Major spoilers for Zootopia 2 lie ahead, so proceed with caution.
A new film from Walt Disney Animation Studios has graced the 2025 movie schedule, and it’s Zootopia 2. The sequel to the hit 2016 film Zootopia reacquaints fans with newly paired police partners Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) as they get wrapped up in yet another conspiracy in the titular city. There’s a lot to love about this box office-smashing sequel, but one reason I really appreciate it is for its excellent villain. And, Disney should consider using more antagonists like this one.
Zootopia 2’s Villain Twist Is Great, And Its Approach To The Character Is Even Better
Early on in the Jared Bush and Byron Howard-directed film, it’s made quite clear that the main antagonists are the wealthy and powerful Lynxley family members. Three shady characters are introduced from the jump in patriarch Milton (David Strathairn) and two of his kids, Cattrick and Kitty (played by real-life partners Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song, respectively). Also introduced is Milton’s other son, Pawbert (Andy Samberg), the “black sheep” of the family who’s not as conniving as his relatives… or so we think.
Those who saw the original Zootopia (which is streamable with a Disney+ subscription) were probably expecting another villain twist, and it happens late in the film when Pawbert betrays Judy and Gary De'Snake (played by Ke Huy Quan), who seeks to prove that his great grandmother founded the city by finding a document. After pushing cold-blooded Gary into the snow and poisoning Judy with snake venom, Pawbert reveals his plans to destroy the aforementioned document in an attempt to be accepted by his family.
While the twist is great, what I really love is that after the reveal, Pawbert essentially goes full-on villain and even attempts to incapacitate Nick while trying to keep the anti-venom out of Judy’s reach. After he’s seemingly defeated and Judy, Nick and Gary reach his great-grandmother’s old home to find the document, a crazed Pawbert returns one more time and attempts to burn the house down. However, he fails and is eventually arrested alongside his relatives.
As someone who grew up watching films from the Disney Renaissance and seeing baddies like Ursula, Jafar, Scar and Frollo gleefully wreak havoc, Pawbert’s characterization was more than welcome to me. Yes, his motivations are understandable, and he can be empathized with. However, instead of being redeemed, he just settles into his evil side – and I need more villains like this from the House of Mouse.
Disney Doesn’t Deliver True Villains As Often As It Used To
Let’s face it, some of the more recent offerings from Walt Disney Animation don’t feature truly dastardly, fun and quotable villains akin to the ones of yesteryear. Even some films from the late ‘00s/early 2010s had some irredeemable antagonists like The Princess and the Frog’s Dr. Facilier and Tangled’s Mother Gothel. However, more recent films like Frozen 2, Raya and the Last Dragon, Encanto and Strange World don’t have traditional villains. Wish tries to get back to basics with King Magnifico, but he also feels uneven in a number of ways.
All I’ve been asking for is more true-blue bad guys in Disney movies, and the critically acclaimed Zootopia 2 proves that such a character can still be done right. I don’t need a villain to be totally sympathetic or misunderstood. On the contrary, I’m hoping for a slew of baddies who have clear motivations but also despicable personalities.
In the meantime, head over to a cinema to see Zootopia 2, which is now playing nationwide. Fans should also keep their eyes peeled for information about upcoming Disney movies.
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