While many people are excited to finally see the newLilo & Stitchlive-action film that premiered on May 23, some fans of theoriginal animated versionare upset at Disney for the movie's decision to cut one key character. The new movie, which starsMaia Kealohaas Lilo,Chris Sandersas the voice of Stitch, andSydney Agudongas Nani, doesn't include the fan-favorite character and villain from the original movie, Captain Gantu. 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 Kevin Michael Richardsonvoiced the popular character, andGantu appeared in multiple movies and animated series after the 2002 original animated film. After learning about Gantu's omission from the new movie, fans called out Disney, with onewriting on X, "This is a true 21st century shame. GIVE CAPTAIN GANTU SCREENTIME!" "Not having Captain Gantu in the Lilo & Stitch live action should be a crime,"saidanother, while a thirdcalledthe move "indefensible." One particularly emotional fan evenwrote, "It makes me want to cry, and it is hard to do that. I am sad that there is no Captain Gantu." Dean Fleischer Camp, the director of the newLilo & Stitchadaptation, toldCinemaBlendwhy he decided not to include Gantu, saying, "Gantu was one of those things that just didn't work so well in live action. We explored it a bit, but ultimately we had to make the decision." "I do stand by the decision," he went on, noting that he felt the move left more room to explore the story's "emotional depth." Related: Disney's First-Of-A-Kind 'Lilo & Stitch' Collab Delivers A 'Delightful Escape' Fans Call Out Disney For Cutting Favorite 'Lilo & Stitch' Character: 'It Makes Me Want to Cry'first appeared on Parade on May 26, 2025
