The furry residents of Zootopia are back and wilder than ever.
In February 2023, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed to Deadline that a sequel to the Oscar-winning 2016 film was in the works. The first trailer dropped in May 2025, revealing that animal detectives Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) are investigating a mysterious reptile who “arrives in Zootopia and turns the mammal metropolis upside down.”
“To crack the case, Judy and Nick must go undercover to unexpected new parts of town, where their growing partnership is tested like never before,” the official synopsis reads.
The original movie featured major stars like Idris Elba, Jenny Slate and Shakira, who was thrilled to play a show-stopping gazelle pop star for her kids. “Doing something for Disney is just a whole different story, an experience that is completely unique and knowing that I’ll be able to share this with my kids later on in their lives,” the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer told PEOPLE in March 2016.
With Zootopia 2 set to hit theaters on Nov. 26, 2025, here’s how the cast stacks up against their animated alter egos.
Main Characters Return
Judy Hopps Voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin
Your favorite optimistic bunny cop is back. Ginnifer Goodwin returns as Judy Hopps, the character she brought to life nearly a decade ago. Most people know her from playing Snow White/Mary Margaret Blanchard across seven seasons of Once Upon a Time (2011-2018), which basically defined her career for years. She’s also memorable from Big Love where she played Margene Heffman, and had a great run in He’s Just Not That Into You.
More recently, Goodwin appeared in The Twilight Zone reboot and Pivoting (2022), a Fox comedy that got canceled after one season. She’s mostly focused on voice work these days, including Robot Chicken and Family Guy appearances. But let’s be real, Judy Hopps is probably her most iconic role at this point, especially for younger audiences.
Nick Wilde Voiced by Jason Bateman
Nick Wilde’s back too, with Jason Bateman returning to voice everyone’s favorite sly fox. Since the first Zootopia, Bateman’s career has blown up even more. He spent five years on Ozark (2017-2022), which earned him an Emmy and basically cemented him as a serious dramatic actor. Before that, he was mainly known for Arrested Development, which ran from 2003-2019.
Recent projects include Carry-On (2024), a Netflix thriller where he plays a mysterious traveler, and The Outsider (2020) HBO series. He’s also directed a bunch of stuff , Bad Words, The Family Fang. But his dry, sarcastic delivery is what makes Nick work so well. Plus his chemistry with Goodwin carried the first movie.
The New Faces (This Is Where It Gets Interesting)
Gary De’Snake Voiced by Ke Huy Quan
Playing Gary De’Snake is Ke Huy Quan, which is perfect timing given his recent career resurgence. Dude literally won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 2023 for Everything Everywhere All at Once, which was his big comeback after years away from acting. Before that, he was a child star in The Goonies (1985) and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), pretty legendary roles if you grew up in the ’80s.
Since his Oscar win, Quan’s been everywhere. He appeared in Loki Season 2 as O.B., showed up in American Born Chinese on Disney+, and recently finished filming Love Hurts (2025) with his Everything Everywhere co-star. He’s also set to appear in Fairytale in New York. Having an Oscar winner join your animated sequel? That’s a power move by Disney. No clue what Gary De’Snake’s deal is yet, but Quan brings serious talent to any project.
Dr. Fuzzby – Voiced by Quinta Brunson
Dr. Fuzzby comes to life through Quinta Brunson’s voice, and this feels like a natural fit. She’s currently riding high on Abbott Elementary, which she created, writes, produces, and stars in. The show’s won multiple Emmys since 2021, and she personally won Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series in 2022. That’s huge.
Before Abbott Elementary, Brunson was known for her viral Instagram videos and BuzzFeed content (remember “He Got Money” and the Girl Who Has Never Been on a Nice Date series?). Voice-wise, she’s been in DuckTales, BoJack Horseman, Big Mouth, Lazor Wulf, and had a role in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Most recently she voiced a character in Magical Girl Friendship Squad and appeared in The Sandman. She’s got great comedic timing, so Dr. Fuzzby is probably going to be a fun character.
Supporting Cast & Familiar Voices
Idris Elba Returns as Chief Bogo
Chief Bogo’s back with Idris Elba voicing him again. The British actor has been absolutely everywhere since 2016. He played Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) and Sonic 3 (2024), voiced Bloodsport in The Suicide Squad (2021), and did motion-capture work for Shere Khan in The Jungle Book (2016). Plus he was in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, which gamers went crazy for.
Most people know Elba from Luther (2010-2019), The Wire (where he played Stringer Bell), or his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Heimdall. He’s also been in Hijack (2023), Beasts of No Nation, and Thor movies. Dude literally does everything—acting, DJing, directing. His gruff, authoritative voice is perfect for Chief Bogo.
The Lyxnley Family (New Characters Alert)
Here’s where things get wild—there’s apparently a whole family being introduced, and they cast some serious names.
Andy Samberg voices Pawbert Lyxnley. Samberg’s mainly known for Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-2021), where he played Jake Peralta for eight seasons. SNL fans remember his Digital Shorts era (2005-2012) with The Lonely Island. Animation-wise, he’s been crushing it—he voiced Jonathan in all the Hotel Transylvania movies, played Dale in Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022), and was in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Most recently, he’s appeared in Poolman (2024), starred in Palm Springs (2020) which was a legit great time-loop movie, and continues doing Brooklyn Nine-Nine reunion stuff. His comedic energy usually means whatever character he’s playing will be memorable.
Macaulay Culkin plays Cattrick Lyxnley, which is interesting since he’s pretty selective about projects these days. Everyone knows him from Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2 (1992)—those movies basically defined ’90s childhood. But he took a long break from acting and only recently came back.
He’s had a recurring role in American Horror Story (Seasons 10 and 11), appeared in The Righteous Gemstones, and did a Mila Kunis-adjacent role in The Changeover (2017). He also runs a comedy website/podcast network called Bunny Ears. Voice acting lets him work without the intense spotlight, which seems to be his vibe now. Could be a really fun casting choice depending on what kind of character Cattrick is.
Brenda Song is Kitty Lyxnley. She’s been working consistently since her Disney Channel days—Suite Life of Zack & Cody (2005-2008) made her a household name for millennials. Since then, she’s proven she’s way more than a kid actor. She was excellent in The Social Network (2010), starred in Dollface (2019-2022), and recently appeared in The Last Showgirl (2024) with Pamela Anderson.
Other recent work includes Secret Obsession (2019), a Netflix thriller, and Amphibia where she voiced Anne Boonchuy. She’s engaged to Macaulay Culkin in real life (they have two kids together), so working together on this is probably pretty fun for them. It’s nice seeing her in a major Disney theatrical release.
Oh, and David Strathairn voices Milton Lyxnley. He’s the serious prestige actor of the bunch—Lincoln (2012), Nomadland (2020), Good Night and Good Luck (2005), The Bourne Legacy. Dude’s been nominated for an Oscar and has won basically every other award.
Recently he appeared in Nightmare Alley (2021), played CIA director Bill Burns in The Comey Rule, and was in Billions Season 7. Having him voice a character suggests Milton Lyxnley is probably the patriarch or some kind of authority figure. You don’t cast Strathairn for comedic relief—he brings gravitas.
More Returning Characters
Raymond S. Persi is back as Flash Slothmore. You know, the sloth from the DMV scene that became the most memorable joke in the entire movie? That Flash.
Fun fact: Persi’s actually a Pixar animator and storyboard artist who occasionally does voice work. He worked on Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, Big Hero 6, and a bunch of other Disney projects. He also voices Gene in Wreck-It Ralph and appeared in Ralph Breaks the Internet. Voice acting seems like a side gig for him, but Flash is probably his most famous role.
Fortune Feimster as Nibbles
Fortune Feimster voices someone named Nibbles. She’s a stand-up comedian who’s transitioned into acting pretty successfully. You might recognize her from The Mindy Project (2015-2017), Champions (2018), or Kenan. Recently she was in The Lost City (2022) with Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum, appeared in Loot with Maya Rudolph, and did voice work for Hamster & Gretel.
She’s also got a Netflix special (Sweet & Salty, 2020) and tours constantly as a comedian. Her comedy background means Nibbles is definitely going to be a funny side character—probably comic relief.
Patrick Warburton as Mayor Winddancer
For Mayor Winddancer, they got Patrick Warburton, which… yeah, of course they did. That voice is literally unmistakable at this point. Most people know him as Kronk from The Emperor’s New Groove (2000), Joe Swanson from Family Guy (1999-present), or Brock Samson from The Venture Bros (2003-2018).
He’s also been Lemony Snicket in A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017-2019), appeared in Seinfeld as Puddy, and recently voiced characters in Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate and Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff. The guy’s been in literally hundreds of projects—Rules of Engagement, Big Mouth, SpongeBob SquarePants, Bee Movie. He’s basically animated royalty at this point.
A new mayor character could signal some interesting political plot stuff happening in Zootopia. Replacing the old mayor probably means the city’s changed since the first movie.
Yvette Nicole Brown Pulls Double Duty
Interestingly enough, Yvette Nicole Brown voices both Bearoness AND EMT Otter—playing two characters is super common in animation to save on budget. She’s probably best known for playing Shirley Bennett in Community (2009-2015), which has achieved cult classic status at this point.
Voice acting-wise, she’s been everywhere—Avengers Assemble, Elena of Avalor, Big City Greens, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, DC Super Hero Girls. She was also in Repo! The Genetic Opera, The Odd Couple reboot, and recently appeared in Disenchanted (2022). Live-action work includes Drake & Josh, A Cinderella Story, and The Mayor. Having her voice two characters means we’ll probably hear a lot of her in this sequel.
Fan Favorites & Cameos
Shakira returns as Gazelle, which makes total sense since she performed “Try Everything” for the first movie. That song was everywhere in 2016. She’s one of the best-selling Latin artists of all time—”Hips Don’t Lie,” “Whenever, Wherever,” “Waka Waka”—the list goes on.
Recent work includes her self-titled album Shakira (2024), a Las Vegas residency, and basically being a global superstar. Her appearance in Zootopia was more of a cameo/musical feature, but having her back probably means we’re getting another banger song for the sequel.
Maurice LaMarche voiced Mr. Big (the guy who does Brain from Pinky and the Brain).
Leah Latham voices Fru Fru again. She’s not as well-known—mostly does voice work for video games and smaller animation projects.
Don Lake and Bonnie Hunt are back as Stu and Bonnie Hopps, Judy’s parents. Hunt’s a comedic legend Beethoven, Jumanji, Jerry Maguire, Cheaper by the Dozen. She also had her own talk show and created Life with Bonnie. Lake’s been in Waiting for Guffman, Man of the Year, and a bunch of Christopher Guest mockumentaries. Nice to see them keeping Judy’s family intact.
What This Cast Tells Us About the Sequel
The mix of returning actors and new talent shows Disney’s taking this sequel seriously. Getting Ke Huy Quan right after his Oscar win? Quinta Brunson at peak Abbott Elementary popularity? Those are strategic choices that bring both talent and current star power.
The Lyxnley family situation is interesting,you don’t cast Samberg, Culkin, Song, and Strathairn unless they’re significant to the plot. My guess is they’re either wealthy socialites causing problems, or maybe antagonists with their own agenda. The fact that there are four of them suggests this is a major storyline, not just a side quest.
Having Patrick Warburton voice Mayor Winddancer instead of just bringing back Mayor Lionheart indicates the political landscape of Zootopia has shifted. Could be commentary on leadership changes, or maybe the new mayor has different policies that affect the mystery Judy and Nick are solving.
The returning cast brings that familiarity fans loved from the first movie, while the newcomers inject fresh energy and different performance styles. It’s a solid balance for a sequel that fans have been waiting almost a decade for pretty impressive lineup if you ask me.
