Many Muppet fans got their first taste of Matt Vogel, the new voice of Kermit the Frog this weekend and the responses were less than ideal for Disney.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios bid farewell to MuppetVision 3D last week, a beloved attraction and the final project overseen by Muppet creator Jim Henson before his death in 1990. The closure was a gut punch for fans, who cherished the 3D show as a time capsule of Henson’s creative vision.
The Miss Piggy Fountain and Muppet Courtyard on the final day of MuppetVision 3D – YouTube, Park Hoppin’
Adding salt to the wound, Disney released a video on the final day featuring Kermit the Frog announcing that The Muppets would replace Aerosmith in Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster sometime in 2026.
For many, the announcement was overshadowed by the jarring voice of Kermit, performed by Matt Vogel, whose interpretation has struggled to win over longtime devotees since he assumed the role in 2017.
Hi Ho everyone! @TheMuppets are packing up and moving to Sunset Blvd for their first ever coaster! Grab your guitar (or banjo), because Rock ’N’ Roller Coaster Starring @TheMuppets speeds into Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2026! pic.twitter.com/ldltI3dGmi
— Walt Disney World (@WaltDisneyWorld) June 7, 2025
The video marked the first exposure for some fans to Vogel’s Kermit, a stark departure from the warm, earnest frog voiced by Henson and his successor, Steve Whitmire.
Social media erupted with criticism, as fans on X expressed their disappointment.
Where is the real Kermit and what have you done with him you sick monsters?
— Fake Wizard (@RealLifeFakeWiz) June 7, 2025
User @RealLifeFakeWiz lamented, “Where is the real Kermit and what have you done with him you sick monsters?”
Awful. You can’t convince me this isn’t done on purpose to repel people.
— Mike Matei (@Mike_Matei) June 9, 2025
@Mike_Matei said, “Awful. You can’t convince me this isn’t done on purpose to repel people.”
An AI Kermit would have sounded better then this awful thing
— Lazarus Long (@LibertyLudens) June 8, 2025
Some actually suggested Disney should have instead leaned on artificial intelligence, with @LibertyLudens saying, “An AI Kermit would have sounded better then [sic] this awful thing.”
Ouch that’s a rough Kermit voice…is the real one ok?
— Disney Magic Mike (@dsnymike) June 7, 2025
@dsnymike summed it up simply with, “Ouch that’s a rough Kermit voice…is the real one ok?”
Gosh – I hope the awful voice actor Disney got for Kermit is not indicative of the caliber in the upcoming changes…however sad and disappointed, I wanted to hold on to at least 5% of hope.
— Degrees Toward Truth (@dgrs_twrd_truth) June 8, 2025
@dgrs_twrd_truth made a connection between Vogel’s performance and the quality of Disney’s latest Muppet offerings. “Gosh, I hope the awful voice actor Disney got for Kermit is not indicative of the caliber in the upcoming changes…However sad and disappointed, I wanted to hold on to at least 5% of hope.”
I still can’t get over what a terrible job they did replacing the voice of Kermit.
Not even close. Ruins it.
— Matt Williams (@MattWi77iams) June 7, 2025
@MattWi77iams summed up the sentiment, remarking, “I still can’t get over what a terrible job they did replacing the voice of Kermit. Not even close. Ruins it.”
Before his passing in 1990, Jim Henson handpicked Steve Whitmire, the performer behind Rizzo the Rat, Bean Bunny, and Wembley Fraggle, to take over as Kermit. It was a role Whitmire embodied for 27 years.
Whitmire’s tenure included iconic performances in films like The Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island, The Muppets, Muppets From Space, Muppets Most Wanted and the short-lived TV series Muppets Tonight.
Kermit the Frog sings Pictures in My Head in The Muppets (2011) – YouTube, Muppet Songs
His Kermit carried the emotional depth and sincerity fans associated with Henson’s original. However, in October 2016, Disney abruptly fired Whitmire, a decision that became public in July 2017. The Muppets Studio cited “repeated unacceptable business conduct over a period of many years” and claimed Whitmire “consistently failed to address the feedback.”
The decision was made in consultation with the Henson family, who supported the move.
Whitmire, devastated by the dismissal, took to his personal blog to share his side.
Former Kermit performer and Jim Henson’s chosen successor Steve Whitmire after being fired by Disney – YouTube, TODAY
“I have experienced every possible emotion since October 2016, when I received a phone call from The Muppets Studio’s executives to say they were recasting,” he said. “Through a new business representative, I have offered multiple remedies to their two stated issues, which had never been mentioned to me prior to that phone call.”
He claimed the firing stemmed from two issues: his outspokenness about character integrity during the 2015 ABC series The Muppets and a union dispute involving a project 15 months prior. Whitmire insisted he “would never consider abandoning Kermit” and saw his role as preserving Henson’s legacy.
Brian Henson, chairman of the Jim Henson Company and son of Jim Henson, backed Disney’s decision in a July 2017 interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
Kermit the Frog in The Muppets (2011) – YouTube, Muppet Songs
“Steve would use ‘I am now Kermit and if you want the Muppets, you better make me happy because the Muppets are Kermit.’ And that is really not OK,” he said.
Henson described Whitmire’s behavior as making “outrageous demands and often played brinkmanship,” issues he said dated back to the mid-1990s.
He expressed regret for not recasting Kermit before selling the Muppets to Disney in 2004, saying, “I feel pretty guilty that I burdened Disney by not having recast Kermit at that point because I knew that it was going to be a real problem.”
Henson also suggested Whitmire’s Kermit had strayed from his father’s vision, becoming “too square and not as vital as it should have been.”
The Pizzerizzo restaurant on the final day of MuppetVision 3D – YouTube, Park Hoppin’
Whitmire’s pushback reportedly included resisting Disney’s choices during the 2015 Muppets series, such as a plotline where Kermit lied to his nephew Robin, which he felt was out of character.
Fans and observers noted Whitmire’s protectiveness over the Muppets mirrored that of Frank Oz, Henson’s longtime collaborator, who also clashed with Disney’s creative direction and eventually stepped away from Muppet projects.
Matt Vogel, who replaced Whitmire, has faced ongoing scrutiny. His Kermit debuted in a 2017 “Muppet Thought of the Week” video, and fans immediately noted a flatter, less dynamic tone compared to Henson and Whitmire.
Vogel’s performance as Big Bird on Sesame Street, taking over from the late Caroll Spinney, has similarly drawn criticism for lacking the original’s warmth. For many, Vogel’s Kermit embodies a broader decline in Disney’s handling of the Muppets—a shift toward what some call “cheap imitations” that fail to capture Henson’s magic.
The Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster retheme, set to open in 2026, now carries the weight of these tensions. For fans mourning MuppetVision 3D, the announcement feels like a hollow gesture, replacing a heartfelt Henson creation with a thrill ride led by a Kermit they struggle to embrace.
A poster for the Muppet overlay of Rockin’ Rollercoaster – Disney Parks Blog
Whether Disney can recapture the Muppets’ soul with this new venture remains uncertain, but the fanbase’s skepticism is palpable.
How do you feel about Disney’s new Kermit voice ahead of the Muppets retheme of Rockin’ Roller Coaster. Sound off in the comments and let us know!
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I guess the silver lining here is that “they’re” roasting his voice instead of his legs. At least, as far a Kermit is concerned.