The core premise centers on Dora (Isabela Moner) navigating high school after a jungle upbringing, then leading friends—including cousin Diego (Jeff Wahlberg)—and her monkey Boots on a quest to rescue her parents (Michael Peña and Eva Longoria) and explore the Inca city of Parapata. All major Latino characters are played by Latino actors with no changes to established source-material identities or forced diversity clashes with the Peruvian setting.

Casting choices such as Eugenio Derbez, Danny Trejo, and Benicio del Toro further align with the original series' cultural context rather than serving as ideological statements. The film keeps progressive messaging peripheral. Brief references include Dora commenting on cultural appropriation and a student naming Ruth Bader Ginsburg as a hero, yet these remain isolated lines that do not shape the plot or character arcs.

Marketing and producer comments highlighted inclusivity and Latino representation as positive elements, but the narrative itself prioritizes traditional themes of friendship, family, self-acceptance, and exploration. No identity politics, systemic critiques, or LGBTQ+ storylines function as central conflicts, leaving the adventure tone intact and free of heavy-handed messaging.