Sadie Sink is the Only Choice for a Live-Action Brave

The moment I saw Sadie Sink’s magnificent, absolutely majestic hair in the first half of Stranger Things Season 5, a single thought consumed me: this girl is Merida. If a live-action remake of Disney’s Brave is ever greenlit, the casting must stop here.

Courtesy of Netflix and Disney

Admit it — you already know I’m right. We’ve all witnessed what she’s capable of across just 3.5 seasons: she’s managed to be both a fan-favorite actress and a character who reminded an entire generation that classics (yes, I’m talking about Running Up That Hill) can not only still shake the culture, they’re why we listen to music in the first place.

But I’ll continue anyway.

Let's start with her pedigree — a truly impressive one these days, a non-existent one. Her parents were a math teacher and a football coach. In a sea of nepo babies, this is not just a breath of fresh air but also a testament to the dedication, grit, and pure talent Sadie had to exhibit to climb into our collective consciousness. She got her start in community theater in Houston, Texas, before moving to New Jersey.

Next, her resume, because it seems like casting at Stranger Things really appreciates actors with a Broadway history (I am only obsessed with Gaten Matarazzo). Between 2012 and 2016, she starred in several TV shows and films, including one alongside Helen Mirren. Oh and get this, she’s also a model! So that’s singing, acting and modeling — a triple threat.

In 2022, Sink appeared on the annual Forbes 30 Under 30 list and was included on the Time 100 Next. She’s been nominated for a series of awards, including two SAGs and one Tony, and has won awards for her portrayal of Ellie in The Whale and, of course, Max in Stranger Things.

I see more awards in her future. And I also see her playing Merida.

Sink has IT — that indefinable electricity you can’t fake. She can handle emotional depth, raw fury, vulnerability, and fierce independence, sometimes all in a single scene. You need an actor who can match Merida’s fire, and the girl has enough heat to light a medieval castle.

And yes, let’s talk about the hair.

When Brave premiered, I was 20 and borderline feral over Merida’s curls. They were practically a character of their own — wild, unbound, defiantly natural. It was the representation I needed as a kid… and apparently as a young adult, too. I almost dressed up as her for Halloween, green dress, red-orange dye, and all, before my friends convinced me “no one would recognize it.” (I regret listening to them to this day.)

You need a girl with equally wild locks to play Merida. Sink’s hair is just the right amount of magic!

Sink doesn’t just resemble Merida — she embodies the qualities that make the character timeless. Her success story mirrors Merida’s arc: hard work over entitlement, mastery over luck, fire over fragility.

If Disney wants a live-action heroine who feels lived-in, believable, and unforgettable, the choice is obvious.

Sadie Sink isn’t just a candidate for Merida. She is the only candidate.

While we’re at it, here are my picks for the rest of the family:

Laura Fraser And Kristofer Hivju as Queen Elinor (Mom) and King Fergus (Dad), those boys have yet to be born.