Red and Chloe may have changed the past in Descendants: The Rise of Red, but in Descendants: Wicked Wonderland, they’re learning that rewriting history comes with consequences.
The latest installment in Disney’s Descendants franchise on Disney Channel and Disney+. picks up after the events of 2024’s The Rise of Red, with the pair returning to a Wonderland that’s been permanently altered by their time-travel adventure. While the Queen of Hearts is no longer the villain Red once knew, a new threat emerges, forcing the friends to confront an entirely different future.
For stars Kylie Cantrall and Malia Baker, that shift isn’t just about introducing a new adventure, it’s about showing how both characters have grown.
Kylie Cantrall says Red has to redefine what being a leader means
Cantrall said evolution is at the center of Red’s journey in the sequel because the character is suddenly forced to live in a world she no longer recognizes.
“Evolution is definitely a big part of where we left off with Rise of Red to now,” Cantrall said in during the cast’s exclusive interview with BLKCinema.com. “A lot of it is because of time travel.”
After changing history, Red wakes up to a life that feels unfamiliar.
“She’s just waking up out of this dream essentially that was her past life and what she’s grown up knowing,” Cantrall said. “And now she’s like, ‘OK, everything looks completely different.’”
That new reality also comes with new responsibilities.
“There’s much more expectation and bigger responsibilities,” she said. “She has to really figure out what being a princess and being a leader and a big sister—what that means for her now and how she can step up to the plate now that there’s so much more to lose.”
While Red’s circumstances have changed, Cantrall said one thing remains constant: her friendship with Chloe.
“Through her friendship with Chloe that blossomed in the last film, she really cares for her and wants to be there and doesn’t want to lose anybody,” she said.
Instead of acting only for herself, Red is now motivated by protecting the people closest to her.
“She’s like, ‘OK, I’ve got to fight for the people I love,’” Cantrall said.
Malia Baker says Chloe learns that change ‘means growth’
For Baker, Chloe’s arc centers on adapting to circumstances she never expected.
“I feel like what this movie and what I hope people are able to take away the most is just the lesson of change and adaptability,” Baker told BLKCinema.com.
“I feel like life throws a lot of curve balls at you,” she continued. “For Red and Chloe in particular, there is such a curve ball of literally changed time.”
Although Chloe remains the dependable friend audiences met in the previous film, Baker said she begins putting everyone else’s needs ahead of her own.
“She wants to be there and be that stable, supportive person for those that are around her,” Baker said. “She’s always down for any adventure.”
That instinct, however, comes at a cost.
“She’s more so focused on the different priorities at hand, which kind of puts her own feelings on a back burner,” Baker said. “She lets [those feelings] build in this really crazy way that was a lot of fun to play.”
Baker said director Kimmy Gatewood helped bring those quieter emotional moments to life, sometimes creating them outside of what was originally written on the page.
“There were moments that sometimes weren’t even written in the script,” Baker said. “Kimmy, our director, was really incredible in being able to guide me.”
By the end of the film, Baker hopes audiences leave with the same message Chloe learns herself.
“I think just being able to kind of witness what that adaptation looks like within these different characters and their dynamics and how it does change,” she said. “But change means growth in a really, really great way. And I think that’s a life lesson for anybody watching.”
The film is now airing on Disney Channel and streaming on Disney+.
Watch the full cast interview below:
Featured image photo credit: Photo: Disney/David Astorga
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