Descendants: Wicked World is an animated short-form series based on the Disney Channel Original Movie Descendants.[2] It premiered on September 18, 2015 on Disney Channel,[3][4] taking place in-between the events of the first film and Descendants 2. The series is the first
Disney Channel Original Series based on a Disney Channel Original Movie. It picks up after the first film and introduces new characters from the Isle of the Lost and Auradon. Descendants: Wicked World ended on March 3, 2017. It received generally positive reviews from critics.
After King Ben's coronation in Descendants, the villain kids Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay settle in at being good while their villainous parents are still roaming the Isle of the Lost. The story goes deeper at the arrival of new villain kids, Freddie (Dr. Facilier's daughter), CJ (
Captain Hook's daughter) and Zevon (
Yzma's son).
Characters
Villain Kids
Mal (voiced by
Dove Cameron[5]) – Daughter of
Maleficent and
Hades. She possesses dark forms of
magic, passed down to her by her mother, but because she is good now, she uses her magic for good purposes.
Jay (voiced by
Booboo Stewart[8]) – Son of
Jafar. Despite having chosen to be good, he has a bad habit of stealing.
Freddie (voiced by
China Anne McClain in Season 1 and
Lauryn McClain in Season 2[9]) – Daughter of Dr. Facilier. Despite initially having a difficult to Auradon's unrotten ways, she had no problem adapting to the delicious food. She is the sister of Celia from Descendants 3. Also, she appears in the Descendants novel Return to the Isle of the Lost.
CJ (voiced by Myrna Velasco[10]) – Daughter of
Captain Hook and Freddie's best friend. She is the sister of Harry Hook from Descendants 2.
Zevon (voiced by
Bradley Steven Perry[11]) – Son of
Yzma. In the second season, he plans to fuse the VK's birthright jewels so he can combine their power and take over Auradon.
Auradon Kids
Ben (voiced by Mitchell Hope) – Son of
Belle and the
Beast and Mal's boyfriend. He is the current king of Auradon.
Audrey (voiced by
Sarah Jeffery) – Daughter of
Aurora and
Prince Phillip. She was initially mistrustful towards the villain kids, especially Mal, but is learning to warm up to their presence.
Jane (voiced by
Brenna D'Amico) – Daughter of
The Fairy Godmother. Like Mal, she has magic, but unlike Mal, she has light forms of magic and isn't fully trained in her magic yet.
Lonnie (voiced by Dianne Doan) – Daughter of
Fa Mulan and
Li Shang. Unlike Audrey, she is friendly towards the VKs and is willing to help them adapt in Auradon.
Jordan (voiced by Ursula Taherian) – Daughter of
The Genie. She runs a web show and lives in a magic lamp. Also, she appears in the Descendants novel Return to the Isle of the Lost.
Ally (voiced by
Jennifer Veal) – Daughter of
Alice. She has the same curious personality as her mother. Also, she appears in the Descendants novel Return to the Isle of the Lost.
Production
The production of the series was announced right after the film Descendants finished airing on Disney Channel.[12] Former Phineas and Ferb storyboard artist Aliki Theofilopoulos Grafft announced on Twitter that she was directing the series, with Jenni Cook as producer, and that the original cast would be reprising their roles. Each episode of the series is going to be under five minutes long.[13]
On July 13, 2016, it was announced the series was renewed for a second season,[14] and that
Bradley Steven Perry would be added to the cast as Zevon, the son of Yzma from The Emperor's New Groove, and
Lauryn McClain would take over voicing Freddie from her sister China Anne McClain, who was cast as Ursula's daughter Uma in Descendants 2.[15][16]
Descendants: Wicked World premiered on September 18, 2015 on
Disney Channel and its digital platforms, including WATCH Disney Channel.[17] The series was subsequently made available to stream on
DisneyNow.[18] It was later released on the
Disney+ streaming service.[19][20][21]
Reception
Viewership
In July 2016, it was announced that the first season of Descendants: Wicked World generated over 30 million total viewers in the US and over 100 million engagements on Disney Channel’s app, VOD, and YouTube platforms, since its launch in September 2015.[22][23]
Critical response
Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media gave Descendants: Wicked World a grade of three out of five stars, and complimented the depiction of positive messages and role models through the series, writing, "The show illustrates the value of considering a person's actions rather than his reputation before judging him, which is always a good message for kids."[24] Ashley Jones of Romper included Descendants: Wicked World in their "13 Shows For Kids Who Love Princesses" list, stating, "Your princess-loving kids have likely seen one, two, or all three of the Descendants movies on the Disney Channel. If they love the adventures of Evie, Mal, Carlos, and Jay, the spinoff series Descendants: Wicked World is a must-watch. Each episode is an animated short, but they’re packed with plenty of royal content."[25]
^"Voice Of Mal – Behind The Voice Actors". Behind The Voice Actors. Check marks indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources{{
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^"Voice Of Evie – Behind The Voice Actors". Behind The Voice Actors. Check marks indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources{{
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^"Voice Of Jay – Behind The Voice Actors". Behind The Voice Actors. Check marks indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources{{
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^"Voice Of CJ – Behind The Voice Actors". Behind The Voice Actors. Check marks indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources{{
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^"Voice Of Zevon – Behind The Voice Actors". Behind The Voice Actors. Check marks indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources{{
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