- “A wolf and a fox are not so different. Maybe they will believe you, maybe they won’t, but it doesn’t matter. Don’t do it for them. Do it for you. This is a chance to write your own story. To find a better life for you and your friends. Come on, what have you got to lose?”
- ―Diane to Wolf on changing for the better.
Governor Diane Foxington (also known as The Crimson Paw) is one of the deuteragonists in the DreamWorks film, The Bad Guys. She is loosely based on the book series' secret agent, Ellen/Agent Fox.
Background[]
The scale of her operations as the Crimson Paw is truly a mystery and up for speculation yet she was presumably one of the greatest bandits to ever walk the face of the earth as well as terrorize the city of Los Angeles. Her history is relatively unknown relating to the movie. However, inside of the books, she is known to be an ex-member of the International League of Heroes. The Bad Guys (book) also reveals that she is fluent in fourteen languages and that her parents were killed by hunters when she was very young.
Diane stealing the Zumpango Diamond accompanied by her equipment
We are made aware thanks to Mr. Wolf narrating a brief part of her past and reflecting on her career that she was the legendary bandit behind the stealing of the Zumpango Diamond, one of the most valuable pieces of jewelry the city of Los Angeles had to offer at the time. She is also described as somewhat repetitive and a casual showboater who happens to be one who feels the urge to make a statement thanks to her pulling off the heist twice. Mr. Wolf happens to describe her as an "Acrobatic Swiss Army Knife" alongside "The Queen of Cons" which gives way to her potentially having a history which related to extortion or fraud to some degree.
Diane also managed to avoid detection as well as being apprehended by the authorities, indicating that she had become familiar with surveillance technology. This also means that she didn't leave a trace behind when stealing the Golden Dolphin or when terrorising the city. It is also indicated that she is a massive fan of making a dramatic entrance or exit judging by the scene in which she mysteriously enters as a black shadow, only to exit that same prison by detonating depth charges as well as regular explosives which render the island prison virtually useless. Her preferences to be mildly dramatic and to make a statement to the law indicates that she may share a similar past that aligns with the formerly-present mindset of Mr. Wolf and how he ran his operation alongside his crew.
(Blurry) Diane descending from the rooftops of Los Angeles using a presumably homemade wingsuit
Foxington also happens to be the engineer of her own technology, which hints towards her having a history relating to the creation or testing of specialised weaponry or tools used for heists which would humble the populace. She appears to be a jack of all trades and has managed to master most of her craft through lengthy training as well as familiarity with her job, although the methods in which she gained this knowledge and expertise are up for speculation. The status of her underground lair where she holds all of her secret weapons, presumed loot as well as planning centre also hint towards Diane being a hardened criminal and having a lengthy past with executing her scores mostly to perfection.
Her family history alongside relationships with potential allies before The Bad Guys is all but a mystery for Foxington announced when comforting Mr. Wolf that she could sympathise with him considering she had left behind everything to pursue the life of being a criminal. She laments that if Mr. Wolf's friends were true friends, they would come back for him. This implies that she may have had friends or even family in the past that may have not come back for her even when she became governor after seeing what she had done as her profession for so long. She also quips that she was her but on the right side, indicating that she didn't wish to get into this life in the first place and was merely filling part of her soul with wealth and the dreams of leaving behind a legacy before ultimately learning that it's meaningless as well as figuring out that she had become the stereotype she had always wished to avoid.
Unfortunately, beyond speculation. Nothing concrete is known about Foxington's backstory other than the vague backstory she is given inside of the original books which do not relate much to the movie itself. It is hoped that in due time, we will learn more about her legacy as well as her history of being potentially one of the most chaotic criminals ever to exist for it's not easy to gain the reputation of being the best bandit the world has to offer.
Official Description[]
- Governor Diane Foxington, a red fox of grand vision and unflinching confidence, has no qualms insulting the Bad Guys on live TV. Yet even she had to be impressed when the Bad Guys decided to go “good”, especially at Mr. Wolf’s genuine attempts to change his ways.[1]
Personality[]
Diane Foxington's personality can be described as cunning, sharp, intelligent as well as sympathetic. During her time as the Crimson Paw, Diane would often use her traits of intelligence and slyness to aid her in retreating from the authorities. She demonstrates an immense degree of cunning when confronting Mr. Wolf and The Bad Guys for the first time, calling them second-rate has-beens. This indicates a degree of arrogance alongside pride, and that she may have a side of her that sees more than meets the eye.
Foxington is generally stubborn yet easy to sway. As seen by Professor Marmalade's proposition to turn The Bad Guys into The Good Guys, she has an incredible ability to listen to those around her as well as perceive the situation at hand. After being persuaded into allowing The Bad Guys to return to their lives as the newly rehabilitated and rebranded Good Guys. Diane also takes pride in her image as the Governor of California, and can't stand it when she is publicly proven wrong. This is showcased when she is angered due to the immense embarrassment Professor Marmalade's failed 'Heist for Good' brought to her credibility.
Despite her cockiness, Diane can also be seen as being extremely sympathetic. This is seen when she acknowledges Wolf's struggles with leaving the criminal life. She can also see through the facade that was Mr. Wolf's charm, and whilst they were being rebranded and taught how to be good, she offered him a pep-talk. She says that despite her anger with the failed 'Heist for Good', she was rooting for him, indicating that she could relate to his situation and displayed an immense amount of optimism for him.
She is also observant, as she is the only one to notice Professor Marmalade's drastic change of attitude when addressing the public after his public feud with Wolf. This makes her question if The Bad Guys were truly the culprits once The Love Crater Meteorite went missing, and goes out to break them out of jail.
Diane reflecting on her decision to steal the Golden Dolphin as the Crimson Paw and later placing it back in its place.
Her ability to sympathize with and comfort Mr. Wolf indicates that she is a kind-hearted individual behind the scenes with a tricky side. When she was under the alias of the Crimson Paw, she found herself reflecting on herself and realizing that she was just the tricky fox that everyone told her that she was supposed to be as well as what she would become. As opposed to being a sociopath, she is in touch with her feelings and often uses that to benefit those around her, which is backed up by the fact that she wished to become Governor.
She also has a flirtatious side, as she is seen to be infatuated with Wolf at first sight. Diane is often seen shooting him flirty looks, subtly touching him, and goes on to dance with him during the Gala of Goodness. She even tells him that she’s rooting for him to turn over a new leaf.
Foxington also possesses an ability to plan out her actions with relative swiftness and efficiency as seen by her confrontation with the prison guards holding The Bad Guys captive on the high security island which deprived them of their freedom. Other notable traits include her being relatively hard to impress thanks to her knowledge in a variety of fields alongside being laid back whenever she is not placed under an immense of stress.
Physical Appearance[]
Diane Foxington dressed as the Crimson Paw (Unmasked)
Diane is a tall, beautiful and pear-shaped anthropomorphic red fox with the basic fox traits - such as pointed-ears, a pointed muzzle with black inner lip-liner and a dusty-pink nose (instead of black), paws with dark auburn claws, and a bushy tail.
Her rather thick fur is ginger-colored with fluffy-tufts located and the sides of her face, and pale-apricot patches which are lightly placed around her eyes, muzzle to her chest, insides of her ears, the front of her paws and the tip of her tail. She also has sharp black eyebrows with the left sporting two small round silver piercings, and oval-shaped eyes with noticeable green irises and small, yet fluttery-like lashes protruding from them.
In terms of attire, Diane wore a set of four outfits throughout the movie; Due to being the governor, her main attire appears to be that of an elegant business attire which consists of a set of silver thin oval-framed glasses, a gray business pantsuit with the jacket being worn over a white dress-shirt with a skinny dark navy silk necktie, and a pair of dark navy high-heels. She accessorizes with both a diamond necklace and a diamond bracelet that she wore around her right wrist.
During the Golden Dolphin award ceremony, Diane wears a golden necklace with a matching bracelet, which she wore around her right wrist similar to her usual bracelet. Her attire is that of a strapless, sweetheart-styled, magenta-pink ruched-dress which is presumably made out of satin/silk, alongside a pair of strapped high-heels which are the same color. She also wears a ring which she kept the Zumpango Diamond in.
During the Gala for Goodness, Diane wears the same diamond necklace and bracelet, but her outfit is instead a strapless, open-front, royal-blue split maxi dress with attached pants, and a set of ankle strap sparkly-white high-heels. She also appears to carry an auburn handbag.
Meanwhile, as The Crimson Paw, Diane wears a costume that resembles the attire of a ninja; she wears a tight-fitting black hooded stealth-suit with yellow stripes on the sides and small yellow "X" shape stitched in the middle of the hood, and a black neck-balaclava. She also wore a black utility belt with a thin buckle strapped around her waist, and black arm-wrap bracers with matching over-the-knee boots, with her boots containing a yellow stripe above the soles. Her suit was also meant to hide all of her fox features, as her tail is completely hidden.
Relationships[]
Trivia[]
Ellen (Agent Fox) in the Book Series, whom Diane Foxington is loosely based on
- In spite of sharing many traits with her counterpart inside of the book, Diane Foxington from the film and Agent Fox (Ellen) inside of the books contrast massively when compared:
- Diane was a former thief who decided to change her life for the better whilst Ellen was not.
- Diane is a politician whereas Ellen has no political affiliation.
- Diane worked solo as the Crimson Paw while Ellen worked alongside other partners as part of the "International League of Heroes"
- Diane has no pronounced hair other than her hair whilst Ellen has a massive ponytail stemming from her head to her hips.
- Diane was repulsed by the fact she was performing acts of evil whereas Ellen is merely a thug who switched sides to benefit herself alongside her crew.
- Diane stopped identifying as the Crimson Paw upon her discovery all the while Ellen continues to work with the members of "Shadow Squad G"
- Diane has no defined quest set for her other than to continue her role as governor of California all the while Ellen is referenced as "The One" inside of the books, indicating that she had a quest of her own to complete separate from her comrades within the books.
- However in book 17, she presumably gets killed by Splaarghön, and Rhonda tells Wolf it was herself that was the one, not Ellen, tricking everyone to keep Rhonda safe from the underlords and Splaarghön. But in book 18, Ellen is alive and brainwashed into an underlord. Rhonda is also not seen at all in the film.
- Diane's selection of "The Crimson Paw" as her criminal alias likely stems from the phrase "never caught red-handed" for several reasons:
- Up until the climax of the film, Diane was never caught by anyone, embodying the essence of the phrase.
- The "paw" part of her criminal name is based on the "handed" part of the phrase, giving a nod to her animalistic nature.
- The "crimson" part reflects the "red" component of the phrase, as crimson is a dark shade of red.
Gallery[]
Screenshots[]
Miscellaneous[]
External links[]
References[]
- ↑ "The Bad Guys Cast and Characters". Collider. Retrieved on April 20, 2022.
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