Wreck-It-Ralph 2 is the sequel to Disney’s popular animated movie Wreck-It-Ralph that celebrated tropes and characters from video games. Fans of classic console games were delighted to see characters playing together in the same universe, while exploring what each of them might do with their down time. A sequel was greenlit almost immediately.
Last year Disney revealed concept art of Ralph (John C. Reilly), and Vanellope (Sarah Silverman), going digital and standing over top of parody logos for Google, GrubHub and Amazon among others. Besides this and the announcement that Wreck-It-Ralph 2 would take to the internet, very little is known about the movie.
Today Tracking Board is reporting that Ugly Betty actress Ana Ortiz, who played Hilda Suarez, would be joining the cast of Wreck-It-Ralph 2 in a small role. While no other details have yet been released about Ortiz’s character, she is the first new cast member announced to be joining Wreck-It-Ralph 2. Her casting does immediately raise the question: if the first casting announcement the movie has made is for a small role, how many other new characters will be added to the movie?
Ortiz joins Reilly and Silverman along with Jane Lynch and Jack McBrayer who are reprising their roles as Calhoun and Felix, respectively. Original Wreck-It-Ralph director Rich Moore will be co-directing the sequel along with Phil Johnston. Johnston co-wrote the original movie along with Jennifer Lee (Frozen), and has co-written the sequel along with Moana‘s Pamela Ribon.
No stranger to voice acting, Ortiz provides the voice for Rafa in the popular Disney television show Elena of Avalon. The show garnered a lot of praise for starring Disney’s first Latina Princess when it premiered in 2016. She’s comfortable working in the booth and has proved herself a talented comedic actress on Ugly Betty and Devious Maids. She will bring both talent and diversity to the cast of Wreck-It-Ralph 2.
On the other hand, the announcement that Ortiz is joining in a “small role” is a little disappointing. Fans of her work are certainly hoping that she will be playing a character who can have substantial impact on the lives of Ralph, Vanellope, Calhoun and Felix. Most likely Ortiz’s character will emerge as either a friend or rival of Vanellope — like the collection of racers that populated the original Wreck-It-Ralph. Think of Mindy Kaling’s (The Mindy Project), performance as Taffeta Muttonfudge.
