Veteran game developer Warren Specter has voiced his disappointment that the significant role the 2010 title Epic Mickey played in bringing Oswald the Lucky Rabbit back into the Disney fold is not being adequately recognized. Specter, who is retiring from the industry after a career spanning over four decades, highlighted the game's importance in a recent LinkedIn post reacting to the D23 preview of an upcoming Disney+ miniseries centered on Oswald.
Specter noted that the development document for Epic Mickey reportedly influenced then-Disney president Bob Iger to pursue regaining the rights to Oswald, a character originally created by Walt Disney and animator Ub Iwerks before being taken from the company. Following Oswald's departure, Disney created Mickey Mouse. In 2006, while Iger was CEO, Disney acquired Oswald's rights in a deal that also involved sportscaster Al Michaels. Epic Mickey marked the first time Mickey and Oswald appeared together in a Disney project.
"I'm seriously looking forward to [the miniseries], but it seems as if people are looking at it as the debut of the character," Specter wrote. "Call me small-minded but that ain’t right." He elaborated that the 2010 game represented Oswald's first appearance under Disney's ownership since 1928. Furthermore, Specter pointed out that the game's sequel, Epic Mickey: The Power of Two, gave Oswald dialogue for the first time and developed his love interest, Ortensia.
"I have to admit that I’m a little bitter about the lack of credit the team gets for all this," Specter admitted. "I was blown away that Disney trusted us and saw fit to reintroduce the little guy in a game. But the team did a great job and deserves to be recognized for it before Hollywood makes people forget the games ever existed."
While a modern remaster, Epic Mickey Rebrushed, was released in 2024, Specter has acknowledged that a third installment in the Epic Mickey series is unlikely, though he has shared that he has conceptual ideas for such a project.