The character appears to symbolize the stigma around mental health issues: While he is never labeled with a specific diagnosis in the film, some viewers have suggested that he has OCD or another type of neurodivergent brain function.
Viewers have theorized that Bruno might be neurodivergent or have a mental illness. Princess Weekes of The Mary Sue wrote that Bruno represents a common pattern in families, that of "depressed outsiders who love their family, but feel like their presence does more harm than good".
Bruno has a few Autistic traits. In the movie, he developed the form of ritual based off of a combination of superstition and possibly sensory stimming. He would “knock knock knock on wood” all around him which is a way of asking for protection in many cultures from certain spirits.
Bruno's self-loathing goes beyond just wanting to ostracize himself from his family, but also wanting his gift to be torn away by any means necessary, interestingly in direct opposition to Stephanie Beatriz' Mirabel, who wants nothing more than to be given her own gift.
Pepa seems to suffer from bi polar disorder. Her power is to change the weather and seems to change from "sunny to rain" in the blink of an eye. Her husband Felix helps her control her emotions. Bruno seems to show obvious signs of OCD.
The fact that Bruno's gift is telling the future is also fitting for an autistic person because we love to know what to expect. He is superstitious, doing things like knocking on wood for luck, which could indicate OCD, a common comorbidity of autism. Encanto even includes a clever portrayal of masking.
In a real-life scenario, someone like Luisa might suffer from anxiety and depression due to their constant pressure to perform and fulfill the expectations of others. “Her song, 'Surface Pressure,' is relatable to many who experience high-functioning anxiety,” Lurie said.
This can be seen with his "superstition" knocking on wood and saying the same things over and over. I believe it's much more then just being superstition, he believes that if he doesn't do those things, something bad will happen, much like someone who suffers from OCD would.
Encanto, a movie about the magical Madrigals, doesn't truly have a bad guy, but one theory speculates that Dolores was the villain all along. Disney's Encanto, which tells the story of the magical Madrigals, doesn't have a bad guy, but one theory speculates that Dolores was the secret villain all along.
The character appears to symbolize the stigma around mental health issues: While he is never labeled with a specific diagnosis in the film, some viewers have suggested that he has OCD or another type of neurodivergent brain function.
Now Mirabel may not seem like the most obvious character to lead the cause for the disabled community, but when understood inside the fabric of the film it breaths in, her disability emerges as a striking part of what makes her such a terrific protagonist.
Bruno also performed several other well-known behaviors meant to prevent bad luck, including throwing salt over his shoulder, avoiding stepping on cracks, and both holding his breath and crossing his fingers while passing through doorways.
Bruno is a sad character in Disney's Encanto, but details from his secret room make his story worse. Unfortunately, Bruno Madrigal (John Leguizamo) doesn't get an easy journey in Encanto. In the film, Bruno's special power is having visions of the future, and they often don't go as planned.
Abuela Alma was traumatized when she and her babies were physically displaced, and she witnessed the death of her husband. The third generation of the family, including Mirabel, the film's 15-year old female protagonist, did not exactly experience the trauma but it continues to impact the family.
Bruno was given the ability to see into the future, which caused misery to his hometown because of his often cryptic visions and their bleak outcomes (such as supposedly having visions that a lady's goldfish would die, a man would grow a gut, and the town's priest would lose his hair).
Within Encanto then, Dolores' “squeak” means that she is talking about something potentially upsetting or heard information she was not supposed to know. However, Dolores' squeak also has a deeper historical meaning. According to one explanation (via Twitter), gestures have great historical significance in Colombia.
For Dolores, his sounds are a regular part of everyday life. From Dolores's line about "rats talking in the walls," it's clear she's probably convinced herself over the years that she's not hearing Bruno – she simply hears rats. Additionally, it does appear that Dolores previously spoke up in Encanto.
Contrary to many other Disney movies, Encanto doesn't have a villain. However, many fans consider Abuela Alma the closest option since her actions and expectations for her own family affect them all directly. Although she redeems herself by the end of the movie, Abuela Alma isn't likable before this.
Bruno has a few Autistic traits. In the movie, he developed the form of ritual based off of a combination of superstition and possibly sensory stimming. He would “knock knock knock on wood” all around him which is a way of asking for protection in many cultures from certain spirits.
At first glance, it seems Bruno represents the voice of fear and that we need to silence fear. But with another look, he's more than that. Bruno isn't just the voice of fear, but the fear of living. Bruno represents the fear of the imaginary unknown future you create in your head.
As he later explained, he needed a lot of space to be able to conjure up visions of the future for people and, as a result, his room was vast, cavernous, and largely empty.
Luisa in panic after losing her gift and not being able to do the family's chores. Despite being powerful and reliable, Luisa secretly feels burdened by the pressure of fulfilling everyone's demands, and would feel insignificant if she cannot contribute the way Abuela, her family, and the community expect her to.
Pepa can get very nervous, anxious, stressed and sometimes even neurotic very easily. Her emotions sometimes control her more than she can control them, resulting in chaotic weather conditions.
Part of the Encanto soundtrack, the song delves into the family's impulse to blame Bruno for anything that goes wrong, claiming it is the fault of his mystical power. Encanto's Madrigal family chose to ignore the conversation about where Bruno went after he seemingly disappeared and left his room in ruins.
