Why A Nick & Judy Romance In Zootopia 2 Is A Bad Idea?

Why A Nick & Judy Romance In Zootopia 2 Is A Bad Idea? Disney’s announcement that they are making Zootopia 2 has fans of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde wondering if they will finally get together in the next movie. This would be a bad idea, though. The sequel to Zootopia is expected to come out sometime in 2025, nearly a decade after the first movie came out in 2016. The first movie was a powerful social commentary on racism and general prejudice, but a relationship between the two main characters would make Zootopia’s themes go in the wrong direction.

During Judy and Nick’s investigation in Zootopia, they found out about a plot to turn the city against its normally predatory residents. This became a clear analogy for the prejudice that happens in the real world. The lessons Zootopia taught about unintentional biases made it another of Disney’s most important movies. Still, it was hard to ignore the chemistry between Officer Hopps and ex-con Nick Wilde, even with all the layers of social commentary. This made many people wonder (and hope) that they would get together in a possible sequel.

Why A Nick & Judy Romance In Zootopia 2 Is A Bad Idea

Why A Nick & Judy Romance In Zootopia 2 Is A Bad Idea?

Nick and Judy’s relationship in Zootopia was strange, especially since Judy didn’t like foxes because she thought they were mean. But as they worked together on their investigation and Judy worked on herself, it became clear that they had something in common. At the end of the movie, they were just friends and partners, but the audience couldn’t help but see more. Even though they were from different species (no other relationships between species were seen in Zootopia), you could feel the chemistry between them.

In Zootopia 2, there are many more people than just a few who want to see Judy and Nick get together. Directors Byron Howard and Rich Moore told EW that the most common question they get is about the relationship between the two unlikely main characters. At the time, they didn’t have an answer. Moore said, “Someone is going to be upset.” “Either it will be romantic, or it will stay a friendship,” he said, adding that both could still work. This is good news for people who like to ship, but Zootopia’s main themes may make romance hard.

Nick & Judy Could Be A Problematic Representation Of Non-Traditional Relationships

If Nick and Judy started dating in Zootopia 2, it would probably be to show how hard it can be when people don’t date the way most people do. Since the first movie was about how racism and fear affect society, Nick and Judy in Zootopia could be seen as a real-life interracial couple. This is, of course, another important thing to talk about. It’s important for kids to understand and accept that different is the norm. But showing these ideas through a relationship between different species could be very hard.

Disney has been criticised before for making its BIPOC characters look like animals or turning them into animals at some point in the story. This can be seen in Turning Red, The Princess and the Frog, and even Emperor’s New Groove. Also, the studio has been known to avoid showing LGBTQ+ characters by putting couples in sci-fi settings like Strange World or Lightyear or making gay characters like the cyclops in Onward seem like they aren’t real people. So, comparing a non-traditional relationship to one between different species would only make the problem worse.

Zootopia 2 Must Continue Its Effective Social Commentary

A society made up of animals is nothing new for Disney. What made Zootopia stand out was how it made connections to real-world issues that were both very important and very uncomfortable. Judy’s parents and Judy herself were not bad people. Still, they had to stop and think about how their unintentional biases hurt the people and the world around them. Even better, it did this in a way that kids could understand, so that as they grew up watching these fun and cute characters, they would learn (along with their parents) to always be better versions of themselves.

Zootopia 2 looks like it will keep this up and add new important lessons that both kids and adults can learn from. But it needs to make sure it doesn’t get in its own way. Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde’s friendship is a beautiful example of how biases and prejudices can be overcome, and making it romantic could hurt this image. Zootopia 2 could look at any number of social problems, and it could do so without focusing on their love story.

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My name is Gourav Singh, and some of my favorite hobbies include watching movies and television series, playing sports, and listening to music. For my blog posts, I prefer to write about themes that are lighthearted and fun to read and write about. To keep things light and entertaining, I'll include funny observations on life or a summary of the most recent entertainment news. Check out my blog if you're in the mood for some light entertainment.
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