Fresh off his Dancing With the Stars victory in the US, Robert Irwin has added another major achievement to his growing résumé — a role in Disney’s Zootopia 2, which officially hit cinemas this week.
While Irwin was twirling across the DWTS finale stage with partner Witney Carson, his animated alter ego was making his debut on the big screen.
The 21-year-old plays Robert Furwin, an adorable, khaki-wearing koala inspired by his real-life wildlife-warrior roots.
Early reviews call it “one of the funniest films of the year”
The sequel has landed to glowing praise, with a massive 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and critics applauding both its humour and heart.
Nathan Swank from Flix described Zootopia 2 as “possibly the funniest film of the year,” adding that the adults in his cinema were laughing just as loudly as the kids.
Manuel São Bento from Movies We Texted About said the movie offers far more than feel-good animation:
“This is a story about the responsibility to remember and correct… and the courage to look back so we can finally move forward together.”
The San Francisco Chronicle’s Zaki Hasan echoed the praise, commending the film for its “brave choices” that never lose emotional grounding.
@robertirwin I’m the voice of a disney character!!!! Keep and eye out for ‘Robert Furwin’ in the new Zootopia 2 movie!
♬ original sound – Robert Irwin
A sequel that picks up right where the first film left off
Set just one week after the events of the 2016 original, the film follows Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) as they investigate Zootopia’s new reptilian resident, Gary De’Snake.
The sequel brings back an all-star voice cast — including Shakira, Idris Elba, Alan Tudyk, Ke Huy Quan, Andy Samberg, Patrick Warburton, Quinta Brunson and Danny Trejo — while introducing Irwin’s character to the mix.
With the first film earning over $1 billion globally on a $150 million budget, Disney matched that figure for the sequel, which is already tracking well at the box office.
Why this role means so much to Robert Irwin
Irwin first revealed the cameo during “Disney Week” on Dancing With the Stars, proudly showing off the koala character designed to look just like him.
“When they said I’d be playing a koala named Robert Furwin, I thought mate, it doesn’t get better than that,” he told Entertainment Tonight.
He added that the role resonated deeply because of his long-standing work with koala rescue and conservation:
“Koalas are an endangered species, so being able to represent them in a film that helps people reconnect with nature was very special.”
Life after DWTS: what’s next for Robert Irwin
Winning Dancing With the Stars hasn’t slowed him down. Irwin revealed that he’s heading to New York before flying to South Africa to film another television project. His DWTS partner Witney Carson has even hinted she’ll be joining him in Australia for future work.
“It’s been quite the journey,” he said. “I’ve been able to write my own legacy with Witney as we tell stories of positivity, vulnerability, passion and fun.”
Despite a rib injury during the season, Irwin said perseverance came naturally:
“I catch crocs — I’m used to it! I’ll heal up.”
The internet wants him as the next Bachelor
The rising star’s popularity has also fuelled conversation about his dating life. Irwin has admitted it’s difficult navigating romance under public scrutiny (“anything you do ends up on TikTok the next day”), but that hasn’t stopped fans — and even Reality Steve — from campaigning for him to be the next Bachelor.
“He’s got over 8 million followers and seems like the nicest human alive,” the commentator said. “Why wouldn’t they cast him?”
