Disney's 'Cruella' Trailer Has Inspired Lots Of Joker Comparisons

It’s been a while since a movie trailer took over the internet. Dune, maybe? It’s an unfortunate side effect of most of 2020’s biggest titles being pushed back until later this year, and no Marvel Cinematic Universe or Star Wars movies to promote outside of Black Widow (the last trailer for which came out in March 2020). But Disney has heard our hungry cries for a new trailer and fed us not with Kanine Krunchies, but Cruella.

The Cruella de Vil origin story stars Emma Stone as Disney’s most famous dog-murderer, who dresses like if Harley Quinn and the Joker had a baby and says things like, “From the very beginning, I saw the world differently than everyone else” and, “The thing is, I was born brilliant. Born bad. And a little bit mad.” Twisted. If Cruella is two hours of Emma Stone hamming it up in fancy dresses and long cigars (not that Disney approves of smoking), it could be kinda fun. But the worst-case scenario, in which she’s given a tragic backstory that humanizes her, is unfortunately more likely.

Her name is literally Cruel Evil — let Cruella be Cruella.

If they let cruella just be evil for the hell of it without some tragic backstory, I’m down. If not…SHE SKINS PUPPIES IM NOT FEELING SORRY FOR HER.

— Jade94 💙 (@rebeccaswelton) February 17, 2021

That lady wanted to mass murder 101 puppies and wear their carcasses as a coat when she had hella coats already I'm sorry Disney you can't "misunderstood antihero" your way out of that one

— 🐧✨America Is Musty✨🐧 (@DragonflyJonez) February 17, 2021

The aesthetic and whole mood of this trailer has me like 😍

But does Cruella need a backstory and as my friend @MissRagamuffin pointed out to me why is Disney giving all the female villains sympathetic backstories? Can’t we just let them be evil??? 🧐 https://t.co/2egdqjbB1A

— Sarah-Lou 🍂 (@sarahloulife) February 17, 2021

I swear to god you pull a Maleficent and try to make this character, a character whose MAIN TRAIT is wanting to kill and skin puppies, into a "sympathetic villain", I'm gonna be so mad. This has the opportunity to be a fun villainy crime film. Don't ruin it. https://t.co/LEuJbwZeqe

— Pixie, Queen of Monsters (@QKP_BACKUP) February 17, 2021

But no matter what happens, at least we’ll have the trailer reactions.

i was always content with the understanding that cruella is the way she is because she’s rich and british

— Brandy Jensen (@BrandyLJensen) February 17, 2021

clearly the way to make Cruella the heroine is to pit her against a villain who wants to kill 202 Dalmatians

— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) February 17, 2021

It would be funny if the CRUELLA trailer opened with Cruella saying, “From the very beginning I realized I saw the world differently than everyone else.”

— Richard Lawson (@rilaws) February 17, 2021

The Harley Quinn and “Disney’s Joker” jokes are particularly good.

https://twitter.com/kimibutsad/status/1362059474383601667

Finally… Disney's Joker pic.twitter.com/Fjg2Y2nUQa

— ST. GHIDORAH (@MNetwork0) February 17, 2021

https://twitter.com/acagoldsmith/status/1362063107128983560

fine pic.twitter.com/7bdlg2v36Z

— Sen. Lemon Gogurt ugarles.bsky.social (@Ugarles) February 17, 2021

https://twitter.com/LexLeeCin/status/1362036870847299585

https://twitter.com/carolineframke/status/1362029897120702465

i think it's beautiful that they made a joker for women. it's HER turn to make the dullest movie i've ever seen

— mattie lubchansky (@Lubchansky) February 17, 2021