Warren Spector Says Disney Is Forgetting Epic Mickey's Role in Oswald's Comeback

Warren Spector, the game director behind Deus Ex and Disney's Epic Mickey series, says he is "a little bitter" that the video games which brought Oswald the Lucky Rabbit back into Disney's orbit are being left out of the story as the character heads to a new Disney+ miniseries.

Jon Favreau previewed an upcoming Oswald the Lucky Rabbit mini-series at Disney's D23 fan event, slated for release in 2027. The announcement has been mostly well received, with fans happy to see the long-dormant character return to the spotlight. But Spector, writing on his LinkedIn account, argued that Epic Mickey and its sequel did far more for Oswald than current coverage acknowledges — and he wants credit where he believes it is due.

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was a breakout animated star created by Walt Disney and animator Ub Iwerks in the 1920s. Disney lost the rights to the character in 1928, and Oswald spent decades outside the company. According to a GameSpot report, a development document for Epic Mickey in 2003 reportedly spurred then-Disney president Bob Iger to eventually regain those rights. In 2006, Iger — by then CEO — struck a deal with NBCUniversal: Disney would get Oswald back, and NBC would get the rights to sportscaster Al Michaels.

Epic Mickey, released in 2010, was the first Disney project to bring Mickey Mouse and Oswald together on screen. Spector wrote that it marked Oswald's first Disney role since 1928. Its 2012 sequel, Epic Mickey: The Power of Two, went further — giving Oswald a voice (provided by veteran voice actor Frank Welker) and fleshing out his love interest, Ortensia. Spector credited his Junction Point studio team with giving Ortensia her name, personality, and role as Oswald's paramour, noting that none of that dated back to Disney's original creations.

Spector wrote that he was blown away Disney had trusted his team to reintroduce Oswald in a game. That trust, he feels, has not been reflected in the credit the team has received. He expressed bitterness over how little recognition Epic Mickey gets for its part in Oswald's modern revival, even as Disney prepares to give the character his own streaming series.

For Spector, the frustration is tempered by an awareness that the moment has passed. He acknowledged that Epic Mickey 3 is unlikely to happen, though he said he still has ideas for the unmade sequel. The original game received a modern remaster, Epic Mickey Rebrushed, in 2024 — a sign that the series retains an audience even as its creator watches Oswald's next chapter unfold without him.

Oswald's Disney+ miniseries is set to arrive in 2027. Whether it acknowledges the path the games carved remains to be seen — but Spector has made sure the record, at least on LinkedIn, is not silent.