The public domain is a beautiful thing. With it, we have been graced with projects that would otherwise only exist in our wildest dreams. Many of Disney’s animated films from Snow White onwards drew from source material that was in the public domain at the time. Recently, with Winnie the Pooh’s copyright expiring, we were gifted Blood and Honey, a slasher film featuring the big yellow bear himself as the killer. 

We are about to come full circle in January 2024, as Steamboat Willie, the earliest iteration of Mickey Mouse, will enter the public domain. Assuming Disney doesn’t go to hell and back to preserve their ownership through trademarking (let’s be real, they will) things could get very weird.

To start, the Blood and Honey director says he has no plans on making a slasher with the monochromatic mouse, because he fears the evil Avengers that are Disney lawyers will make him meet his Endgame. Still, who’s to stop other people from creating Steamboat Willie films? Maybe when Donald and Goofy cross over, we could see a full-blown coming of age story with themes of substance abuse called Steamboat-spotting.

One of the crazier ideas comes from comedian John Oliver, who suggested that, to save Chuck E. Cheese from financial downfall, they should replace their mascot with Steamboat Willie and create animatronics. On that note, the overwhelmingly popular Five Nights at Freddie’s video game series could get a spinoff, with the big Mick taking the murder robot mantle. 

As for merchandise, not much will change in the Philippines. Filipinos clearly don’t care when it comes to copyright, selling as many Minnie Mouse lunch boxes and Elsa balloons as humanly possible in places like Divisoria. If anything, iconic characters entering the public domain will only make Jed’s Island Resort 8% less illegal.

All this theorizing is still wishful thinking. Without a doubt, Disney CEO Bob Iger will do anything in his power to protect their beloved mouse. But with all his recent takes on the actors’ and writers’ strikes, we can only hope that this public domain situation, at the very least, gives him a massive headache.