Adult Swim addresses the Steamboat Willie copyright expiration in the most Adult Swim way possible

Adult Swim has welcomed the Steamboat Willie version of Mickey Mouse into the public domain in the most Adult Swim way possible. 

The early version of the iconic animated mouse moved into the public domain on January 1, 2024, meaning this particular iteration of Mickey is up for grabs. 

Per Uproxx, Adult Swim had some fun with the character on the night of January 7, airing a short clip of Mickey getting rather close to a slogan that simply reads "public domain bitch".

Of course, this is far from the first bit of fun someone has had with the public domain version of Mickey. There are already horror movies and video games featuring the famous mouse – though, if you're planning your own take on the classic mouse, you should be warned that it's merely Steamboat Willie that's public domain, while Mickey Mouse is trademarked. 

We shouldn't be surprised at the impulse to mess around with iconic, beloved animated characters the second they become available – after all, Winnie the Pooh horror Blood and Honey made waves with its story depicting Winnie and co. as killers taking revenge on Christopher Robin. That movie is coming back for a sequel, and there's also horror takes on Bambi and Cinderella in the works. Prepare to bid farewell to your childhood, then. 

As for Disney, the studio just celebrated its 100th anniversary with the release of Wish, while 2024 brings Lion King prequel Mufasa and Inside Out 2. 

You can keep up to date with all the studio's releases with our guide to the upcoming Disney movies.