s

Although Agustín’s age is not explicitly stated in the Colombian-influenced movie Encanto, it was revealed (via Twitter) that he is a little younger than Julieta and her siblings, making his age likely in the mid-to-late 40s. This is further supported by his clumsy and accident-prone nature, which is how he and Julieta eventually became a couple. Because he only married into the family, Agustín is not gifted with magical abilities. However, that just made him more relatable to Mirabel and the audience. Wilmer Valderrama, who voiced Agustín, was 41 years old at the time.

Isabela

21 Years Old

As the eldest Madrigal grandchild, Isabela has always felt the pressure to be the perfect, beautiful child. Her power to grow flowers and plants takes a turn towards the end of Encanto, when she finally learns to accept her true, imperfect self. During the movie’s events, she is 21 years old. Voice actor Diane Guerrero was quite a bit older than her character at 34 years old.

Luisa

19 Years Old

With her super-strength, Luisa, introduced by the song “Surface Pressure,” is the village’s resident runner, lifting bridges, adjusting houses, and doing chores without breaking a sweat. As a quintessential middle child, the sister keeps a physically and emotionally resilient facade to please her family. Sadly, she also harbors anxieties about not meeting the expectations of her village. Luisa is 19 years old in Encanto while her voice actor Jessica Darrow was 26 years old.

Mirabel

15 Years Old

How old is Mirabel in Encanto? The youngest daughter of Julieta and Agustín, Mirabel is the only Madrigal without magical power. Despite standing out from the rest of the family, she is the key to restoring the magic and rebuilding the Casita when the miracle is threatened. Bush states that Mirabel is 15 years old in Encanto, just a bit younger than her cousin, Camilo. There was quite an age gap between Mirabel and her voice actor Stephanie Beatriz, who was 40 years old.

Pepa

50 Years Old

Pepa is the middle child of the Madrigal triplets in Encanto, considered the most emotional among the siblings. Interestingly, her power to control and manipulate the weather is highly dependent on her emotions, so she often gets an earful from Abuela whenever she has clouds on her head. Married to Félix, Pepa is also 50 years old while her voice actor Carolina Gaitán was 37 years old.

Félix

Early-To-Mid 50s

Like Agustín, Félix also does not possess supernatural gifts since he married into the Madrigal family. Bush notes that he is a little older than the triplets, although it is not precisely clear by how much. Still, his relaxed attitude from his more advanced age makes him a perfect fit for the emotional and intense Pepa. Although not explicitly stated, this Encanto character's age is likely in his early-to-mid 50s. Félix actor Mauro Castillo was 43 years old.

Dolores

21 Years Old

What is Dolores Madrigal's age? Dolores, the eldest and only daughter of Pepa and Félix, is also 21 years old, just a couple of months younger than Isabella. Dolores, who has superhuman hearing, is quieter and more reserved, and her and Isabella’s age gap pushes her to live in the shadow of her perfect cousin. At the end of Encanto, however, Dolores pursues her happiness. Dolores is voiced by Adassa who was 34 years old.

Camilo

15 Years Old

Dolores’ younger brother Camilo is a shape-shifter. His power allows him to entertain his family, and at times, get what he wants by tricking people. A “theater kid” trying on different identities, Camilo is 15 years old, barely older than Mirabel. As Bush explains, this is why it is a shock for the Madrigals that Mirabel failed to get a gift right after Camilo got his. 23-year-old voice actor Rhenzy Feliz played Camilo.

Antonio

5 Years Old

The youngest among the Madrigals, Antonio, is only five years old during the events of Encanto. His ceremony is the first since Mirabel;s, whose power twist was revealed at the beginning of the film. So, there is pressure on Antonio to not disappoint his family. Fortunately, he is granted the ability to talk to animals, which proves helpful in unearthing the secrets of his family’s magic. Ravi Cabot-Conyers was the youngest Encanto cast member at 10 years old.

Bruno

50 Years Old

Like the other triplets, Bruno is 50 years old in Encanto. Cursed with clairvoyance, Bruno is shunned away by his family, and even his village, because of his pessimistic predictions. In fact, the song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” details his situation and warns the younger generation of his past actions. As it turns out, Bruno is just deeply misunderstood, which is a heartbreaking fact considering he is the youngest among the Madrigal triplets in Encanto. John Leguizamo was 60 years old in Encanto.

Disney Hasn’t Confirmed Encanto 2

Everything We Know So Far

Disney has neither confirmed nor denied the possibility of Encanto 2. That doesn't mean that a sequel isn't in talks, though. After all, Encanto performed so well that it won Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score at the 2022 Oscars. Encanto's popularity rivals that of Frozen and The Incredibles, which both got a second installment years later. Because there's not yet been an announcement confirming whether Encanto 2 will happen, there's no release date handy. Plus, it typically takes years between Pixar movies due to the labor-intensive animation process.

There probably won't be a release date set any time soon, but the painstaking care that's apparent in Encanto demonstrates the benefits of waiting longer for a film made with genuine passion and heart. If Encanto 2 were to happen, the primary cast would likely return to reprise their roles. This means that Beatriz, Leguizamo, Valderrama, and more would definitely come back. New characters also have the potential to enter the fold, as the mountain has opened up to welcome new people.

No story details are on the immediate horizon for Encanto 2, but it's possible to lay out some educated guesswork. Perhaps Mirabel will be charged with becoming the head of the family since she can communicate with Casita. It's very possible that she could be the next one to hold Abuela's magic candle. Regardless of whether Encanto 2 happens, Encanto provides a unique cast of characters, with a wide array of different ages — making sure that there's a story in here that speaks to everyone.

When Is Encanto Set?

The Time Period Is Hard To Determine

While the time period in which the movie is set is important to determine the Encanto ages, the setting is left purposefully vague. The film is heavily influenced by traditional Colombian culture, with everything reflecting such through music and costume in particular. However, there are some clues surrounding the movie's timeline that demystify when it could be set. Based on historic and technological cues, it can be determined that Encanto is set sometime during the 1950s. First, in the film's opening, Abuela Alma explained that she and her husband had to flee due to the Colombian Civil War.

This is most likely referring to the Thousand Days' War, which took place between 1899 and 1902. Since Abuela's gifted candle had been around for 50 years when Encanto starts, that would mean the story takes place in the 1950s. The technology used in the movie also reaffirms this projected setting. The camera that's used to take a picture in Antonio's room is a 1950s-style folding camera. In addition, Bruno often reenacts telenovelas and game shows with his rats, something that didn't reach popularity until the '50s. The Encanto ages may seem difficult to track at first, but it is made a little easier once the time period is laid out.

Source:

• Jared Bush

• 

  Encanto

  Summary:

  Encanto tells the tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia, in a magical house, in a vibrant town, in a wondrous, charming (and enchanted) place called an Encanto. The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift from super strength to the power to heal—every child except one, Mirabel (voice of Stephanie Beatriz). But when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is in danger, Mirabel decides that she, the only ordinary Madrigal, might be her exceptional family’s last hope. Mirabel will seek out her missing cousin, Bruno, to discover the truth that Abuela has buried away for all of their lives.

  Release Date:

  2021-11-24

  Cast:

  Mauro Castillo, John Leguizamo, Carolina Gaitan, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Wilmer Valderrama, Jessica Darrow, Stephanie Beatriz, Adassa, Alan Tudyk, Angie Cepeda, María Cecilia Botero, Maluma

  Director:

  Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Charise Castro Smith

  Genres:

  Animation, Comedy, Fantasy, Musical

  Rating:

  PG

  Runtime:

  99 minutes

  Writers:

  Charise Castro Smith, Jared Bush

  Main Genre:

  Animation

  Budget:

  $120-150 Million

  Studio(s):

  Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures

  Distributor(s):

  Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

  Franchise(s):

  Disney