Small Details You Missed In Moana 2

Contains spoilers for "Moana 2"

"Moana 2" has already blown everyone away at the box office by making a boatload of cash. This may not come as a surprise to parents whose kids have been singing along to "How Far I'll Go" ever since the first movie was made available on Disney+. In fact, "Moana" has consistently ranked as the most-watched film on streaming across any platform over the past few years. It makes sense that Disney would want to return to those fruitful waters and put out another "Moana" just to see if the magic struck twice.

The success of "Moana 2" is all the more impressive considering the original plan was to release the follow-up as a Disney+ TV series. It undoubtedly would have been watched by many, but "Moana" is clearly a franchise that deserves the big-screen treatment. And even though the story was meant to be the modern equivalent of a straight-to-video Disney sequel, it's clear a lot of care and attention still went into the production. 

There are plenty of Easter eggs and small details in "Moana 2" to excite fans, from references to the original to intriguing ideas of where the story could go next. There are even some nods to real-world myths. You (or your kids) probably don't need an excuse to watch "Moana 2" again, but when you do, here are some more things to look out for. 

In the first "Moana," Maui (Dwayne Johnson) makes a joke about "tweeting," and his knack for seeing into the future still holds true for "Moana 2." In the film, the demigod references butt-dialing and then mentions how that'll make sense in 2,000 years. This confirms that the franchise's events take place 2,000 years before the advent of cell phones, and sadly for fans, it debunks a theory some held for the first movie. 

At the beginning of "Moana," the titular heroine, played by Auliʻi Cravalho, helps a baby turtle make it safely to the ocean. Once there, the baby's joined by a much larger turtle, suggesting a familial link. Many thought these were Crush and his son Squirt from "Finding Nemo." But if "Moana" takes place 2,000 years in the past, then that can't be the case. 

"Finding Nemo" takes place in the present era, where Crush is only 150 years old. There's no way he could have existed for that long, although the "Moana" turtles could be ancestors of the righteous reptiles we all know and love from "Nemo." "Moana 2" taking place 2,000 years ago would also put it around the time Christians believe Jesus Christ would have existed, which is interesting to consider seeing how there are different Polynesian gods around in the film. This puts a wrinkle into what the one true religion would be, but that's a conversation — or perhaps an argument — for another time. 

It should perhaps come as no surprise that "Moana 2" is chock full of references to the first movie. Maui turns into a half-shark/half-man hybrid to humorous effect like the first time around, and he says "You're welcome" upon arriving at Motunui as a nod to his famous song. Maui also continues to refer to Hei Hei the chicken (Alan Tudyk) as "boat snack" and is even more ecstatic there's a pig, Pua, on this adventure. Also, when the ocean greets Moana's little sister, Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda), it tussles her hair similarly to how it greeted Moana in the first movie. 

However, one of the film's directors, Jason Hand, told CinemaBlend about one callback that really hits home. "In [the song] 'Beyond,' where Moana says, 'I am Moana,' she's re-declaring who she is," he explained. "And she's also in a sense, setting up the story that she's about to go on, that is going to mean something different by the end of this film." Lin-Manuel Miranda didn't return to write the songs for "Moana 2" — that duty fell onto Emily Bear and Abigail Barlow — but it's nice to hear a quick reprisal of the most iconic song from the first film to thematically tie the two stories together. 

One of the most intriguing fan theories to emerge from the first "Moana" was that Hei Hei is a demigod. Yes, the chicken who should have been dead long ago from falling off boats so often could very well be an all-powerful entity. And "Moana 2" offers evidence to back up that theory. 

In the first film, Hei Hei is around when Moana is just a toddler and still somehow alive when she's 16. Chickens typically live up to 10 years, so maybe Hei Hei is just a particularly ancient bird. That still doesn't explain how he survives incredibly dangerous scenarios that should have killed him from shock if nothing else. By the time "Moana 2" rolls around, Hei Hei is still kicking even though three more years have passed, which is also why Moana looks slightly different in the sequel. 

At the very beginning, Hei Hei manages to get to the top of the mountain before Moana. When Moana, Pua, and Hei Hei come crashing down, it's Hei Hei that stumbles upon pottery, confirming that other people are out there on other islands. Hei Hei puts the entire plot into motion, suggesting he may be a benevolent demigod who wants to aid Moana in her quest to connect the different islands. For all we know, Hei Hei could be a demigod trapped inside the body of a chicken, who's only pretending to be dumb so that no one catches wise to his true nature. It would certainly explain a few things. 

It's pretty common for trailers to include scenes that don't wind up in the finished film. This could be due to a number of factors, but for "Moana 2," it's probably safe to assume that since it was originally meant to be a series, many scenes were cut to get it down to a 100-minute runtime. One scene from the trailer that didn't make it into the movie is when Maui appears on a boat to the delight of Moana. He then refers to Hei Hei as "boat snack" before realizing Pua is also there, whom he calls a "boat snack upgrade." He's delighted that he now has "bacon and eggs" and asks why Moana didn't bring the pig last time. 

It's a funny moment that nonetheless ended up on the cutting room floor, although there are other moments where Maui has fun at Pua's expense. At one point, he overfeeds Hei Hei and Pua in a clear attempt to fatten them up, but the "bacon and eggs" line is gone. Another trailer moment that's absent from the film is when Moana makes percussive noises, only to hear what sounds like someone drumming back to her. She then looks down and finds Hei Hei striking the same drum.

There are clearly plenty of other scenes out there, some of which might be included in the eventual Blu-ray release. Hopefully, there's some commentary to go with them because it would be really interesting to hear more about the process of restructuring a TV show into a film.

"Moana 2" was a family affair for Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, as two of his daughters voice some members of Moana's fan club, the Moana-Be's. It's the first-ever voiceover credit for both Jasmine and Tiana Johnson, and it's an appropriate foray into acting, seeing as those daughters share names with Disney princesses. 

It's certainly a sweet example of "nepo babies" getting work, and Johnson spoke with E! News about the joy of watching the finished film with them. "They loved it," Johnson said. "Loved, loved it. They hadn't seen it before. They knew they were in it, and they were sitting on the edge of their seats, literally, and just waiting. And then their scene came up, and they're just like, 'That's me!' It was so cool."

It could be the start of some lucrative acting careers for Jasmine and Tiana Johnson. Meanwhile, Johnson's daughter from his first marriage, Simone Garcia Johnson, has followed her father's footsteps in a different direction. She goes by the ring name Ava as part of World Wrestling Entertainment, which is where Johnson got his start. 

Dwayne Johnson's daughters aren't the only new voices in "Moana 2." Matangi, voiced by Awhimai Fraser, provides a nuanced character to help with Moana's journey. While she initially seems like a straightforward bad guy after tying Maui up, she encourages Moana to continue her journey even when she's unsure of the next step forward. She's not quite a full-on villain, but she sounds great thanks to Fraser's immaculate singing voice. 

Fraser has worked for Disney for quite a while, even if some general audiences are only hearing her now for the first time. She provided the voice of Elsa in the Te reo Māori language translation for "Frozen," telling The AU Review how voicing Elsa prepared her to take on Matangi: "[Elsa's] a huge character to dive into, and massive songs in that particular movie too," she explained. "So I felt really lucky, actually, to have had that as a foundation in Te reo Māori ... and then to move into the space of 'Moana 2.'"

She's also heard on the Māori dub for "Encanto," where she voices Dolores. And Disney didn't have to look far to figure out who should voice the "Moana 2" Māori translation, as Fraser will reprise her role of Matangi for that one as well.

What you probably didn't know about Maui in "Moana" is that he has a rich mythology that's only touched upon in the movies. In Polynesian cultures, he's credited with gifting fire to mankind and lifting the sky so that humans would have more room on Earth. And a throwaway line in "Moana 2" references another one of his most noteworthy exploits. 

During the sequel's climax, Maui attempts to lift Motufetu so that Moana can touch it and restore the connection with all of the other islands out there. Maui mentions that it's been a while since he lifted an island. According to Hawaiian legend, Maui hooked the ocean floor while out with his brothers, who rowed so intensely that Maui lifted the Hawaiian islands above the ocean. Māori culture has a similar legend, in which Maui hooked the North Island of New Zealand from the ocean floor and brought that to the surface. No matter how you slice it, Maui has a knack for fishing up islands, making the climax of "Moana 2" all the more significant to Polynesian culture. 

There are certainly plenty of other Maui stories Disney could adapt, which might be why Maui was originally considered to be the main character of "Moana." Still, that doesn't rule out the possibility of Maui getting his own spinoff at some point to adapt these tales in greater detail. 

The most shocking moment in "Moana 2" comes at the end when Nalo (Tofiga Fepulea'i) sends a lightning bolt to strike and kill Moana as she goes to touch Motufetu. Maui jumps into the sea after her and, with the help of Moana's ancestors, she's revived. With the addition of a slick new tattoo, Moana seemingly becomes a demigoddess in a way that mirrors how Maui earned his amazing powers. 

In the first "Moana," Maui talks about how he was born mortal, just like Moana, but his parents didn't want him and threw him into the sea for what should have been certain death. However, the gods found him and gave him the hook and its accompanying powers. Moana's origin as a demigoddess mirrors Maui's story, as powerful forces clearly have other plans for her that don't involve dying in the ocean. With similar origins, Moana and Maui are more connected than ever before.

The moment also sort of debunks a fan theory from the first "Moana" — that could change how you watch it — which suggests that Moana dies before reaching Maui's island. More than likely, she lives throughout the first film's events only to die momentarily in the second movie before ascending to the rank of demigod.

"Moana 2" contains a mid-credits scene hinting at what could come in a potential "Moana 3." However, anyone who sticks through the credits all the way will catch a glimpse of a new Disney character to be introduced in 2025's "Zootopia 2" — Gary the snake, who will be voiced by Academy Award winner Ke Huy Quan.

Toward the tail-end of the credits, an image of Gary as though he was stitched into tapestry appears. Teasing future Disney movies in the end credits is nothing new for the Mouse House, as 2022's "Strange World" has an image of Star from "Wish" hidden in its credits, too. 

The tease doesn't tell us much about what Gary will be like in "Zootopia 2." But On the Red Carpet spoke with the film's executive producer, Jennifer Lee, about Gary, with Lee saying that although he'll reportedly be a wanted criminal, there may be more to him than meets the eye. "Gary's our first reptile," she stated. "Ke Huy Quan is doing it. I think that gives you a bit of the wonderful warmth that you can get from a snake."

Partway through the "Moana 2" credits, there's a scene featuring Nalo, the god of storms, who up until this point we hadn't actually seen in person yet. He's sitting rather ominously on a throne as he talks to Matangi about getting revenge on Moana for reuniting all of the islands. Tamatoa (Jemaine Clement), the shiny crab from the first film, also makes an appearance because he too wants to get back at Moana. It seems like a very clear set-up for a potential "Moana 3," where Moana, now a demigod, may have to go up against other gods who aren't too pleased at her. 

The way Nalo just sits there plotting his next move really gives off vibes similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Thanos, especially in early MCU films like "Guardians of the Galaxy" when he's also just kind of sitting around scheming nefariously. But the "Moana 2" mid-credits scene could have turned out slightly differently, as co-director Dana Ledoux Miller told Collider. "There was a last-minute change to it," Miller said. "It was something that kept evolving the way the rest of the story did. I think the foundation of it was we introduced a demigod and a god into the world, and we really just like the idea of having a little bit more."

With how much money "Moana 2" has made already, it only seems natural Disney would want to ride the wave a little longer and get "Moana 3" up and running. Just like Moana herself, there's no telling how far this franchise will go.