Emily Brown
It's been nearly 100 years since Mickey Mouse was first introduced to the world, so when a rumour emerged claiming he was being retired, panic began to spread among Disney fans.
The suggestion that we'd have to say goodbye to the beloved character began in a TikTok video shared by the page Mouse Trap News, which on 9 February claimed Mickey would be replaced by a dragon named Figment.
The name probably should have been the first red flag, but the accompanying video was still successful in convincing some viewers that Mickey was on his way out.
The video showed the mousey mascot blowing a kiss to the camera while a voiceover explained that the trademark for the character was set to expire in 2024, so Figment would be stepping in to replace him.
In a further effort to trick fans, the creator of the video shared a picture of Figment next to the statue of Walt Disney.
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TikTokers quickly fell into panic mode, with one responding to the news to say, "Disney is NOTHING without Mickey," while another commented: "Mickey has been the mascot for ever and now they are changing it [what the hell]."
However, if viewers had just looked a little closer at the TikTok page, it wouldn't have been too difficult to realise that the claim has no hard evidence behind it.
Mouse Trap News states in its bio that it's home to 'Real Disney News That is 100% FAKE‼️', with another false video on the page claiming that Disney will require guests to take an 'exam' to buy park tickets.
Disney states on its website that Mickey is an 'icon and a true original', as well as a 'dependable pal for life', so it doesn't sound like they're keen to get rid of him.
But while Mickey isn't being replaced just yet, fans really can expect to get to know Figment a bit better.
The dragon hasn't been plucked from Mouse Trap News' imagination, and is actually the mascot of the Imagination Pavilion at the Epcot theme park at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.
Last year, it was confirmed that a Disney film featuring Figment is in the works from Seth Rogen's production company Point Grey, with Pokémon Detective Pikachu's Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit on board to write.
Hopefully the purple dragon will get the attention he deserves as he finds his way into the spotlight, but considering Mickey's been around since 1928, I don't think we need to worry about him replacing the mouse just yet.