One fan theory claims Mirabel does have powers in Disney’s Encanto, and her gift connects to her Uncle Bruno. Mirabel Madrigal (Stephanie Beatriz) isn’t like the rest of her family. In Encanto, most of the Madrigals get magical powers that they use to help their community. For instance, Mirabel’s mother, Julieta (Angie Cepeda), can make food that heals medical maladies. Her arepas even heal Mirabel’s hand in the film. However, Mirabel doesn’t get a special gift. Unfortunately, her lack of powers put her on Abuela Alma’s (María Cecilia Botero) bad side. Still, it all just makes Mirabel more determined to help her family when their magical house gets mysterious cracks.
Mirabel isn’t the only one who can’t catch a break in Encanto. Bruno Madrigal (John Leguizamo), Mirabel’s uncle, has the power to see the future in the film. However, his predictions often bring bad news. And the town hates Bruno’s visions so much that everyone seems to drop whatever they’re doing to break out a choreographed song titled “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.” Given his reputation, Bruno even goes into hiding after seeing a vision of Mirabel potentially causing the Madrigal house to fall apart.
Though the film shows that Mirabel doesn’t get a gift, she may have some powers that connect to Bruno. According to one theory (via Reddit), Mirabel had a gift the whole time, and it was the gift of sight. When the house is falling apart, Mirabel is the one who sees the cracks before the rest of her family. Alma also prays, “Open my eyes,” to the miracle candle following Mirabel discovering the cracks in the house, showing that she needs vision in her life. The Encanto fan theory also points out that colors are important in the film, and Mirabel’s glasses are green, which is the color of Bruno’s clothes. And since Bruno can see the future, Mirabel may also have the gift. Mirabel even gives Antonio (Ravi Cabot-Conyers) a toy jaguar ahead of his gift ceremony. He goes on to befriend a jaguar after getting his ability to talk to animals.
Encanto is full of symbolism, which only helps the theory. For instance, Mirabel has butterflies on her clothes, representing how she will lead the family in the future, allowing them to change and progress. And being able to see the future would certainly aid Mirabel in her quest to lead the family. Also, as the theory points out, the film repeatedly references eyes, which may hint at Mirabel’s gift. Stephanie Beatriz’s Mirabel Madrigal even sings, “Open your eyes,” to Abuela Alma during “Waiting on a Miracle.” And with a film full of symbolism, it’s notable that Mirabel’s glasses are green like Bruno’s clothes.
Of course, the film repeatedly emphasizes that Mirabel doesn’t have a special gift for a reason. In fact, Mirabel’s lack of gifts drives her story, so having a gift seems to undermine her whole narrative. And as far as Mirabel’s glasses, they may be green like Bruno’s simply because she has icons on her whole outfit to represent the different members of her family. However, Mirabel’s “gift” doesn’t even need to be supernatural for the theory to work. Her gift could simply be having a clear vision for her family’s future in Encanto.