Top 10 Characters Coming To Public Domain
#10: Mickeys Friends (2026-)
Mickey Mouses friends will soon join him in the public domain. Plutos earliest design will be up for grabs in 2026. Goofy/Dippy Dawg follows in 2028 with Donald Duck not far behind. As mentioned, the industry will likely incorporate these characters into the Poohniverse, for better or worse. Whether or not we ever get a good horror send-up, there are other public domain stories you can incorporate Disney characters into. How about an adaptation of The Great Gatsby called The Great Goofy? In addition to Goofy as Jay Gatsby, you could have Mickey Mouse as Nick Carraway, Minnie Mouse as Jordan Baker, Donald Duck as Tom Buchanan, and - our most inspired casting choice - Daisy Duck as Daisy Buchanan. It practically writes itself!
#9: Conan the Barbarian (2028)
Arnold Schwarzeneggers Conan wont enter the public domain for a while. However, Robert E. Howards first Conan story, 1932 The Phoenix on the Sword, will in 2028. Of course, there are some differences between this Conan and the one we know today. For starters, he was originally called Conan the Cimmerian. Considering how many self-serious Conan movies thereve been, it might be fun to see an intentionally comedic take on the sword and sorcery icon. Who better to play him than Conan OBrien? You might think were joking - and to an extent we are. Yet, if anyone knows how to take a dumb joke and roll with it, its Coco. Be it a live-action or animated film, wed love to see this cinematic in-joke.
#8: Nancy Drew (2026)
More specifically, the first Nancy Drew book, The Secret of the Old Clock, will be in the public domain by 2026. Not the updated text, but rather, the 1930 edition, which features some gun violence and dated stereotypes. As such, itd be hard to do a straightforward adaptation. How about a sci-fi spin on the story, though? What if the secret is that the old clock can take Nancy to different time periods or alternative universes? A modern Nancy could meet her 1930 variant, encountering aspects of this parallel universe that arent exactly PC by contemporary standards. Theres potential for a clever commentary on censorship, revisionism, and what makes timeless characters endure despite occasionally having a problematic past.
#7: Betty Boop (2026)
Betty Boop was arguably animations first sex symbol, although she was originally a bit of a dog. We dont mean that in a derogatory way. She was literally part canine, serving as a love interest for Bimbo. This version of Betty gets the public domain treatment in 2026, although her fully human form will soon follow. Since Bettys early cartoons werent afraid to be a little naughty, perhaps the character could take center stage in a hard-R sex comedy like Trainwreck or a deep character study like Anora. The film could even borrow a page from Barbie with reality invading Bettys surreal universe. It can also delve into Bettys bizarre sex life as she forms a love triangle with Bimbo and Koko the Clown.
#6: King Kong (2029)
On the subject of strange romance, how about a version of King King where things work out between the beauty and beast? The 1933 classic comes to the public domain in 2029 along with its half-assed sequel, Son of Kong. Our proposed version picks up after Kong falls from the tower, revealing he survived. Ann Darrow nurtures Kong back to health in a mockumentary modeled after Chimp Crazy. Like Tonia Haddix, Ann enters a legal battle between the authorities and animal rights activists, debating whats best for Kong. Ann is determined to keep Kong away from them, although a giant ape is harder to hide than a chimpanzee like Tonka. Ann nonetheless strives to tame the beast in a tale of love, lies, and bananas.
#5: Captain America (2036)
The copyright on Captain America could expire as early as 2036. This includes Bucky Barnes, but not the Winter Soldier. The recent Captain America movies certainly have real-world parallels. Being Disney-owned properties that dont want to alienate any demographics, though, the political commentary can only go so far. Imagine if Captain America was free to anyone like the South Park guys! Cap could take center stage in a full-blown satire poking fun at todays political landscape, taking no prisoners. We could even see it working as a stage musical like The Book of Mormon. Think something along the lines of Rogers: The Musical, but with a more cynical edge as a divided country looks to the Star Spangled Man, finding that he has no plan.
#4: Disneys Snow White (2032)
While the original fairy tale has fallen under fair use for eons, Disneys 1937 masterpiece is finally coming to the public domain after nearly a century. This not only entails Disneys design of the titular princess, but also the seven dwarfs and their names. We envision a reality show satire like Jon & Kate Plus 8 with Snow White, her prince, and dwarfs living under one roof. Throughout Season 1, we learn Doc has been performing illegal operations on the side, Grumpys history of hateful tweets is exposed, and the prince is canceled when the kingdom learns he kissed Snow White without consent, which goes from bad to worse after Snows canonical age is made public. Look it up. Hey, sounds better than any live-action remake.
#3: Several Looney Tunes (2030-)
Characters like Bosko are essentially in the public domain now. As far as the A-list Looney Tunes go, early incarnations of Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, and Bugs Bugs will be released from their copyright chains throughout the 2030s. Like Disneys characters, we expect the Looney Tunes will also be exploited in cheaply made slasher flicks. Rather than rehash a tired trend, what if somebody made a legitimate Looney Tunes movie? The Day the Earth Blew Up proved it could be done with just $15 million. Flow showed an Oscar winner can be made on free, open-source software. Warner Bros. apparently seems content with shelving Looney Tunes projects for tax write-offs. If WB wont do right by these beloved characters, perhaps the indie animation scene can.
#2: Universal Monsters (2027-)
Although their original source material is already in the public domain, most people still associate Count Dracula and Frankensteins monster with Universals 1931 adaptations. Both films are coming to the public domain in 2027 with The Mummy joining them a year later. While Universal is still making monster movies, wed love to see a throwback that tries to capture the look and feel of the classics. It could be done on an independent budget, being shot in black-and-white with limited sets and practical makeup. Sounds like something that would be up James Rolfes alley. With Dracula, the Mummy, and Frankie available, a crossover seems inevitable. Imagine 1945s House of Dracula... but better or the Dark Universe but, you know, not a complete waste of time.
#1: Various DC Characters (2034-)
Speaking of crossovers, Captain America enters the public domain a couple of years after Superman in 2034. Who says a DC/Marvel crossover isnt practical? Although many Marvel characters are under copyright for the foreseeable future, DC is another story. The public domain can expect the arrival of Batman in 2035, the Joker in 2036, and Wonder Woman in 2037. Fans always say they could make a better DC movie than what Warner Bros. churns out. Nows their chance to prove it. In a way, indie filmmakers already are with movies like The Peoples Joker, which was promoted as a fair-use parody. Vera Drews film nonetheless ran into some copyright issues. With copyrights expiring, though, projects like The Peoples Joker may become easier to produce.
Which characters are you most excited to see enter the public domain? Do you have any fun ideas for them? Let us know in the comments.
