The film lacks LGBTQ+ characters or non-cisnormative identities. All romantic interests and social dynamics follow a traditional heteronormative structure.

The narrative subverts the 'hero' archetype by making Jack Burton a bumbling participant. Female characters like Gracie Law demonstrate significant agency and intellectual superiority over the supernatural plot.

The film features a predominantly Asian cast in high-agency roles. However, the 'fish out of water' framework and exoticized folklore lean into Orientalist subtext.

The story challenges Western rationalism by centering ancient, non-Western mysticism. It rejects traditional moral paragons in favor of a chaotic, non-traditional social order.

No significant depictions of visible or invisible disabilities appear within the primary character arcs.