Who Is the Real Villain of The Devil Wears Prada 2?

Spoilers ahead for the plot and ending of The Devil Wears Prada 2.

For years, a popular debate among millennials centered around who the real villain was in the movie The Devil Wears Prada. While it seems obvious – Miranda Priestly, the intimidating editor-in-chief brilliantly played by Meryl Streep, who is widely believed to be based on Vogue‘s Anna Wintour – the film’s complexity sparked endless online discussions. Some argued that Andy (Anne Hathaway) actually faced more opposition from her unhelpful friends and boyfriend, Nate (Adrian Grenier), and this idea even became a popular meme.

We don’t need to rehash old arguments about this, but feel free to discuss it in the comments if you’d like. With a new movie to analyze and people eager to discuss this topic, it’s a good time to revisit the question of who the villain really is. The Devil Wears Prada 2 brings Andy and Miranda back together, with Andy now working as a features editor at Runway after a public relations crisis. The film clearly understands the conversations we’ve been having for the past twenty years, and it often questions whether anyone can truly be labeled a simple villain. So, who is the villain in The Devil Wears Prada 2? There are a few likely candidates, and none of them should be upset about being considered. As Miranda’s husband, Stuart, points out, “Villains are always the most interesting.”

Miranda Priestly

The principle of Occam’s razor – that the simplest explanation is usually the right one – applies to Miranda Priestly. While she’s been somewhat subdued by a workplace that doesn’t allow for as much mistreatment – a funny scene shows her hanging up her own coat, completely worn out – she’s still a difficult person. Even when she’s trying to be politically correct (her attempt at “body positive” comes out as “body negative”), she’s impatient with Andy, pretending she doesn’t even remember her. She initially seems to want Andy to fail. However, this version of Miranda is a bit more nuanced; she reserves her harshest criticism for those who truly deserve it, like when she tells the two-faced Emily, “You’re not a visionary, you’re a vendor.” Ultimately, she supports Andy and finally gives Nigel the recognition he deserves. It’s surprising to see her offer words of encouragement! While Miranda remains formidable in The Devil Wears Prada 2, she’s not a straightforward villain.

Emily Charlton

Emily and Andy started as rivals in the first film, but by the end, they’d developed a complicated, almost friendly rivalry. In the sequel, their dynamic shifts: Emily is now a high-ranking executive at Dior and no longer competing for Miranda’s attention. Andy asks for her help, hoping Emily can convince her wealthy boyfriend, Benji, to buy Runway magazine and save everyone’s jobs. For a brief moment, it seems Emily might actually be the good guy. However, it quickly becomes clear she’s secretly aiming to replace Miranda as the magazine’s editor-in-chief. Emily’s betrayal of both Andy and Miranda is a clear villainous act, emphasized by her self-centered decision to feature herself on the cover. Despite all this, she receives forgiveness, symbolized by a new blonde hairstyle. After the deal to save Runway falls through, Emily admits she made mistakes, and Andy offers her understanding. They end the film on friendly terms, bonding over comfort food. If Andy doesn’t see Emily as a villain, perhaps viewers shouldn’t either.

Andy Sachs

There’s a popular, though controversial, idea that Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada is actually the villain, benefiting from the very system she criticizes. While it might seem like a stretch, it’s worth considering, especially with the upcoming sequel where Andy returns to Runway magazine, fully aware of its flaws. She’s grown since the first movie, prioritizing meaningful work and trying to support journalism in a struggling industry. However, she’s not entirely blameless. Andy makes compromises, like going back to Runway and contributing to the firing of the previous editor. She even considers writing an exposé about Miranda, though she might not publish it without Miranda’s approval. These actions aren’t major offenses, simply showing that Andy is a complex and realistically flawed character. Miranda is right to point out that Andy’s efforts are partly self-motivated, but it’s also about protecting jobs and, in a small way, the field of journalism. Ultimately, Andy isn’t a villain, just a person trying to navigate a difficult situation. As she tells her boyfriend, Peter, they’re both imperfect and should accept that in each other.

Peter

When it comes to who plays the ‘villain’ in a potential Devil Wears Prada 2, Peter definitely deserves consideration, simply because he’s Andy’s boyfriend. However, he’s a much better partner than her ex, Nate. He actually supports her work by reading her articles and never asks her to sacrifice her career for him. The only negative is his job: he renovated the building Andy moves into, a renovation she sees as a symbol of societal problems. While not as responsible as the developer, he’s still connected to something that bothers her. When Runway magazine faces cutbacks, Andy briefly lashes out at Peter, but it’s clear she’s just venting frustration. He seems genuinely kind, and the building was going to be demolished anyway! Ultimately, Nate remains the only one of Andy’s boyfriends who truly deserves the ‘villain’ label.

Andy’s friends

You know, it always cracks me up how much flak Andy’s old friends get online. Seriously, all they did was swipe her phone when Miranda called and maybe side-eye her for putting up with all that craziness at Runway. It’s cool to see Tracie Thoms back as Lily in the sequel, and they brought in some new faces too. Larry Mitchell plays Mack, a fellow writer who just wants to keep his job – I totally get that! – and Rachel Bloom is Tessa, a book editor who’s really pushing Andy to write the tell-all about Miranda. It feels like the filmmakers listened to the criticism of the first movie, because Lily is now a genuinely supportive friend, both with Andy’s career and her personal life. And honestly, Tessa? She’s a bit of a taskmaster, but when she can help you land a $350,000 book deal, you let her! There aren’t any real villains this time around, which I appreciate.

Jay Ravitz

Okay, now things get really interesting. Jay, the son of the recently deceased and long-time head of Runway, Irv Ravitz, is exactly the kind of entitled, inexperienced CEO we’re seeing everywhere these days. From the moment he shows up and starts throwing around empty business jargon in front of Miranda, it’s clear he’s planning to shake things up – and not in a good way. He wants to slash budgets, get rid of experienced staff because they cost too much, and – can you believe it? – make Miranda fly coach! Honestly, as someone who’s watched the media world for a while, Jay feels painfully familiar, and totally villainous. But even he might not be the biggest bad guy in this story…

Benji Barnes

Benji, much like Jay Ravitz mirrors certain tech figures, embodies the problematic side of tech culture. While not quite Elon Musk, he’s used his money to try and change his image, though he still comes across as socially awkward. His grandiose plan to launch a rocket named Icarus straight into the sun reveals a lack of common sense and self-awareness. Essentially, Benji is a means to an end for Emily – he’s helping her try to get Miranda’s job. However, his vision of Runway magazine being entirely run by AI shows he’s a villain in his own right. He represents the increasingly powerful type of person who views the people who actually create good work as obstacles to technological progress, and that makes him a clear antagonist.

The real villain

We’ve identified two main candidates for the villain in The Devil Wears Prada 2: Jay and Benji. However, the truth is more complex – they’re both, and neither, truly villains. The real issue isn’t individual bad actors, but the harmful ideas they represent. The film suggests the true villain is a broader ideology, expressed by Benji when he tries to take over Runway. He argues that we can’t stop progress, only let it happen. Ultimately, the film points to corporate greed, the rise of artificial intelligence, the decline of quality journalism, and the focus on superficial “content”—essentially, the problems of modern late-stage capitalism—as the real villains. This might seem like an easy way out, but it shows the film has a surprisingly insightful view of the world we live in today. These issues are far too big to be embodied by a single, traditional villain.

The movie doesn’t have clear heroes or villains. When Sasha Barnes, a wealthy philanthropist and Benji’s former partner, rescues Runway magazine, Miranda understands the problems aren’t truly solved, pointedly adding, “for now.” Like the first film, this one shows the characters are complicated people. While discussing The Last Supper, Miranda reminds Andy that everyone inevitably lets each other down, stating, “We are human. No one is perfect.” This doesn’t excuse anyone’s bad behavior – especially from opportunistic characters like Benji and Jay – but acknowledges that most people are simply trying to survive within a flawed system. Miranda, Andy, and Emily are all facing the end of an era, and the least they can do is offer each other some understanding and compassion.

2026-04-30 22:56