Mobile Suit Gundam has continued to follow brand new stories focusing on the mech suits for decades at this point. While the original universe that kicked things off still has new stories weaved within it, such as the recent Netflix anime Gundam: Requiem For Vengeance, new universes are created regularly to help give the mech franchise serious longevity. On top of original anime series, the Gundam universe is one that is more than willing to crossover with other properties, both officially and unofficially. Now, Disney is getting a mech of its own as a Gundam designer has created a mech for Mickey Mouse that is unlike anything we’ve ever seen.
Mickey Mouse has been Disney’s official mascot for quite some time but 2024 saw a major monkey wrench thrown into the rodent’s life. As of January 1st of this year, Steamboat Willie, the first take on the Disney mascot, became a part of public domain. After a certain amount of time, it is possible for any fictional character to dodge copyrights and be owned by the public. Steamboat Willie, for example, first hit the scene in 1928 and thus, can now have stories made about the character outside of Disney. Of course, with this reveal, there are plenty of horror movie creators looking to put a new spin on the classic cartoon mouse.
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The Mickey Mouse Gundam Arrives
Bandai Namco recently revealed a new toy that will see Mickey Mouse transforming into a mech suit as a part of the company’s sub-brand known as Tamashii Nation. The mech in question has been made by Kunio Okawara, the designer of the anime franchise VOTOMS and a major figure in the Gundam universe. If you’re not in the know, Okawara helped to design numerous original Gundam mechs including the original suit that started it all and the Zaku II.
On top of revealing the new figure, Okawara shared his thoughts on the creation of the Mickey Mouse mech dubbed the “Chogokin Super Change Mickey Mouse” robot, “Because there are many Mickey Mouse fans all over the world, I didn’t want to mess with his visual design. From the front, I kept him looking as close to his original appearance as I could, and I got really excited thinking of ways for him to transform”
Disney Anime?
While there hasn’t been an official Mickey Mouse anime created in the past, Disney is inching its way into the medium via some interesting avenues. Star Wars: Visions garnered two seasons that saw anime studios assemble to create new stories focusing on the Jedi and the Sith. While the studio hasn’t created anime series for Marvel’s ever-expanding superhero roster or any of the other films that Disney has made over the years, these might arrive at some point in the future.
As for Gundam, the mech franchise has seen its fair share of wild crossovers in the past. One of the most unbelievable crossovers came in the form of the Gundam and Hello Kitty meeting, whcih not only gave fans some new wild mechs to buy but also gave anime fans new videos that saw Sanrio’s biggest character fighting against the original mech that started it all. Since Mobile Suit: Gundam has introduced countless new mechs and new stories to continue its story, it will be interesting to see what other universes the anime franchise teams up with.
Want to see what other properties get their own Gundams in the future? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the Mobile Suit franchise and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.
