Disney is apparently moving forward on a live-action Tangled, and the latest chatter is all about Mother Gothel. Deadline says Scarlett Johansson may be circling the role. Cue the internet immediately asking: really? Gothel is a deliciously theatrical, sing-your-face-off villain who weaponizes charm, vanity, and menace in the same breath. Johansson is a massive star, but to a lot of fans, she does not immediately scream 'tower prison warden with a killer 11 o'clock number.'
Where the rumor stands
The casting is not official. What we have is Deadline reporting Johansson as a possibility for Gothel, which set off a wave of fan recasts. The core argument popping up over and over: Gothel needs a big presence and a voice that can fill a room. She is dramatic, funny, manipulative, and just scary enough to make you believe she would steal a plant from a newborn. That blend is tricky, and there are a handful of actors who feel tailor-made for it.
Five actresses who could absolutely crush Mother Gothel
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Cher
Tell me you did not clock the resemblance the first time you saw the animated Gothel. The hair, the languid glamour, the 'I can sweet-talk you and then bury you with a look' energy. Casting Cher is the obvious swing because she brings exactly what the role needs: a room-commanding presence, razor wit, and, crucially, a voice. Gothel sings. Cher can turn a song into a threat wrapped in velvet.
From Moonstruck to Burlesque, she plays larger-than-life, hyper-stylish women who devour attention. The vibe aligns perfectly with Gothel’s vanity and performative warmth. And the whole 'forever young' motif? Cher could land that with a single smirk. If you want elegant wickedness with vocal firepower, she is the blueprint.
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Kathryn Hahn
Hahn’s post-Marvel breakout as Agatha Harkness made her a household name for a reason: she is lethal at flipping between comedy, chaos, and genuine menace. That is basically Gothel’s personality matrix. She can be dangerously charming one second and uncomfortably honest the next.
Hahn’s theatrical streak and big, expressive delivery fit the role’s 'everything is a performance' DNA. She brings the playful danger you need so audiences both love and fear Gothel. Add the voice and the sly timing, and you have an antagonist who can chew through a torch song and a manipulation scene with equal bite.
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Susan Sarandon
Sarandon has that old-school, magnetic poise where the room goes quiet when she talks. Think Thelma & Louise, think Enchanted. She can do 'regal and terrifying' without ever raising her voice. Gothel demands a voice that can sound maternally soothing and ice-cold within a single line reading.
She also brings maturity and a slow-burn danger that would deepen Gothel beyond 'vain villain who sings.' If the concern is that Johansson might skew a little too sleek and modern for the part, Sarandon gives you gravitas, edge, and a face that can sell ten layers of calculation in half a second.
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Angela Bassett
If Disney is open to reimagining the character, Angela Bassett would be a powerhouse pick. She projects authority like few others, with a voice that cuts through the mix and a stare that tells a whole story. Watch What’s Love Got to Do With It or her Queen Ramonda turns if you need a refresher on 'commanding.'
Bassett could turn Gothel from a vain schemer into a truly formidable figure with emotional heft. The elegance, the precision, the vocal richness—it all screams fairy-tale royalty, which is exactly how Gothel carries herself. She would make the character feel less cartoonish and more uncomfortably real, without losing the theatrical sparkle.
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Helena Bonham Carter
Carter basically has 'glamorous menace' on speed dial. Bellatrix Lestrange, the Red Queen—she knows how to blend creepy, funny, and grand in a way that plays beautifully in fantasy. She has also shown a gentle, whimsical side (yes, Cinderella’s fairy godmother), so she can pivot between faux-maternal sweetness and unhinged control on a dime.
Gothel lives in that exact sweet spot. Carter thrives in heightened worlds, and she would bring the mischievous, gothic sparkle that makes Disney villains pop. You want the audience to laugh and then immediately feel uneasy? She is your chaos conductor.
Quick refresher on Tangled
The animated film hit in 2010, directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard, with Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi leading the voice cast alongside Donna Murphy and Ron Perlman. It runs 1 hour and 40 minutes, sits at 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, and if you want a rewatch before the live-action conversation gets louder, it is streaming in the US on Disney+.
Bottom line
If Deadline’s report pans out, Scarlett Johansson as Mother Gothel would be a swing—and frankly a surprising one. The character demands camp, danger, and a showstopping vocal presence. The five names above bring that in different flavors, from Cher’s diva thunder to Hahn’s mischievous bite. Who do you want stealing flowers and gaslighting a princess this time?