Jason Bateman Reacts to Fans Thirsting for ‘Zootopia’s Nick Wilde

Jason Bateman is peripherally aware of your freaky Nick Wilde fanfics, ya filthy animals.

Jason Bateman, known for voicing the clever and likable fox in the Zootopia movies, recently discussed the surprising number of fans who express strong attraction to his animated character. He seemed both amused and a little worried by the attention.

While promoting Zootopia 2, Jason Bateman and his co-star, Ginnifer Goodwin, played a true or false game with the website vt. During the game, Goodwin playfully asked Bateman if his character was considered attractive by some fans.

Goodwin mentioned a discussion on Reddit about Nick Wilde’s attractiveness, and Bateman confirmed it’s happening. Bateman’s daughters pointed it out to him, which he found both strange and, surprisingly, a little bit flattering.

The actor wondered about the origin of the comment, then asked, “Are they suggesting the fox is actually good-looking?”

The interviewer was asking what made Patrick Bateman so chilling, and when they said it was a mix of his attitude, voice, and eyes, Christian Bale – who played Bateman – actually smirked and agreed! Josh Lucas (Goodwin) and Ke Huy Quan nodded along too, like they totally understood what made the character so scary.

Watch the Official Zootopia 2 Trailer

In an interview with ScreenRant, Jason Bateman and Zootopia co-star Jenny Goodwin discussed “WildeHopps,” a pairing popular with fans who imagine the characters Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps as a couple, even though that isn’t part of the official story.

Fans have created a lot of content – including fanfiction, social media pages, Reddit discussions, and webcomics – exploring a romantic connection between these characters. One webcomic, titled I Will Survive and unfortunately known as the “Zootopia abortion comic” within the fandom, sparked a lot of controversy.

While Bateman wasn’t aware specifically of the whole WildeHopps phenomenon before, he sure is now.

Goodwin admitted she’s a little unsure about all the excitement surrounding the ship and the fans who think Nick would make a great partner. She playfully said it’s all quite confusing for her.

Though the idea might seem strange to the characters Nick and Judy, they’re not the first animated animal characters to become a big obsession for fans, and they definitely won’t be the last.

Many adult fans find certain animal characters appealing or attractive. Popular examples include Robin Hood (the Disney fox), Mr. Wolf from The Bad Guys, Lola Bunny from Space Jam, and Shadow the Hedgehog. It likely helps that Keanu Reeves voices Shadow in the recent Sonic movie – the filmmakers were clearly aware of his appeal.

Zootopia 2 is now playing in theaters nationwide.

Dark and Disturbing Scenes From Animated Disney Movies

Child Trafficking at Pleasure Island (Pinocchio)

Disney’s Pinocchio is known for being one of its more unsettling animated movies. While it features frightening scenes like a monstrous whale and the cruel puppet master Stromboli who cages Pinocchio, the most disturbing part is Pleasure Island. There, Pinocchio and other mischievous boys start turning into donkeys and are then prepared to be sold into forced labor. Although Pinocchio manages to escape, the imagery of children transforming into animals and facing such a fate serves as a stark reminder of the real tragedy of child trafficking.

Syndrome’s Murdered Hero Database (The Incredibles)

Despite being a family-friendly animated film, 2004’s The Incredibles touches on surprisingly mature themes. Beyond hints of marital issues and a scene dealing with suicidal thoughts, the movie features a truly unsettling moment: the discovery that the villain Syndrome has murdered dozens of superheroes. Mr. Incredible uncovers this while investigating Syndrome’s secret operation, Kronos, and learns that Syndrome lured heroes to his island to test his deadly robots. As Mr. Incredible views the profiles of those killed, his horror and fear are clear, especially when he desperately checks if his wife, Elastigirl, and friend, Frozone, are still alive.

Orphan Kidnapping and Child Abuse (The Rescuers)

Released in 1977, The Rescuers isn’t known for big action scenes, but its story is surprisingly more dangerous and based on real-life issues. While the talking mice are fictional, the hardships faced by Penny, the orphan girl they rescue, sadly reflect the realities many children experience. In the film, Penny is kidnapped by the greedy Madame Medusa, who forces her to search a treacherous cave for a valuable diamond. Medusa not only puts Penny in physical danger, nearly drowning her, but also emotionally abuses her, making her feel worthless and disposable. Though Penny is ultimately rescued and finds happiness, her story highlights the serious issues of child labor, abuse, and exploitation that exist in the real world.

An Entire Village Gets Massacred (Mulan)

The Disney film Mulan tackles serious subjects like the limitations placed on women and the importance of family obligations. It also realistically portrays the grim side of war. A particularly impactful scene shows Mulan and the soldiers discovering a village destroyed by fire and a battlefield covered in the bodies of fallen soldiers – including the father of one of the generals. Mulan quietly picks up a small doll from the snow, a moment made even more powerful knowing the historical cruelty and enslavement practiced by the Huns.

The Toys Accept Their Death (Toy Story 3)

Although the Toy Story movies are generally fun and playful, they also tackle surprisingly dark and upsetting themes. From Jessie’s heartbreaking song about being abandoned to the scary way Sid mistreats his toys, the series explores deeper issues than you might expect. The most emotionally difficult scene happens in Toy Story 3, when Woody, Buzz, and the other original toys face what seems like certain death. After the villainous Lotso throws them into a trash incinerator, they desperately try to escape, but realize there’s no way out. They then accept their fate and comfort each other in their final moments, acting like a family. Thankfully, this is a Disney movie, and they’re rescued at the last second, but not before deeply affecting the audience.

A Stray Dog Gets Put Down (Lady and the Tramp)

Disney’s Lady and the Tramp is a charming classic. Released in 1955, the film tells the love story of Lady, a well-cared-for dog, and Tramp, a streetwise stray. While mostly heartwarming, the story has some scary parts, like a dangerous encounter with a rat and moments where Lady feels unwanted. The most upsetting scene happens when Lady is sent to the animal pound and meets other abandoned dogs. There, they witness another dog, Nutsy, being led away, suggesting he will be put down. The scene is filled with sadness and fear as Lady and the other dogs realize they could face the same fate.

Mr. Arrow Drifts Into Space (Treasure Planet)

The vastness of space offers no help, not even the ability to be heard, as demonstrated in a chilling scene from the 2002 film Treasure Planet. Mr. Arrow, the first mate on the spaceship R.L.S. Legacy, meets a terrifying end when he’s pulled into a black hole during a space storm. The villainous pirate Scroop deliberately cuts Mr. Arrow’s safety line, leaving him to fall helplessly into the darkness. What makes this scene particularly disturbing is the scientific idea of ‘Spaghettification’ – the theory that anything falling into a black hole would be stretched and torn apart over time due to the extreme forces at play.

Scar Gets Eaten Alive (The Lion King)

Scar is known for one of the most upsetting moments in Disney history: Mufasa’s death. However, the deceitful villain from the 1994 film The Lion King ultimately receives a harsh punishment for betraying his brother. After losing a fight with Simba on top of Pride Rock, Scar falls and lands amongst the hyenas he used and manipulated. The hyenas, furious after Scar tries to blame them for the devastation of the Pride Lands, turn on him. While the scene doesn’t show the violence directly, it’s clear Scar is attacked and eaten by the very hyenas he betrayed.

Clayton’s Hanging Death (Tarzan)

In the 1999 film Tarzan, Clayton receives a fitting, though disturbing, end. He deceives his way onto a scientific expedition and then acts cruelly, killing Kerchak, capturing the gorillas for profit, and imprisoning the Porters and Tarzan. He even attempts to murder Tarzan. Despite his brutality and lack of compassion, it’s still a shocking moment when he accidentally hangs himself with vines during their final fight. The image of his body silhouetted against the jungle and the fear on his face right before the vine tightens are particularly unsettling.

Frollo Lusts for Esmeralda (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

Disney’s 1996 film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, shares the serious themes of Victor Hugo’s original novel, including social injustice and prejudice. The movie features Judge Claude Frollo, a truly menacing villain. Frollo, driven by religious extremism and power, commits terrible acts, including the persecution of the Romani people and the attempted murder of a baby. One particularly disturbing scene shows Frollo’s obsessive and forbidden desire for Esmeralda, a dancer, culminating in him deciding to burn her at the stake if she rejects him. This intense moment explores difficult subjects like religious hypocrisy, mistreatment of women, and the dangers of unchecked desire, revealing the disturbing nature of Frollo’s motivations.

2025-11-27 00:27