Space Jam 2: How Every Looney Tunes Character Compares To The Original

Space Jam: A New Legacy will see the return of the Looney Tunes after their unforgettable basketball game against the Monstars in Space Jam back in the 1990s, but the squad has gone through some changes – and here’s how they compare to the original movie. The Looney Tunes have been around since the 1930s and thus have gone through all types of adventures, but in 1996 they got involved in a one-of-a-kind journey in the movie Space Jam.

Directed by Joe Pytka, Space Jam is a sports comedy movie that mixed live-action and animation and brought together two very different worlds: professional basketball and the Looney Tunes. Space Jam told a fictionalized account of what happened in Michael Jordan’s career between his retirement from the NBA in 1993 and his return in 1995, in which he was enlisted by the Looney Tunes to help them win a basketball game against a group of aliens called Monstars, who wanted to enslave them and use them as attractions for their theme park. Now, a bit over two decades later, comes a proper sequel titled Space Jam: A New Legacy, this time with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James leading the Tune Squad and with the team facing a new menace in a completely different setting than in the first movie.

Space Jam 2 will follow LeBron James and his son Dom (Cedric Joe), who is pulled into a virtual space where a rogue A.I. named AI-G Rhythm (Don Cheadle) takes him hostage, and the only way LeBron can rescue him and return home safely is if he, along with the Tune Squad, defeats Rhythm’s own team, the Goon Squad. A new adventure in a new setting and decade required some changes to the beloved Looney Tunes, who are now sporting a 3D look as well as other physical changes that might hint at their role in the story. Here’s how every Looney Tunes character in Space Jam 2 compares to its version in the first movie.

Bugs Bunny

First off is (of course) Bugs Bunny, the (cartoon) leader of the Tune Squad in both movies and one of the most beloved characters in the history of animation. Bugs’ role doesn’t seem to be different from the one in the original movie, serving as LeBron’s guide and right-hand. As for his appearance, Space Jam had a 2D look with shading that made the characters stand out, but it pretty much kept the same style as the cartoons. Bugs Bunny looked just like he did on TV at the time, and the new Bugs went through some slight changes that might not be noticeable at all for viewers. Bugs kept the same proportions in 2D and 3D in Space Jam 2, but his design is clearly more modern than the one in the first movie, but he doesn’t look like its most recent version (in Looney Tunes Cartoons), as his face has a more stylized and less round appearance. Of course, the jump to 3D makes room for more details, adding texture to the character and highlighting parts of his face, mostly the teeth and the nose, which is a bit bigger and pinker.

Lola Bunny

One of the most interesting changes in Space Jam 2 is that of Lola Bunny. Over the years, viewers have pointed out that Space Jam sexualized Lola Bunny, giving her a cropped uniform and a personality based on her flirtatious attitude rather than on her talent as a basketball player (and everyone knows well she’s an excellent player). Lola Bunny has changed since Space Jam was released, so for Space Jam 2 the designers finally decided not to sexualize her and gave her a uniform just like ones of the rest of the team, and at least in the trailer, she’s a lot more involved in the game than before. As for her overall design, her face is also more stylized and less round, and details like her teeth and nose are more noticeable in 3D.

Daffy Duck

Daffy Duck wasn’t left behind in Space Jam 2, and he will be part of the Tune Squad just like in the first movie. Surprisingly, there’s not a lot of Daffy in the first Space Jam 2 trailer, except for the above scene where his jaw drops in surprise. Perhaps the most notable difference so far is the eyes, with the 3D version showing their color, and as Daffy tends to be quite chameleonic (and he’s a cartoon, so he can do pretty much anything), it’s unclear if the clothes he wears in that scene are part of his uniform or he put them on at the moment to enhance the scene.

Yosemite Sam

Yosemite Sam is one of the minor players in Space Jam, but he’s a classic Looney Tunes character and as such couldn’t be left behind in such a big adventure. Sam was mostly a minor character in Space Jam and that might be the case in Space Jam 2 as well, but luckily, he made it to the trailer and fans can have a good look at him. The design for Yosemite Sam is pretty much the same, but with a lot of definition and detail on his face, showing how messy his eyebrows and mustache are, showing his lower lip, and his mask was made bigger, thus becoming more noticeable.

Elmer Fudd

If Bugs Bunny is in Space Jam 2, then Elmer Fudd has to be there as well, as there’s no way he stopped hunting him. Just like Yosemite Sam, Elmer is a minor character in the first movie and the game in general, appearing mostly in the background or at the front and center for only a couple of seconds, so there’s no development at all. This will most likely happen again in Space Jam 2, where Elmer was given a rounder look (and seems to be blushing) that makes him look even shorter, and he’s only seen once in the trailer.

Porky

Porky will also join the Tune Squad in Space Jam 2. Although he was also a minor player in the first movie, he was featured more often and for longer than others, such as when he and the rest of the main Looney Tunes are trying to come up with a plan to fix their problem with the Monstars and when he’s shown doing aerobics with other characters. Porky appears many times during the game as well, as he isn’t really a bad basketball player after all, but it’s to be seen if he will have a bigger role in the sequel or not. In one of the scenes in the Space Jam 2 trailer where Porky can be seen, characters like Taz, the Road Runner, Gossamer Monster, and Sylvester (who also appears often in Space Jam) can be briefly seen in the background, but not clear enough as to make the comparison with the previous version.

Tweety

Fans of Tweety Bird are happy to know the iconic yellow canary is back in Space Jam 2, and he doesn’t seem to have changed much. In the original movie, Tweety showed his temper, strength, and skills in basketball and combat (as he went full karate master on the Monstars at one point), and there’s nothing that can lead to the belief that he has changed that side of him. As for his design, he’s one of the few Looney Tunes who went through either very, very small and subtle changes or none at all.

Granny

An unexpected change that those who noticed right away celebrated was the upgrade Granny went through, and it’s not about her appearance. Granny appeared in Space Jam and served as the Tune Squad’s cheerleader, though that didn’t save her from chaos and destruction during the game and was hurt several times. In Space Jam: A New Legacy, however, Granny’s talents were finally taken into account and she’s now a proper, active part of the team, playing alongside LeBron, Bugs, Lola, and the rest, instead of staying the whole game on a bench.

About The Author

Adrienne Tyler
(3271 Articles Published)

Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

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