Disney’s latest animated feature, Encanto, has been seizing fans’ imaginations since its release, leading them to craft theories of all kinds. The film’s leading family are each blessed by their magical house, Casa Madrigal, with a special gift on their fifth birthday. Only the film’s protagonist, Mirabel, was not granted such an ability. While Mirabel’s lack of a gift has spawned many theories attempting to explain why she never received one or positing that she had a hidden power all along, a new theory focuses on how another family member’s gift may have helped Mirabel in her efforts to preserve the family’s magic.
Encanto‘s first act centers on the upcoming gift ceremony of Mirabel’s younger cousin, Antonio. It is established that Antonio and Mirabel have a strong bond, sharing the nursery as their joint bedroom in the film’s opening since Mirabel not receiving a gift also meant the house never created a new room for her. Mirabel comforts Antonio as he worries that, like her, he may not receive a gift. She also accompanies him during his gift ceremony as he approaches the magic candle, from which Casa Madrigal gains its powers. Antonio’s fears are quickly proven to be unfounded, and he is granted the ability to talk to animals. However, after his ceremony has ended, Antonio quickly takes a back seat in the film. Or so it seems.
A theory on Reddit from user Scromithe suggests that Antonio continues to watch over Mirabel and assist her from afar via his new animal companions as Encanto goes on. Soon after Antonio’s gift ceremony, Mirabel notices cracks in the walls of the house and the candle flickering, setting her on a mission to save the magic. Along the way, a few notable animal companions appear, possibly suggesting Antonio’s involvement.
The Redditor points out that when Mirabel speaks to her super-strong sister, Luisa, about the house’s waning magic, the donkeys Luisa had been herding are within earshot and could be reporting back to Antonio. On Luisa’s advice, Mirabel goes to Bruno’s old room — which is strictly off-limits — to investigate. While all bedrooms in the house are bigger on the inside, Bruno’s turns out to be a vast and treacherous cavern that would be at home in an Indiana Jones movie. Upon arriving here, Mirabel meets a toucan. No explanation is given for the bird’s presence, but it would make sense for Antonio to want to keep an eye on his favorite cousin as she embarks on the dangerous journey.
The theory goes on to suggest that once Mirabel has gathered the fragments of Bruno’s last vision — which takes the form of an image in a glass tablet — the coatis who reassemble it during dinner to show Abuela, the matriarch of the Madrigal family, are also acting on Antonio’s orders. The intention here is less clear, as Abuela finding out about Mirabel finding the vision only casts more distrust onto Mirabel. However, it’s possible Antonio had wanted to help Mirabel and asked the animals to fix the vision for her, only for it to accidentally end up in front of Abuela.
Antonio finally reappears when Mirabel finds Bruno and asks him to have another vision to help guide her. Antonio says the rats that live in the walls with Bruno told him everything, but he could have been keeping an eye on Mirabel since before the rats encountered her through his communications with the other animals. It is strange that Antonio vanishes for so much of Encanto after being at the center of the opening scenes. Given Disney’s famous attention to detail, it is entirely plausible that the animals Mirabel encounters were there to represent Antonio and remind the audience of his presence throughout.
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