Disney Interactive is making a big deal today about Disney Infinity 2.0, the next version of its toy-based game that adds Marvel characters to the existing collection of figurines. That’s great, but Disney has barely scratched the surface of its own catalog of iconic characters and properties.
Right now, Disney Infinity supports 29 characters from 12 different franchises, but the entertainment giant has much more. Don’t forget — Disney has been creating famous characters since the 1920s, and yet the only Disney Infinity figurine representing the pre-’90s is the obvious Mickey Mouse. Hell, even the ’90s are barely represented.
We actually asked a Disney representative about this today during Disney Infinity 2.0’s reveal. “There will be future announcements of more Disney stuff to come, but we’re not gonna talk about it today,” he told us. He did confirm that more Disney figures will come to the game this year. Well, good! We have some suggestions.
So before we get all excited about seeing Iron Man team up with Buzz Lightyear, here are some Disney characters that desperately need to appear in Infinity’s toy box.
Aladdin
Disney animation had a huge renaissance in the late ’80s and early ’90s, and Aladdin was right in the middle of it. So why not give this character some love in Disney Infinity? Just like he did in his famous Genesis game, we could give him a scimitar to swing around. Or for a more kid-friendly approach, he could throw apples, like he did in his Super Nintendo adventure.
Aladdin is also the star of Disney’s newest Broadway production. Disney loves synergy, so why not capitalize on that?
Simba
Speaking of those great ’90s films, how the hell is Lion King not represented? That was Disney animation’s biggest hit ever until the recent film Frozen started breaking records. I mean, who doesn’t know what hakuna matata means (besides WordPress’ auto-correct, apparently)?
Let’s get the film’s star, the lion Simba, in there. You could use either his cub or adult appearance. I’m not picky.
Tron
Let’s move away from animation and look at Disney’s catalog of live-action films, specifically 1982’s Tron. That was a special-effects extravaganza that still resonates today thanks to its incredible style and creative take on the digital world. It even got a sequel a few years back in Tron: Legacy.
Let’s get the classic digital champion, Tron, into Disney Infinity. Who wouldn’t want to see him exchanging disk/shield throws with Captain America?
Snow White
Long before every girl in the world knew “Let It Go,” Walt Disney hit gold with the first feature animated film ever, 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Drawfs. The movie was incredibly instrumental to the company’s growth and legacy. It’s pretty much criminal to have it go unrepresented in any collection of Disney franchises.
Besides, despite having created so many popular princesses, royalty is a bit lacking in the current Disney Infinity roster. Let’s fix that by adding the original Disney princess, Snow White.
Donald Duck
Do I really need to justify this one? Donald Duck is one of the most recognizable cartoon characters in the world. He’s second only to Mickey in terms of popular Disney creations. In fact, Donald’s star actually outshone the mouse’s for a bit in the middle of the 20th century. How could he not be playable in Disney Infinity?
Honestly, a lot of classic characters are woefully absent. Where are Goofy, Minnie, and Pluto? We’re really going to add Hawkeye and the Black Widow before them?
Benjamin Franklin Gates
OK, this is the dark horse, but I freakin’ love National Treasure. Yeah, go ahead and laugh (as my colleagues have done for years), but those movies are fun adventure serials that don’t rely on computer effects. Disney was also the studio behind them.
This gives us the perfect opportunity to make Nic Cage a character in Disney Infinity, which sounds about 100 times more entertaining than playing as the Guardians of the Galaxy.
So that does it for our picks. Which Disney characters would you like to see in Infinity 2.0?