Encanto’s Madrigal Family Members Secretly Have 2 Gifts - Theory Explained
Encanto shows the Madrigal family members each get a magical gift, but the film may also reveal that the Madrigals get more than one power.
In Encanto, each Madrigal family member gets a magical gift, but the Disney film may also reveal the family has other powers. Encanto is the story of Mirabel Madrigal (Stephanie Beatriz) and her magically gifted family. In the Madrigals, each child gets a special gift from an enchanted candle and their magical house, but Mirabel doesn't get any powers on her ceremony day. The lack of abilities makes her a Madrigal outcast. However, when the Madrigals' magical Casita begins to crack, Mirabel's lack of powers may be precisely what the family needs to save the day.
Though Mirabel doesn't have powers, most of her family members have magical gifts. Her sisters, Luisa (Jessica Darrow) and Isabela (Diane Guerrero), have superstrength and flower-growing powers, respectively. Her cousins also have magical gifts. Dolores (Adassa) has super hearing, Camilo (Rhenzy Feliz) can shapeshift into other people, and Antonio (Ravi Cabot-Conyers) can talk to animals. Julieta (Angie Cepeda), Mirabel's mother, can create food with healing powers. Julieta's siblings, Bruno (John Leguizamo) and Pepa (Carolina Gaitan), also have gifts. Bruno can see the future, making scarily accurate predictions, and Pepa controls the weather, bringing clouds with her almost anywhere she goes.
Though the Madrigals have specific and obvious powers, the family may also get secondary abilities. According to a fun fan theory (via Reddit), the Madrigals have two gifts, not just one. The theory claims that Bruno can manipulate light, Pepa could be an empath, Julieta received the ability to cook, Isabela has a glamour to appear perfect, Luisa is physically durable, Dolores has Hyperthymesia to recall events in detail, Camilo has the power of manipulation, and Antonio gains confidence through his gift. Though the Encanto fan theory makes some leaps, it's still an interesting take on the movie.
There is evidence that the Madrigals have other abilities brought on by their gifts. For instance, during "We Don't Talk About Bruno," Bruno walks through the background and seemingly has a green glow. Also, Pepa doesn't only have clouds over her head when she's upset. They appear other times as well, indicating she could be sensing others' feelings. Isabela is another strong case. The character seems to have a completely different look after she gives up being perfect towards the film's end. And Julieta, Mirabel's mother, heals people with food, so the ability to create delicious healing food could've come with her gift.
There are obvious problems with the Encanto two-gift theory. For instance, Ravi Cabot-Conyers' Antonio gaining confidence isn't truly a gift. While he seems confident after receiving his ability to talk to animals, that doesn't mean he's confident all the time. Also, the film doesn't specifically mention the family having two gifts, and an additional gift would perhaps distract from the story without adding much. However, the Reddit fan theorist noted the theory was just for fun, and it has enough evidence to make Encanto rewatches a bit more magical.