Disney’s Encanto introduces an entire family blessed with magical powers, but their supernatural abilities are not the only exciting aspect of their lives. Encanto has raised questions about the characters’ personal details, especially their ages, upon its release. Fortunately, the musical’s director Jared Bush has answered the audience’s questions through several Twitter threads. He then clarifies confusions about the birth order in the Madrigal family, noting the nuances in their ages and behavior.
Bush and co-director Byron Howard had always wanted to work on a musical project together. Because both grew up with large extended families, they also decided to use their common experience to create Encanto and feature a dozen main characters. This concept proved challenging for the film’s animation team, as they needed to develop people distinct from each other despite being in the same family. That is why, aside from having different special gifts, the Encanto characters also possess unique traits brought about by their ages and stages in life.
Because Encanto deliberately did not mention the Madrigals’ ages, viewers quickly pointed out that some of them acted either younger or older than they were supposed to be. The discussions had reached Twitter, where Bush elaborated on the Disney characters’ background. He further explained the ages of the Encanto characters, including the implications on their personalities and relationships. That said, here is how old every Madrigal is.
Abuelo Pedro
The patriarch of the magical Madrigal family, Abuelo Pedro, who might secretly be the Casita, met Abuela Alma at a Day of the Little Candles holiday celebration. The two immediately hit it off, got married, and had triplets. Unfortunately, the conquerors disrupted the village they lived in, forcing the residents to flee and Pedro to sacrifice himself to save his family. According to Bush, when Abuelo Pedro crossed the river, he was the exact age as Sebastían Yatra was when he recorded “Dos Oruguitas.” The Colombian singer performed the nostalgic song that played as the romance of Abuela Alma, and Abuelo Pedro was narrated through flashbacks. Yatra, born in 1994, was only 26 when he collaborated with Encanto creators, making Abuelo Pedro 26 when he died.
Abuela Alma
Although she has no powers of her own, Abuela Alma is why the Madrigals were blessed with the miracle. Her candle gained magical abilities fifty years before Encanto’s story began. While the Disney movie’s timeline was purposely kept vague, Alma had overseen the community relying on her family over the past five decades, keeping the magic alive and the gifts of her children and grandchildren existing. So, assuming Abuela was almost the same age as her late husband, she would then be 75 or 76 years old during the film’s events.
Julieta
The mother of Isabella, Luisa, and Mirabel, Julieta is blessed with the ability to heal people with the food she cooks. In Encanto, she heals Mirabel’s hand and her husband Agustin’s bee stings. Since it has been fifty years since the miracle happened, Abuela Alma’s triplets are more or less 50 years old. Also, in a tweet, Bush confirms that Julieta is the oldest among the siblings, as shown by her urge to help everyone in the community.
Agustín
Although Agustín’s age is not explicitly stated in the Colombian-influenced movie Encanto, it is revealed by the film’s creators that he is a little younger than Julieta and her siblings. This is further supported by his clumsy and accident-prone nature, which is how he and Julieta eventually became a couple. Because he only married into the family, Agustín is not gifted with magical abilities. However, that just made him more relatable to Mirabel and the audience.
Isabela
As the eldest Madrigal grandchild, Isabela has always felt the pressure to be the perfect, beautiful child. Her power to grow flowers and plants takes a turn towards the end of Encanto, when she finally learns to accept her true, imperfect self. During the movie’s events, she is 21 years old.
Luisa
With her super-strength, Luisa, introduced by the song “Surface Pressure,” is the village’s resident runner, lifting bridges, adjusting houses, and doing chores without breaking a sweat. As a quintessential middle child, the sister keeps a physically and emotionally resilient facade to please her family. Sadly, she also harbors anxieties about not meeting the expectations of her village. Luisa is 19 years old in Encanto.
Mirabel
The youngest daughter of Julieta and Agustín, Mirabel is the only Madrigal without magical power. Despite standing out from the rest of the family, she is the key to restoring the magic and rebuilding the Casita when the miracle is threatened. Bush states in a Twitter thread that Mirabel is 15 years old in Encanto, just a bit younger than her cousin, Camilo.
Pepa
In the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical, Pepa is the middle child of the Madrigal triplets, considered the most emotional among the siblings. Interestingly, her power to control and manipulate the weather is highly dependent on her emotions, so she often gets an earful from Abuela whenever she has clouds on her head. Married to Félix, Pepa is also 50 years old.
Félix
Like Agustín, Félix also does not possess supernatural gifts since he married into the Madrigal family. Bush notes that he is a little older than the triplets, although it is not precisely clear by how much. Still, his relaxed attitude from his more advanced age makes him a perfect fit for the emotional and intense Pepa. Although not explicitly stated, Félix is likely in his early-to-mid 50s.
Dolores
Dolores, the eldest and only daughter of Pepa and Félix, is also 21 years old, just a couple of months younger than Isabella. Dolores, who has superhuman hearing, is quieter and more reserved, and her and Isabella’s age gap pushes her to live in the shadow of her perfect cousin. At the end of Encanto, however, Dolores pursues her happiness.
Camilo
Dolores’ younger brother Camilo is a shape-shifter. His power allows him to entertain his family, and at times, get what he wants by tricking people. A “theater kid” trying on different identities, Camilo is 15 years old, barely older than Mirabel. As Bush explains, this is why it is a shock for the Madrigals that Mirabel failed to get a gift right after Camilo got his.
Antonio
The youngest among the Madrigals, Antonio, is only 5 years old during the events of Encanto. The focus of the film’s first half, his ceremony is the first since that of Mirabel, whose power twist was revealed at the beginning of the film. So, there is pressure on Antonio to not disappoint his family. Fortunately, he is granted the ability to talk to animals, which proves helpful in unearthing the secrets of his family’s magic.
Bruno
Like the other triplets, Bruno is 50 years old in Encanto. Cursed with clairvoyance, Bruno is shunned away by his family, and even his village, because of his pessimistic predictions. In fact, the song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” details his situation and warns the younger generation of his past actions. As it turns out, Bruno is just deeply misunderstood, which is a depressing fact considering he is the youngest among the Madrigal triplets in Encanto.
Disney Hasn’t Confirmed Encanto 2: Everything We Know So Far
Disney has neither confirmed nor denied the possibility of Encanto 2. That doesn’t mean that a sequel isn’t in talks, though. After all, Encanto performed so well that it won Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score at the 2022 Oscars. Encanto’s popularity rivals that of Frozen and The Incredibles, which both got a second installment years later. Because there’s not yet been an announcement confirming whether Encanto 2 will happen, there’s no release date handy. Plus, people typically have to wait years in between Pixar movies due to the labor-intensive animation process. There probably won’t be a release date set any time soon, but the painstaking care that’s apparent in Encanto demonstrates the benefits of waiting longer for a film made with genuine passion and heart.
If Encanto 2 were to happen, the primary cast would likely return to reprise their roles. This means that Stephanie Beatriz, John Leguizamo, Wilmer Valderrama, and more would definitely come back. New characters also have the potential to enter the fold, as the mountain has opened up to welcome new people. No story details are on the immediate horizon for Encanto 2, but it’s possible to lay out some educated guesswork. Perhaps Mirabel will be charged with becoming the head of the family since she can communicate with Casita. It’s very possible that she could be the next one to hold Abuela’s magic candle. Regardless of whether or not Encanto 2 happens, Encanto provides a unique cast of characters, with a wide array of different ages — making sure that there’s a story in here that speaks to everyone.
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