Disney announces new characters and voice actors for Zootopia 2 at DisneyD23, details revealed

At the mega-glam Destination D23 showcase, Disney dropped a buffet of fresh details on the highly anticipated sequel, Zootopia 2, and yes, it's stacked. The event, hosted by Yvette Nicole Brown, was a full-on celebration of Disney Animation’s future slate, with our favorite bunny-fox duo at the center of the spotlight.

Then came the twist: Gary De’Snake, a slippery, mysterious pit viper voiced by Ke Huy Quan, slithers into Zootopia and turns society upside down. Judy and Nick are on the case, going undercover in wild new parts of the city.

And that’s not all. Patrick Warburton will star as the clueless-but-charismatic Mayor Winddancer, a former TV horse actor who takes on the mayoral office with zero political experience. Yvette Nicole Brown also announced double duty as she voices both Bearoness Bear (a gala guest) and EMT Otter.

Returning favorites are all set to hop back in too: voices like Idris Elba (Chief Bogo), Shakira (Gazelle), Jenny Slate (Bellwether), Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, Nate Torrence, Alan Tudyk, Maurice LaMarche, Leah Latham, Josh Dallas, Tommy Chong, Mark Rhino Smith, and Raymond Persi are all confirmed to reprise their roles.

Right off the bat, returning voice legends Ginnifer Goodwin, playing Judy Hopps, and Jason Bateman, playing Nick Wilde, are back in action, and they’re in couples therapy. Yep, their partnership hits rocky terrain thanks to a partner counseling program dubbed “Partners in Crisis.”

To help these detectives and their frayed partnership, Disney introduced Dr. Fuzzby, a snarky but adorable quokka therapist voiced by Quinta Brunson, and Nibbles Maplestick, a conspiracy-hunter beaver voiced by Fortune Feimster.

Behind the scenes, the power duo Jared Bush and Byron Howard return as directors, with Bush also writing the script. Yvett Merino is back in the producer’s seat, rounding up the iconic team who gave us Zootopia.

More details about Zootopia 2

Zootopia 2 was confirmed in February 2023, as Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that the sequels for Zootopia, Toy Story, and Frozen are being worked on. On February 7, 2024, the release date for the film was announced, along with its title reveal.

According to Disney, the plot synopsis for Zootopia 2 reads,

Judy and Nick find themselves on the twisting trail of 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.

Back in 2016, the first film sprinted straight into pop culture history. Directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore with a clever script from Jared Bush and Phil Johnston, the film paired wide-eyed rookie cop Judy Hopps with sly hustler Nick Wilde for a buddy cop mystery that cracked open the city’s biggest predator scandal. With voices from stars like Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, and Shakira, the film grossed over a billion, won an Oscar, and earned a cult following.