The 2025 live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch introduced numerous alterations to the beloved 2002 animated classic—some of which have sparked debate among longtime fans. While many changes aimed to update the story for a contemporary audience, one notable modification involving the character Cobra Bubbles has drawn particular criticism for diminishing one of the original film’s most memorable jokes.
Director Dean Fleischer Camp, tasked with reimagining the story for live-action, explained that certain changes were necessary to maintain narrative credibility, yet not all fans agree with these decisions. Among the most significant alterations in the remake are the removal of Captain Gantu, recharacterizing Jumba Jookiba as a straightforward villain, the introduction of social services separating Lilo and Nani, and a dramatic sacrifice by Stitch. Though these adjustments elicited mixed reactions, the reworking of Cobra Bubbles’ role has proved especially contentious.
In the 2002 version, Cobra Bubbles—originally voiced by Ving Rhames—served as a social worker with a mysterious past as a CIA operative who had ties to the extraterrestrial Grand Councilwoman. This dual identity was a clever narrative and comedic device, notably underscored when Lilo skeptically remarks that he “doesn’t look like a social worker.” The character’s imposing presence, knuckle tattoos, and secretive background functioned as both a joke and a subtle critique of government authority.
The 2025 remake casts Courtney B. Vance as Cobra Bubbles but transforms the character into an active CIA agent undercover as a social worker to monitor Stitch. Fleischer Camp defended this shift in a recent interview with USA Today, stating, “In order to buy these two girls getting separated, you couldn’t really have the representative of that antagonistic force be a comically huge guy with tattoos on his knuckles, who for some reason is also a social worker.” While this rationale seeks to align the character with a more realistic live-action portrayal, many viewers argue it undermines the original’s humor and complexity.
Critics note that the remake’s version of Cobra Bubbles lacks the nuance of the original. The iconic joke about his “social worker” appearance falls flat, as he is no longer masquerading but openly an intelligence agent. Furthermore, the backstory involving endangered mosquitoes, which in 2002 was revealed as a clever ruse by Bubbles to protect Earth as a nature preserve, is altered in the remake to suggest mosquitoes genuinely are endangered—an explanation many find unconvincing.
Fan response has been mixed but often critical. On social media, user @TheCartoonLoon remarked, “Cobra Bubbles not being a social worker in the live-action movie was such a bizarre choice,” while @HyzenthlayRose lamented, “The team behind the live-action Lilo & Stitch watched Cobra Bubbles in the original and said, ‘Complexity? What’s that?’” Another fan, @Stormandreas_, summed up the sentiment, stating, “Bubbles isn’t even Bubbles now.”
Despite the backlash, the remake’s choice to remove Cobra Bubbles from his social worker role allowed for new character development, such as Tia Carrere reprising her role as Nani’s social worker Mrs. Kekoa, who provides a more empathetic and grounded relationship with the main characters. Still, the film leaves some of Cobra Bubbles’ motivations unclear, oscillating between antagonist and protector, a discrepancy that fans hope future sequels will resolve.
Lilo & Stitch premiered in theaters on May 23, 2025, and continues to play nationwide.
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