As the calendar turned to 2024, animation giant Mickey Mouse has entered public domain, soon to be joined by a litany of other iconic characters and franchises in the latter half of the 2020s. As 95 years have passed since the beloved Disney mascot’s first appearance in Steamboat Willie in 1928, Mickey Mouse’s copyright has officially expired in 2024, meaning anyone will be able to use the character in future without catching legal repurcussions. It’s important to note that only Mickey’s specific appearance in Steamboat Willie will be fair game, as Disney still retains rights to the classic iteration of the character most are familiar with.
The 2020s already saw the loss of one other beloved children’s character, Winnie the Pooh, who’s journey into the public domain was immediately marred by the terrible horror adaptation,Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey. Alongside Mickey Mouse, several other notable characters are soon to be exposed to such a fate at the hands of legally-unbound public creatives. While the 2030s might hold some of the most anticipated copyright losses, with Superman and Batman’s first appearances’ copyright expiring in that decade, the rest of the 2020s will have some tantalizing new arrivals in public domain.
10 Popeye The Sailor
2025
Another beloved children’s character from the earliest days of animation, Popeye the Sailor Man is a spinach-chomping powerhouse known for his unmistakable voice, inhuman feats of strength, and legendary cartoon antics. First appearing in a comic strip in 1929, the rights to Popeye are currently held by Warner Bros. Discovery, who haven’t done much with the property since Gennedy Tartakovsky’s planned 3-D animated Popeye film was canceled. Compared to Winnie the Pooh, Popeye may be better suited to horror, making the inevitable edgy take on Popeye following his entrance into public domain hotly anticipated.
9 Betty Boop
2026
Yet another hallmark cartoon character from the 1930s, Betty Boop is a well-known icon whose image has stretched far beyond the scope of her actual media. First appearing in 1930’s Dizzy Dishes as an anthropomorphic poodle, Betty Boop quickly morphed into a human caricature of a Jazz Age flapper. Since the first cartoons to use Betty’s most well-known likeness came out the same year as Dizzy Dishes, unlike Mickey Mouse, her most iconic iteration will be up for grabs alongside the expiration of her first appearance’s copyright.
8 Universal’s Dracula
2026
Dracula as a character has long been public domain, with his first appearance in Bram Stoker’s eponymous novel entering public domain as early as 1962. Since then, he has appeared in countless forms, including within famous superhero comic universes like Marvel and DC. However, Bela Lugosi’s iconic portrayal of the character in Universal’s Dracula, released in 1931, will lose copyright protections in 2026. This means that most people’s mental image of Dracula, widow’s peak and all, will finally be fair play to adaptation by any creator.
7 Universal’s Frankenstein
2026
Alongside his fellow classic Universal ghoul, Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster will be lumbering into public domain in 2026. Mary Shelley’s original novel, Frankenstein, also known as The Modern Prometheus, has been public domain for some time, having first been released in 1818. Specifically, Boris Karloff’s depiction of Frankenstein’s monster, complete with neck bolts and a dangerously heavy brow-ridge, will be able to be legally reproduced. Universal’s Frankenstein was first released in 1931, inspiring sequels like The Bride of Frankenstein, which will take a little longer to catch up in public domain.
6 Pluto
2026
Mickey Mouse isn’t the only core Disney mascot to be losing the privilege of copyright in the 2020s. The first appearance of his four-legged friend, Pluto the Dog, was in the 1930’s The Chain Gang, in which Pluto was a ruthless bloodhound tracking down Mickey after he escapes from prison, a far cry from their later friendly relationship. Thus, the beloved canine’s entry into the public domain is no mystery, unlike the differences between Goofy and Pluto despite both characters being dogs.
5 Conan The Barbarian
2027
Conan the Barbarian is a franchise with a storied history. First appearing within a series of stories by Robert E. Howard in the Weird Tales magazine in 1932, Conan has since become one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s most iconic roles, with the release of 1982’s Conan the Barbarian. While Arnold’s take on the sword-wielding hero will still be protected, 2027 will see the original conceptualization of the Conan mythos enter the public domain, falling out of the grasp of the Norwegian video game company Funcom, who has leveraged the series’ imagery in the critically-acclaimed MMORPG Conan Exiles.
4 Universal’s The Mummy
2028
The last of the big four Universal movie monsters to join the public domain, Universal’s undead Egyptian, Imhotep, will stumble into public domain in 2028. Debuting in the 1932 film The Mummy, the titular zombified creature was once again portrayed by the legendary Boris Karloff. While many undead mummies have come and gone since 1932, including Tom Cruise’s most recent failed attempt at jumpstarting the ill-fated Universal Dark Universe, Imhotep specifically will be losing copyright protection at the tail end of the 2020s.
3 King Kong
2029
Considered one of the greatest creature features of all time, 1933’s King Kong marked the debut of the classic colossal ape, dazzling audiences in one of the earliest giant monster movies ever made. Though the rights to King Kong have long been a mess, Warner Bros. Discovery currently holds the gargantuan gorilla’s original appearance within their grip. 2029 will see the original movie iteration of the character become free use, though Warner Bros.’ version within the MonsterVerse won’t be budging any time soon.
2 Flash Gordon
2029
One of the earliest science fiction heroes, Flash Gordon first existed within a comic strip in 1934, penned by American cartoonist Alex Raymond. Since then, the polo-player turned galaxy-saving astronaut has morphed into countless iterations, appearing in movies, TV shows, radio plays, and many more comics. While these many iterations of the character have had to distinguish themselves from Raymond’s original creation, thanks to muddy copyright waters, 2029 will see the character’s official entrance into public domain, allowing anyone to adapt Flash’s original appearance as they see fit.
1 Donald Duck
2029
Never far behind Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck is Disney’s second-in-command flagship character whose origins will finally have their copyright expire in 2029. First appearing in 1934’s The Wise Little Hen, the temper-prone Navy veteran waterfowl has had a storied career at Disney, from frontlining the propoganda effort in World War II to dancing alongside his pals in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Though his modern appearance will still be protected, just like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck will be sailing into public domain just before the 2020s end.
