Mal/Evie

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Pairing
Pairing: Mal Bertha/Evie Grimhilde
Alternative name(s): Malvie, Mevie
Gender category: Femslash
Fandom: Descendants
Canonical?: Offically non-canon, though Dove Cameron would say otherwise
Prevalence: Popular
Archives:
Other:
Malvie Crest. The crest incorporates Mal's dragon symbol with Evie's crown symbol.
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icon of Mal, on the left, and Evie, on the right, from the 3D animated show 'Wicked World'. The background is the bisexual flag.
Malvie bisexual icon (Jun 2016) by xTheUnknownOnex, featuring their Wicked World selves.

Mal/Evie, also known by the two portmanteaus Malvie or Mevie, is the femslash ship between Mal Bertha and Evie Grimhilde from the Descendants franchise. They make up half of the Core Four, and are the daughters of Maleficent and the Evil Queen respectively.

They appear together in the mainline trilogy of films, the animated series Wicked World, the tie-in books, and the animated special, among others. The pair have been shipped since the first film, though its sequel in particular offered a substantial amount of shipping fuel, especially in the form of the musical number Space Between.

They are canonically best friends, and many fanworks have them as Friends to Lovers. Angst and Hurt/Comfort are relatively common, usually linked to their childhood on the Isle. Many Malvie fics also include Jaylos, often as a secondary or background pairing.

Their actresses' shipname, both platonic and romantic, is Dofia; a portmanteau of Dove Cameron and Sofia Carson's forenames. Both actresses have acknowledged Malvie, and apparently read fic of them during their time as the characters.

Canon

Mal and Evie are members of the Core Four, a set of four Villain Kids (VKs) originally chosen to travel to Auradon, where Disney's heroes live, from the Isle of the Lost, where all the villains reside. According to the tie-in novels, the two were initially enemies/rivals before becoming friends.

Throughout the main series, the pair are best friends. They are roommates at their new boarding school of Auradon Prep, and initially plan on stealing the Fairy Godmother's wand along with Jay and Carlos. In the end, they decide to be good, and Mal gets with Ben, whilst Evie gets with Doug.

When Mal returns to the Isle, after the pressures of being the new King's girlfriend get too much, Evie travels to the Isle to bring her back with the others. Initially, Mal tells her she won't be coming back, but after hijinks, Mal ends up back anyway and decides to stay.

After her eventual engagement to Ben, Mal decides they should shut the barrier to the Isle, so no one else can go in or out due to safety concerns. Evie assumes Mal was the one to say no to the idea, and feels betrayed when she reveals the truth later on in the film as she's the most passionate about getting the other VKs out of poverty. Mal eventually chooses to destroy the barrier completely, and their relationship recovers.

Mal is heavily associated with the colour purple, Evie with the colour blue.

Fandom

One appeal of Malvie is that they are seen as contrasting and complementing each other. From a simple perspective: Mal's slightly edgy, selfish, cool demeanor vs Evie's kind, compassionate, flirty demeanor. Both however offer opportunities for nuance and exploration in fanworks, as both grew up on the Isle of the Lost in poverty with parents generally accepted in the fandom to be abusive.

Evie is somewhat of a fan favourite in the Descendants fandom, and is often seen as some variation of cinnamon roll, and as result much of the fandom wants the best for her. Mal, on the other hand, is a much more controversial character in the fandom, making much more dislikable decisions in canon.

The pair are seen as smitten for each other in the Malvie fandom, with Mal's hard demeanor softening in Evie's presence. Evie is also frequently the only one Mal comes to to talk to or inform about certain things, such as the identity of her father or the decision to close the barrier.

Shipname

Both Malvie and Mevie are used fairly commonly for the pair, with neither seemingly taking precedence over the other. Some fans have pointed out that 'Malvie' is also the name of a French magazine whilst 'Mevie' is often corrected to 'Movie', when trying to find content for them. Early on it seemed Eval was another contender.[1]

Shipping Fuel

Space Between

The song Space Between and its sequence in Descendants 2 is one of the biggest sources of shipping fuel for the ship, for several reasons. For context, the catalyst for the song is that the pair will be separated as Mal feels more at home on the Isle, and Evie vastly prefers Auradon, to the extent she'd had Ben promise her she wouldn't be left there. However as soon as Mal told her she was staying, Evie offers to stay too.

The song itself is a ballad and duet - the only one in all three films - that has Mal and Evie singing to each other about how they'll always be there for each other no matter the distance between them, and making references to being in each other's hearts.

Oh this-this is gay meme (July 2019) by camscendants featuring the iconic forehead touch in Space Between.
In Descendants 2, the emotional duet that anchors the movie is not between its main couple, but between protagonist Mal and her female best friend Evie. Though in context, the song “Space Between” is meant to be about the strong friendship between the two girls, sapphic fans such as myself have found a different reading.

Lyrics such as “You’ll never be alone // No matter where you go” and “Even if we’re worlds apart // You’re still in my heart // It will always be you and me” would be widely read as romantic if they were sung by a man and a woman.[2]

[@GoldenDartRat]
They really be singing an entire love song and then going about their day as if nothing happened huh?[3]

The scene itself also includes the two reaching for each other's hands across a railing, several instances of staring into each other's eyes, and the iconic forehead touch. One chorus is also accompanied by a montage of scenes of the two throughout the previous film, something that also happened for the canon ship Mal/Ben in the first film during the song If Only, a song in which Mal sings about her conflicted thoughts on her canon feelings for Ben.

so they included an angsty duet featuring a montage of their lives together and a freaking forehead touch yet they still expect me that both mal and evie are straight?? yeah whatever disney[4]

Many YouTube reviewers mention the homoeroticism of the scene.[5][6][7]

Space Between is sometimes compared to songs from the second High School Musical film, as both films are the second in a trilogy of Disney Channel Original Movies directed by Kenny Ortega. The two songs most frequently compared are I Don't Dance, a song also known for its homoeroticism, and Gotta Go My Own Way,[8] the break up ballad between main couple Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez.[9]

Overall, fans often view the song as filling the typical 'romantic love ballad' conventions seen in other similiar media, and is generally considered incredibly gay.[10]

Some shippers seem to have been convinced of the ship as a result of this song:

[@marinadiaz1762]
first movie: sisters[note 1]
me: okay I believe it
Second movie: This song
Me: I no longer believe it[11]

Even as the years have passed, folks discovering or re-discovering the films are still coming to this conclusion seemingly of their own accord:

Also got mega romance vibes from this song like and how the scene plays out. The lyrics of the song, the blocking of the scene, the flashback, the looks. Pressing foreheads. Am I the only one that got that vibe? Like look at this. Look at this! I don't know, maybe I'm seeing things.[12]

Even folks less familiar with the context of the scene in-universe sometimes assume they're a couple:

I don't even know like what their relation is or are they a couple or something but oh my god just hearing two people sing so beautifully like this together it's just too nice.

[...]

Also I lowkey thought they were gonna kiss when they lent in like this

[...]

Are they a couple? They definitely seem like one but maybe I'm just being baited.

[...]

Oh ok, they're like besties. I don't know, maybe I'm reading too much into it but I got mad vibes there.[13]

My sister is watching this while I paint my Wes Anderson themed tissue box and I have no idea what's going on but the purple and blue haired girls are 100% lesbians[14]

[bloodraven55]
i’ve only seen bits and pieces of descendants but there is nothing even remotely heterosexual about space between like this is not Gal Pal™ behaviour this is just gay as hell[15]
[lost-on-t-umblr]
#the way they seem to be going in for a kiss three fuckin times in this clip alone– istg #descendants 2 #descendants #malvie #evie grimhilde #mal bertha[16]
[drivemysoul]
#with their outfits and the pinky red lipstick they literally are a bi pride flag[17]

Fanvids using the song in wider fandom are fairly common, and though some are for platonic relationships, many are for romantic ships.[18][19][20]

Other

There are several other moments that have fueled the ship:

  • "Oh My God, They Were Roommates"
  • The first Descendants film features Evie giving a makeover to Mal, who then stands in front of a mirror before Evie leans her head on Mal's shoulder. This was arguably one of the key Malvie scenes prior to the sequel's release.
  • Another key scene from the first film has the pair talking about how Mal thinks boyfriends are overrated whilst lounging on Evie's bed, mere seconds after complimenting how a dress Evie made brings out her eyes.
#look at this gay shit #THAT fucking smirk #the gay™ smirk #evie is all like “tf u don’t bby u got me” #AND mal knows it #why need a boyfriend #when u got evie FUCKING grimhilde as a girlfriend #it’s canon Y’ALL #it’s been canon since the first movie #THEY lesbianing together #THEY’RE GAAY #evie “don’t need no man” grimhilde and mal “boyfriends are a waste of time” bertha are gayin bc they don’t need boyfriends #when they got each other #im criyn[21]

  • The opening number of Descendants 2, Ways to be Wicked, is a daydream sequence of Mal's in which Evie is imagined as somewhat of a seductress.[22]
  • Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson, and China Anne McClain are the main singers on a cover of the song Kiss the Girl from The Little Mermaid on the Descendants 2 soundtrack. In the lyric book, Kiss the Girl is accompanied by an image of Mal and Evie.[23]
  • The pair canonically say "I love you" to each other in Descendants 3, though officially it's platonic.
  • After several of the characters are turned to stone in front of Mal in the third film, she is arguably most affectionate with Evie, stroking a hand against her cheek.[24]
  • Though there are several typical smaller acting choices - looks, winks,[25] facial expressions, Mal's fingers touching Evie's back or hair - that have contributed to the ship's popularity, one in particular in Descendants 3 involves Evie dropping to the floor as part of a dance sequence. Mal watches her do so out the corner of her eye, all while her tongue moves to the corner of her mouth.
  • The novels offer moments such as Evie wearing some of Mal's old clothes.[26]
  • In the animated special Descendants: The Royal Wedding, one scene has Malvie beneath a heart.[27]
  • Various other moments throughout the series.[28][29]

Elsewhere

  • Sapphic singer Jojo Siwa danced to Ways to be Wicked whilst competing on Dancing with the Stars with her female dance partner Jenna Johnson whilst dressed as Mal and Evie.[30]

Common Tropes & Themes

  • Hurt/Comfort & Angst - Fanworks involving the VKs often explore various concepts relating to child abuse and poverty whilst growing up on the Isle, and this is especially true for Evie, with further emphasis on sexual violence. In Malvie H/C fanworks, Mal will often comfort Evie over her experiences. Other angst is often inspired by the canon falling out they have in Descendants 3, especially for fanvids.
  • Canon Divergence - Though some fanworks have the two get together post-canon in some capacity, others have them romantically involved earlier. Certain romantic scenes and songs often get adapted so they're about each other rather than their canon love interests, most notably If Only and One Kiss.[31] Space Between AU fanworks often end in kisses.[32]
  • Past Bal and Devie - Mal and Evie's canon love interests, Ben and Doug, sometimes appear in fanworks. In post-canon fanworks, they are often their exes.
    • Dove Cameron's queer song Boyfriend will occasionally be used in fanworks to indicate Mal - or occasionally Evie - would be a better boyfriend than their canon love interest.[33]
  • Dragon!Mal - Mal can canonically turn into a dragon, and this sometimes shows up in Malvie fanworks.
Malvie Stamp [F2U] by marshvall
  • Polyamory - It's generally accepted in fanon that most of the VKs and Auradon Kids (AKs) are queer, with bisexuality in particular showing up frequently in headcanons. As a result, some fanworks involve polyamory between various different characters, including both Mal/Evie.

Variations

Interactions with the Cast

In June 2022, a video by them released, in which Dove Cameron, who is herself queer, states her character Mal was "madly in love with Evie".[34][35] In a later video with Elle in November 2023, Dove further states that Space Between is "so gay" and a "love song for Evie and Mal for sure".[36]

Dove has also revealed that the cast of Descendants used to read Malvie and Jaylos fanfiction together:

The Descendants cast and I used to sit around reading fanfiction about our characters together, like Jay and Carlos as boyfriends and Mal and Evie as girlfriends. We thought that that was pretty wonderful. That's actually some of my favourite fanfiction I've ever read.[37][38]

They were doing so at least as early as December 2015, the same year the first film released.[39] As a result of this, some fans have pondered whether some of the acting choices, especially in the third film, were intentional on the part of the actors, specifically Dove, such as the 'tongue' scene mentioned above.

Jaylos Space Between Recreation

During the Descendants 2 livestream for the film's world premiere, the cast of the film begin to dance to their songs on the soundtrack. When Space Between comes on, Sofia and Dove start to recreate the scene. However as they do so, Booboo Stewart and Cameron Boyce, who play Jay and Carlos (i.e Jaylos), begin to also do their own scene for the song. This Jaylos version heavily plays up the romantic aspect to an almost parodic level, and involves everything from dramatic hand touching, Cameron holding Booboo by the top of his shirt, and a literal dip.[40]

This version of the song provides fuel not only for Jaylos, but also Malvie in the sense that it strongly implies that the cast were, at least on some level, aware of the romantic undertones to the song.

Fanworks

Fanfiction

Fanvids

Animations

Fanart

Gallery

Manips

Memes

  • Meme relating to Space Between.

    Meme relating to Space Between.

  • Meme using screenshots from the first film.

    Meme using screenshots from the first film.

  • Meme using screenshots from Descendants 2 that aren't related to Space Between.

    Meme using screenshots from Descendants 2 that aren't related to Space Between.

  • Meme using screenshots from Descendants 3.

    Meme using screenshots from Descendants 3.

Resources/External Links

Notes

  1. ^ The first film has a single reference to them seeing their relationship as being sisterly - "I've never had a sister before." This is the only instance in all three films.

References

  1. ^ malvie?? eval ????
  2. ^ A Different Kind of Happy Ever After: LGBTQ Fandom and the Modern Fairytale Retelling
  3. ^ Comment
  4. ^ [1]
  5. ^ Extortion for Dummies | Descendants 2 - "Also these two are just roommates, I swear.
  6. ^ recapping disney's weird descendants movies
  7. ^ *Disney Descendants 2 and 3* - one GOOD, one BAD - "eliminate that space between... your faces."
  8. ^ [2]
  9. ^ 'Conversation between me and my friend from last night'
  10. ^ [3]
  11. ^ Comment
  12. ^ So I Rewatched Descendants 2 (2017)... by Smarty Pants
  13. ^ How did I even survive before hearing songs from DESCENDANTS?!
  14. ^ [4]
  15. ^ [5]
  16. ^ [6]
  17. ^ [7]
  18. ^ The Space Between - Robin/Alice (Curious Archer)
  19. ^ Catradora - Space Between | She-Ra AMV (Catra x Adora)
  20. ^ Space Between AMV| Korra | Asami | TLoK
  21. ^ [8]
  22. ^ [9]
  23. ^ 'Kiss the girl…' - Tumblr post (Dec 2023) by malviewenclair
  24. ^ 'Like just kiss her already' (Aug 2019) by camscendants
  25. ^ [10]
  26. ^ [11]
  27. ^ [12]
  28. ^ malvie moments during descendants musical numbers
  29. ^ 'here’s your daily reminder that this is Evie’s bed Mal is comfortably parked on in that scene, not her own'
  30. ^ [13]
  31. ^ how ‘one kiss’ should’ve went
  32. ^ [14]
  33. ^ Boyfriend - Dove Cameron [Español + Lyrics Mal & Evie (Descendants) 💜] (Feb 2022) by milipereiro
  34. ^ 'Dove Cameron Breaks Down Her Disney Career, Coming Out & "Boyfriend" Music Video | Them'
  35. ^ [15]
  36. ^ Dove Cameron On Now-Cancelled 'Powerpuff Girls' Series & Favorite Tattoo | Ask Me Anything | ELLE
  37. ^ Dove Cameron Takes a Lie Detector Test | Vanity Fair (Sep 2021)
  38. ^ [16]
  39. ^ [17]
  40. ^ [18]
  41. ^ She likes girls || Mal + Evie + Ben (Descendants)
  42. ^ Mal x Evie —She Likes Girls♡♡
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