Disney’s Encanto revolves around the big magical Madrigal family, but how old is each member of the family? Here is an overview of the characters’ ages.
Disney’s Encanto features an entire family gifted with magical powers, but their supernatural abilities aren’t the only exciting aspect of their lives. Upon release, Encanto raised questions about the characters’ personal details, particularly their ages. Fortunately, the musical’s director, Jared Bush, has been answering audience questions through several Twitter threads. He then clears up confusion about the birth order of the Madrigal family, noting nuances in their ages and behavior.
Bush and co-director Byron Howard had always wanted to collaborate on a musical project. Having both grown up in large extended families, they also decided to use their shared experience to create Encanto and play a dozen main characters. This concept proved challenging for the film’s animation team, as they needed to develop people who are distinct from each other despite being part of the same family. This is why, in addition to having various special gifts, Encanto characters also have unique characteristics based on their age and life stages.
Because Encanto deliberately did not mention the ages of the Madrigals, viewers were quick to point out that some of them acted either younger or older than they should have been. The discussions took to Twitter, where Bush elaborated on the Disney characters’ backgrounds. He also explained the age of the Encanto characters, including the implications for their personalities and relationships. This means how old each Madrigal is.
Abuela Pedro
The patriarch of the magical Madrigal family, Abuelo Pedro, who might secretly be Casita, met Abuela Alma on the Feast of Little Candles. The two immediately hit it off, got married and had triplets. Unfortunately, the conquerors disrupted the village they lived in, forcing the inhabitants to flee, and Pedro sacrificed himself to save his family. According to Bush, when Abuelo Pedro crossed the river, he was exactly the same age as Sebastían Yatra when he recorded “Dos Oruguitas”. The Colombian singer performed a nostalgic song that was played as Abuelo Alma’s romance, and Abuelo Pedro was narrated through flashbacks. Born in 1994, Yatra was just 26 years old when he collaborated with the makers of Encanto to make Abuelo Pedro 26 when he died.
Abuela Alma
Although she has no powers of her own, Abuela Alma is the reason the Madrigals were blessed with a miracle. Her candle gained magical power fifty years before Encant’s story began. While the timeline of the Disney film has been deliberately kept vague, Alma has seen the community rely on her family for the past five decades, keeping alive the magic and gifts of her children and grandchildren. So, assuming Abuela was around the same age as her late husband, she would have been 75 or 76 during the events of the film.
Julia
Julieta, the mother of Isabella, Luisa and Mirabela, is blessed with the ability to heal people with the food she cooks. In Encanto, she treats Mirabel’s hand and her husband Agustin’s bee sting. Since fifty years have passed since the miracle, Abuel Alma’s triplets are more or less 50 years old. Bush also confirms in her tweet that Julieta is the oldest of the siblings, which shows her desire to help everyone in the community.
Agustín
Although Agustín’s age is not explicitly stated in the Colombian-influenced Encanto, the filmmakers reveal that he is slightly younger than Julieta and her siblings. This is further supported by his clumsy and accident-prone nature, which eventually makes him a couple with Julieta. However, this made him more relatable to Mirabel and the audience.
Isabella
As the eldest Madrigal grandchild, Isabela always felt the pressure to be the perfect, beautiful child. Her ability to grow flowers and plants changes at the end of Encanto when she finally learns to accept her true, imperfect self.
Luisa
Luisa’s super strength, introduced in the song “Surface Pressure,” makes her a village runner who lifts bridges, fixes houses, and does chores without breaking a sweat. As the typical middle child, Sister maintains a physically and emotionally resilient facade to please her family. Unfortunately, he is also worried that he will not live up to the expectations of his village. Luisa has been with Encanto for 19 years.
Mirabel
Mirabel, the youngest daughter of Julieta and Agustín, is the only Madrigal without magical powers. Although he is different from the rest of the family, he is the key to restoring the magic and rebuilding Casita when the miracle is threatened. Bush notes on Twitter that Mirabel has been at Encanto for 15 years, only slightly younger than her cousin Camilo.
Joseph
In Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical, Pepa is the middle child of the Madrigal triplets, considered the most emotional of the siblings. Interestingly, her ability to control and manipulate the weather is very dependent on her emotions, so she often gets an earful from Abuela whenever there are clouds overhead. Pepa is married to Félix and is also 50 years old.
Felix
Like Agustín, Félix does not have supernatural gifts because he married into the Madrigal family. Bush notes that he is slightly older than the triplets, although it is unclear exactly how much. Still, his laid-back attitude from his older age makes him the perfect partner for the emotional and intense Pep. Although not explicitly stated, Félix is probably in his 50s.
Dolores
Dolores, who has superhuman hearing, is quieter and more reserved, and the age difference between her and Isabella forces her to live in the shadow of her perfect cousin. At the end of Encanto, however, Dolores follows her luck.
Camila
Dolores’ younger brother Camilo is a shapeshifter. Camilo, a “theatre child” who tries on different identities, is 15 years old and barely older than Mirabel. As Bush explains, that’s why it’s a shock to the Madrigals that Mirabel couldn’t get her gift right after Camilo got his.
Antonio
The youngest of the Madrigals, Antonio, was only 5 years old during the events of Encanto. Focusing on the first half of the film, his ceremony is the first since the Mirabel ceremony, whose powerful twist was revealed at the beginning of the film. So Antonio is under pressure not to let his family down. Fortunately, he has the ability to talk to animals, which proves useful in uncovering the secrets of his family’s magic.
Bruno
Cursed with clairvoyance, Bruno is shunned by his family and even the village for his pessimistic predictions. The song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” actually details his situation and warns the younger generation about his past actions. As it turns out, Bruno is deeply misunderstood, a disheartening fact considering he is the youngest of Encanto’s madrigal triplets.
Disney Has Not Confirmed Encanto 2: Everything We Know So Far
Disney has neither confirmed nor denied the possibility of an Encanto 2. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t talk of a sequel. Encanto’s popularity rivals that of Frozen and The Incredibles, both of which received sequels a few years later. As it has not yet been announced if Encanto 2 will happen, a release date is not appropriate. Plus, people usually have to wait years between Pixar movies because of the laborious animation process. A release date isn’t likely to be set anytime soon, but the meticulous care evident in Encanto shows the benefits of waiting longer for a film made with real passion and heart.
If Encanto 2 were to happen, the main cast would likely return to reprise their roles. New characters also have the potential to enter the enclosure 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 outline some educated guesses. Perhaps Mirabel will be tasked with becoming the head of the family since she can communicate with Casita. Whether Encanto 2 takes place or not, Encanto provides a unique cast of characters with a wide range of different ages – ensuring that there is a story that speaks to everyone.
