One of the most fun parts of the Ducktales reboot has been the way that the series has incorporated nearly every corner of Disney animation into a single coherent universe. We've seen basically all the various shows from the classic Disney Afternoon appear as either regular characters or the occasional guest star. On top of that, we've seen the likes of The Three Caballeros and even Fab 5 member Goofy appear. However, it seems that the big cheese himself is one character who may never get a chance for a proper Ducktales appearance.
I recently had a chance to speak with Ducktales producers Matt Youngberg and Francisco Angones ahead of the return of another classic Disney character, in the special hour-long Darkwing Duck focused episode "Let's Get Dangerous." I asked the pair if there had ever been a Disney character that they had been unable to include in Ducktales, any that perhaps Disney was less willing to let go of. Francisco Angones did say that there have been times they've had to get a bit creative in order to find a way to bring certain characters in, the big one being Mickey Mouse himself, who the show did depict in a roundabout way at the end of Season 2 because that way one way they could do it at all. According to Angones...
The mouse was a big one, and we found a way, in the Season 2 finale, to at least give a hat tip to the mouse.
If you're not up on your Ducktales, in the finale of Season 2, Donald Duck is rescued from a deserted island where he has been stranded for some time. In a scene that's pulled directly from Tom Hanks' Cast Away, Donald has fashioned a friend out of some watermelons that looks, and sounds, vaguely familiar.
It's maybe not too surprising if Ducktales is hitting a wall when it comes to "the mouse." That mouse built an empire after all, and so it makes sense to be protective of how he's portrayed. Although considering that basically, every other Disney animated character has had a chance to appear, Mickey is getting conspicuous by his absence.
While the producer pair was very good about talking around the issue, it certainly sounds like this moment was a compromise that allowed the show to reference Mickey Mouse without actually including the character himself. It makes it sound like an actual Mickey appearance is not in the cards, at least for now.
But not to worry, because Ducktales fans have an entire hour of the show to look forward to which is all about another popular character, Darkwing Duck. On October 19 Disney XD will air "Let's Get Dangerous" an episode of Ducktales that feels like a backdoor pilot for an entirely new Darkwing Duck TV series. For fans of those classic Disney series, there are going to be plenty of characters, easter eggs, and other references to enjoy. Check out a new take on a classic Darkwing Duck character in the clip below.
