The following contains spoilers for The Wild Robot, now playing in theatersThe Wild Robot‘s version of Earth is a far cry from the present-day world, offering a subtle glimpse at the future of humanity. Almost all of The Wild Robot takes place on an isolated island in the middle of a large sea, far removed from any human structures or influence. All but two of The Wild Robot‘s notable characters are animals from that island, who have forged a tense ecosystem where death is common and nature wins out in the end.
The film follows the robot Roz after she crashes onto the island and becomes stranded, steadily adapting to the environment and becoming a surrogate mother to a baby goose. However, despite humanity not being the focus of The Wild Robot doesn’t mean they aren’t still out there in the world. In fact, audiences get a better glimpse of what humanity has become in The Wild Robot‘s ending, which could set up further exploration in potential sequels. Here is what has happened to the Earth and humanity in the world of DreamWorks’ The Wild Robot.
The Wild Robot Takes Place On A Futuristic Version Of Earth
The Wild Robot Takes Place Some Time Decades In The Future
The Wild Robot takes place on Earth sometime in the future, which is confirmed by the state of technology and the world at large. Roz is an advanced robot, one of many machines constructed by Universal Dynamics to serve humanity in this period. Overall, technology seems to have advanced at an extreme rate in the time that’s passed between the present day and the world of The Wild Robot. Humans are shown flying around in large ships, drones can lead entire battleships into missions, and agriculture seems to be entirely automated, albeit under the watchful eyes of human engineers.
The sheer scale and adaptability of human invention in this future suggest that humanity has made massive strides with technology. Notably, the human technology and culture that is seen in the film seem to be purposefully streamlined. The technology is sleek, durable, and adaptable. The more rigid tech, such as the security robots sent to deal with wildlife at various points in the film, seems much more static and breakable. By comparison, Roz’s adaptability makes her uniquely suited to survive anything thrown her way. Humanity’s tech has advanced to the extremes in The Wild Robot‘s future, and for good reason.
Why Earth Is Mostly Covered By Water In The Wild Robot
A Flooded Earth Implies Climate Change Has Fully Set In
The Earth of The Wild Robot is a very different place than in the present day, thanks to some major environmental changes. Much of the world seems to have been submerged underwater, including major cities like San Francisco. While on their migration, Brightbill and the rest of the geese end up passing over the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, highlighting how much higher the oceans have become in subsequent years. While some parts of the United States are shown to not be submerged, large satellites and small towns are shown abandoned and decaying.
The Wild Robot Characters | Cast |
Roz | Lupita Nyong’o |
Fink | Pedro Pascal |
Brightbill | Kit Connor |
Pinktail | Catherine O’Hara |
Longneck | Bill Nighy |
Vontra | Stephanie Hsu |
Thorn | Mark Hamill |
Paddler | Matt Berry |
Thunderbolt | Ving Rhames |
It appears that humanity has largely retreated to a handful of futuristic cities in The Wild Robot‘s world. The exact reason is never stated in the film, but there are some implications that this was the result of climate change. Global warming would have melted the ice caps and raised the sea levels, explaining the deeper oceans. The extreme winter that almost kills the animals on the Island could also be explained by shifting climates and changes in the environment. The Wild Robot implies that climate change is responsible for the changed planet.
How Many Human Cities Are Still Left On Earth?
The Wild Robot Implies The Universal Dynamic Cities Are All That’s Left Of Humanity
Despite the radically different world that exists in The Wild Robot, it’s notable that the film doesn’t suggest humanity has abandoned the planet like in other similar futuristic animated films like Wall-E. Instead, humanity is shown to have survived in futuristic cities. However, a big similarity between The Wild Robot and the classic Pixar sci-fi is that major corporation seems to have taken a leading role in human society. In The Wild Robot, Universal Dynamics seems to have created several futuristic cities that provide a clean and sleek way of living.
It’s unclear how many of these cities exist. However, the state of the world at large suggests that these cities are rare, with external travel limited to robotic drones and other autonomous devices. This is a large reason The Wild Robot doesn’t feature any humans in any prominent roles, suggesting that humanity has dwindled at an extreme rate as a result of the changes that have happened to the world. It’s a bleak reality, but one that The Wild Robot combats by highlighting how nature, animals, and even humans can survive and adapt to a dangerous changing world.
