'Epic Mickey' Fans Vindicated With 2027 'Oswald' Series Announcement
Overview & Key Takeaways
Disney bought Oswald the Lucky Rabbit back 20 years ago so the character could appear in Epic Mickey. Now, Oswald is getting a Disney Plus series
Disney is finally doing something new with Oswald the Lucky Rabbit over 20 years after reacquiring the rights to Mickey Mouse's predecessor for Epic Mickey. In one of the more under-the-radar announcements from Friday's flagship D23 showcase, Jon Favreau announced an Oswald miniseries releasing on Disney Plus in Feb. 2027.
Walt Disney actually created Oswald the Lucky Rabbit before Mickey Mouse, but he did not own the rights to the character. Oswald was abandoned and fell into obscurity as a result. Mickey Mouse, which Disney owned outright, became the company's flagship character. In 2006, Disney made a deal with NBCUniversal to get the rights to Oswald back by trading ESPN sportscaster Al Michaels to NBC's sports programming team. A few years later, Disney's reason for wanting Oswald became clearer.
Oswald had a starring role in Epic Mickey, a Wii game about Mickey Mouse exploring worlds filled with obscure and forgotten Disney characters. He would go on to appear in Epic Mickey's sequel and 2024 remaster, but has otherwise mostly been relegated to the occasional cameo or brief reference in other Disney Animation projects. Now, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit will get a miniseries to call his own.
The three-part miniseries, simply titled Oswald, will blend live action and animation like Coyote vs. Acme does. In it, Oswald will escape into the real world after an earthquake and befriend a group of middle school kids who help him explore a world he hasn't seen in a century.
The project was written, co-directed, and produced by Jon Favreau, best known for directing the first two Iron Man films, Elf, and May's The Mandalorian and Grogu. Some of the show's cast has been confirmed, with Kathryn Hahn being the most prominent cast member. Ryder Allen, Albert Brooks, Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Mykal-Michelle Harris, and Al Madrigal also star.
Oswald will premiere on Disney Plus on Feb. 17, 2027, nearly 100 years after the character's first appearance in the Trolley Troubles animated short. In the interim, Epic Mickey Rebrushed is being ported to iOS and Android on Sept. 16 and Nintendo Switch 2 on Oct. 6.
