The following contains minor spoilers for Zootopia 2.
Zootopia was a massive box office hit for Disney, which made the announcement that a sequel was finally coming, perhaps not that big a surprise. The only surprising thing was how long it took, considering the original Zootopia his theaters almost a full decade ago.
However, it seems likely that the next chapter in the growing franchise isn’t going to take nearly as long. That’s because Zootopia 2 includes a post-credits sequence that indicates that the future of Zootopia, both the movie and the city, is already being considered. I am all for it because I think Zootopia lends itself well to a lot more, though there’s something very specific I would love to see.
Zootopia 2’s Post-Credits Scene Indicates Another Animal Family Will Be Joining The City
Post-credits scenes are still the exception rather than the rule, but the tactic taken by Marvel Studios since the beginning of the MCU, to tease the future, has been embraced by everybody, including Walt Disney Animation Studios. A year ago, Moana 2 had a post-credits scene that indicated potential future stories, and the same is true for Zootopia 2.
Following the credits, we see Judy Hopps in her apartment. She is now in possession of the repaired carrot/pen/recorder, as Nick Wilde has apparently given it to Judy as a gift, returning to her the gift she had once given him, as a way for him to show her that he cares. Judy leaves the pen on her windowsill, then has a brief verbal altercation with her neighbors, a callback to a similar sequence in the original Zootopia, before she heads out the door.
After she’s gone, however, we hear an animal sound, one that certainly doesn’t sound like it came from either a mammal or a reptile. Then we see a single feather float down and land on Judy’s windowsill. Birds are now officially confirmed to exist in the world of Zootopia, so if and when we get a new story, it seems clear another animal group will join the zoo.
I Need A Zootopia Series On Disney+
When we might see more from Zootopia is anybody’s guess. We have yet to hear any definitive plans for Moana despite that post-credits scene or the movie’s solid box office run. That said, considering that Zootopia 2 is expected to have a strong box office like its predecessor, a future does seem likely, and I for one would actually love ot see Zootopia take a different approach, as a buddy cop series.
Both Zootopia movies are essentially buddy cop movies, and I’d put this pair up against any live-action buddy cop duo in cinema history. Judy is the straight-laced cop with duty on her mind. Nick is the wild(e) one who’s willing to bend the rules to be successful. It’s a fantastic pairing, and I would love to see the concept play out over an episodic series. Just like your average TV police procedural, each episode has our team working on a different crime.
This could be done within the context of the post-credits scene, perhaps with an overarching plot involving birds in Zootopia, or as a separate thing. Both Zootopia movies involve Judy and Nick working outside the traditional police structure, and it would be fun to see them as more traditional cops, handling normal crimes on a weekly basis.
More than likely, when more Zootopia comes along, it will be in the form of a third feature film released in theaters. I certainly won’t say no to that, but I think there’s an opportunity on the small screen as well.
