DESCENDANTS Newcomers on Preparing to Step Into the Disney Franchise

The Descendants franchise, which has remained strong since the inaugural 2015 movie, is back with its latest installment, Descendants: Wicked Wonderland. A direct sequel to 2024’s The Rise of Red, the movie follows Red and Chloe on a brand-new journey, filled with its hallmark song and dance numbers.

Joining the leading duo are several newcomers, including Liamani Segura, Alexandro Byrd, and Kiara Romero, who play relatives of familiar Disney characters like Captain Hook and Luisa Madrigal. 

Byrd, who stars as Luis Madrigal, admits that he was nervous for the intensive choreography required for the role. “We jump in and [choregrapher] Emilio [Dosal] threw that choreo at us a thousand miles an hour,” the actor told BroadwayWorld. “I hadn’t learned any choreo since my Michigan musical theater days. So I was like, ‘Am I rusty? What’s going on?’ We had to break the rust off, but then we got back to it.”

Like the previous installments, the latest entry continues to highlight themes of parents and children and how the next generation rejects—or, in some cases, continues—certain familial qualities, both good and bad. Romero, who plays the daughter of Captain Hook, led with that background in her portrayal.

“[Hazel] learns to be tough and present herself a certain way and be a true villain kid through and through. Showing vulnerability isn’t really allowed in her world. And I think through some of these friends, she learns that they start to chip away at that…”

For the character of Pink, Red’s younger sister, Segura leaned into the bubbliness of her mom, the former villain-turned-kindhearted leader the Queen of Hearts. “[Pink] has no evil in her heart… you don’t think!” she teased. “I feel like she is more alike to her mom than she is not.” Watch the full interview to find out which Broadway cast albums the trio would choose for their Descendants characters.

Descendants: Wicked Wonderland premiered on Disney Channel on July 16 and is now streaming on Disney+. The soundtrack, featuring 12 tracks, including 11 new original songs such as “Perfect Princess” and “Mad-Wicked Wonderland,” is available now.