A Cosmic Chat with Mickey Mouse: Blending Worlds from Disney to STAR WARS

At the centre of this ever-expanding universe of Disney, where galaxies far, far away collide with superheroes who walk among us, stands one icon, the emblem of the kingdom of magic itself. Forty-five years before ultrasound could detect a baby in its mother’s womb, Walt Disney’s company co-founded by brothers Roy and Walt Disney originated the voice and vision of what would be the very first animated character – a little mouse by the name of Mickey. Before Mickey, in a span of just 20 years in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Walt Disney would encounter the magic of travelling west to California at the age of four, when his family temporarily moved to Kansas while his father worked as a train engineer. Eight years later, in 1906, his father would officially relocate their family to the coast of California. For the Disney family to be successful, Walt Disney would need to expand his imagination, just like his father did. And indeed his father kept him busy. Walt and his three older brothers would take on odd jobs for farmers from Los Angeles to San Diego, singing for tips, crafting voices for silent film dog characters, selling newspapers on street corners, collecting coconuts from the beach, and helping with the upkeep of the grounds at the farm.

Mickey's Odyssey: From Steamboat Willie to STAR WARS

The Magic of Storytelling

For Disney, storytelling is always the star by which every journey navigates. ‘It’s amazing! It opens up all these story potentials,’ Mickey recalled for us as we sat down for an exclusive chat. ‘That’s what Walt loved to do – tell stories.’ Since buying the STAR WARS and Marvel franchises, and Pixar, the possibilities for narrative and moral lessons hidden behind the veil of imagination have only grown richer and more endless.

A New Hope and Beyond: Mickey's Love for STAR WARS

Most of all, the little *Star* burns in Mickey’s chest when he’s talking about STAR WARS. A lover of the originals, lilting out ‘A New Hope’, ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ and ‘Return of the Jedi’ are his classics and, watching him speak of the riches of the galaxy far, far away, his eyes glimmer with the same sense of awe we do. ‘I’ve enjoyed The Mandalorian lately,’ Mickey says, aware of the newer STAR WARS additions.

Mickey's Galactic Alter Ego

Costumes are part of the Disney experience, and Mickey winks and says he likes Han Solo, ‘cause he is a rebel, and a smuggler, and a hero. But it isn’t all about the characters; it’s about getting to be them – or at least dress like them, or dress your child like them. ‘I was Luke Skywalker once,’ Mickey says, bright-eyed. ‘That was fun.

Disneyland vs. Disney World: A Friendly Rivalry

The Happiest Places on Earth

One of the oldest questions around is which of the parks is better: Disneyland or Disney World? Mickey walks a fine line on this one, praising Walt’s original creation in California while giving due respect to the special enchantment each of the parks possess. ‘If I had to choose… I’d go with Disneyland,’ Mickey decides, ‘but my heart is with both.’

Mickey & Minnie's Movie Nights

Classics Never Age

Back home with Minnie, Mickey once again takes a bite out of the classics, those stories that made Disney a legend for so many years – the likes of Snow White (1937) and Bambi (1942) and all the rest, films that remind us how deeply ingrained storytelling and animation are – and remain – in our popular imagination.

A Bright Future: Mickey and Bret Iwan

And with Bret Iwan (the actor who has been the latest mouse to take up Mickey’s voice) fast replacing Gitner and the like, we can see the torch passing, with respect and friendship. ‘Oh, he’s a great friend,’ Mickey tells me. ‘We get along wonderfully.’

The Star of the Show

Cosmic Connections

No single character or world dominates the story of any Disney film – instead, the *star* of the show is the collective imagination by which Disney worlds and characters come together. For decades, Mickey Mouse has not just observed this expanding universe, he’s been the essential character committed to bridging the past and the present, to uniting old titles with new, and to embodying the sense of adventure, curiosity and friendship that defines Disney.

Through it all, from gushing about STAR WARS to admitting how Disneyland and Disney World have become a part of him, Mickey’s life is a testament to the way that stories bring people together – one star at a time.