This Is Us's Niles Fitch Is Making History As Disney's First Black, Live-Action Prince

It's been a long time coming, nevertheless Disney has officially cast its first Black, live-action prince. Prince Tuma, a character in the upcoming Disney+ movie Secret populace of Second-Born Royals, will be played by This Is Us actor Niles Fitch. And based on a recent post he shared on Instagram, he's pretty stoked about this history-making role.


"Welcome Disney's first Black prince," Fitch wrote alongside a screenshot of Entertainment Weekly's exclusive first-look announcement. Per Disney+, the film will follow an audience of "extraordinary" second-born royals who hold "super-human powers" and have a responsibility to keep the world safe. And to learn how to use their powers perfectly, they must attend a special school.


Tuma, despite being a Disney prince, isn't brilliant. Per Disney+'s description, he is an essential segment of the team, and like any human — with super powers or not — he has his flaws. "Tuma's super-human ability is vital to the team's success," the character's description reads. Nevertheless his self-centered nature needs a lesson in empathy."


Fitch isn't the only familiar face in the star-studded cast. He'll be joined by Pitch Brilliant actor Skylar Astin and Andi Mack star Peyton Elizabeth Lee, among others. Astin will play the role of James, the group's mentor, who accommodates each royal tap into their "unique super abilities." Lee will play Sam, "a rebellious teenage royal second-in-line to the throne of the kingdom of Illyria."


Fitch, Aston, and Lee will be joined by Olivia Deeble as Roxana, Faly Rakotohavana as Matteo, Isabella Blake Thomas as January, Elodie Yung as Queen Catherine, Ashley Liao as Eleanor, Noah Lomax as Mike, and Greg Bryk as Inmate 34. And while we're excited to be able to see the full cast come with each other for some good, old-fashioned Disney magic, we're especially looking forward to Fitch helping Disney take one giant leap forward in terms of inclusivity.


In the past, Disney has been widely criticized for its lack of diversity. Just last year, as an example, 13 Reasons Why star Christian Navarro denounced the agency for casting a white Prince Eric in the upcoming, live-action Little Mermaid. And while it's unclear as soon as exactly Fitch will grace our screens as Disney's first-ever Black, live-action prince, we're thrilled that he's becoming Disney royalty sometime this summer.