Casting features a mix of voice actors including Chris Rock and Jada Pinkett Smith, but this reflects standard Hollywood voice work for anthropomorphic animal characters with no race-swapping of established figures, no identity-based casting mandates, and no focus on human social categories. Narrative elements like Marty's identity confusion about stripes or Gloria's sassy personality are comedic tropes, not activist framing around race, gender, or systemic issues.

Academic critiques actually fault the film for colonialist or stereotypical portrayals of Africa as exotic, which runs counter to progressive narratives. No creator statements indicate activist intent, no LGBTQ+ representation or pronoun usage, no critiques of traditional norms or patriarchy, and no audience backlash labeling it 'woke.' As a pre-2010s family comedy, it prioritizes entertainment without social commentary or DEI-driven changes.