Judy's Z3 character arc will involve her "allowing herself to be CAUGHT".
It's pretty clear from the first two movies that Judy has been forcing Nick to chase her around. But what she doesn't seem to know yet (on a real conscious level, anyway) is whether she actually wants to be caught.
She proves in the first movie that she isn't afraid of Nick. She then goes to great lengths in the second movie to establish how much she wants their partnership. But she never slows down enough to genuinely attune with Nick or get on the same page as him emotionally. She assumes Nick's primary motivation for joining the ZPD aligns perfectly with her own pursuit of justice. (After all, what else is there?) Never once does she stop to consider that what Nick might actually be pursuing, indeed what he might value above anything else, is her.
It's clear from Jared Bush's script that Judy doesn't have a lot of romantic/sexual experience ("Judy has NO IDEA how to react to someone flirting with her"), not to mention her discomfort with nudity in the more progressive spaces of Zootopia (Marsh Market, the Naturalist Club). Additionally, her tendency to PUNCH Nick could indicate some awkwardness with physical touch. He has to physically pull her into their embrace the first time they hug, and she looks so confused the first time they hold hands, lol.
In spite of Judy's openness, she seems to have a real fear of vulnerability. She told Nick at the end of Z2 that she's afraid of "looking weak", and it's likely she doesn't have a habit of being introspective or even honest with herself about the true nature of her feelings (unresolved childhood trauma, insecurity, a desire for commitment and emotional support, attraction to Nick). In addition to fearing intimacy, Judy is afraid of examining herself too closely - hence the FLIGHT RESPONSE. Judy's always been her own worst enemy, and she demonstrates this constantly by managing to outrun herself, and therefore Nick, in every movie.
The third movie is going to involve Judy's greatest emotional journey yet, one in which she'll have to override all of her natural instincts and finally allow Nick to "catch" her. I believe Judy wants to be caught. I believe this is what will allow her to be her happiest, most actualized self. Nick definitely wants to catch her. But in order for him to succeed, Judy ultimately has to trust that Nick won't let her fall.
P.S. - WATCH MY FANVID ON YOUTUBE! It's a fun, lighthearted video that aligns with how I personally interpret Judy. (Basically, she's not as smart as she thinks she is. 😉)
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