Core themes revolve around brotherhood, self-confidence, loss, and father-son bonds—classic coming-of-age and hero's journey elements without activist framing. The primary progressive element is a brief, passing reference to a lesbian relationship involving a minor supporting character (a cyclops police officer voiced by Lena Waithe, who casually mentions her girlfriend). This single line of dialogue, delivered in a peripheral scene, serves as Pixar's first explicit LGBTQ self-identification in animation but does not influence the plot, character arcs, or emotional core.

Supporting voice casting includes diverse performers such as Octavia Spencer and Ali Wong in non-lead roles, alongside the main elf brothers voiced by white male actors Tom Holland and Chris Pratt. Director comments emphasize depicting a 'modern fantasy world' to reflect contemporary society, but this manifests only in incidental world-building rather than overt messaging. No race- or gender-swapping of established characters occurs, no systemic oppression or identity politics drive the story, and audience reactions show limited backlash focused on the tokenistic nature of the representation rather than widespread ideological critique. The elements remain background and non-central, fitting incidental inclusion in a family-oriented fantasy without compromising the premise.