Disney turns 100 years old this October, and the Walt Disney Company has slowly but surely building up to the big birthday. Towards the end of 2022, it released Oswald the Lucky Rabbit’s first short in a long time, and with the Super Bowl airing tonight, it’s flexing even further with a minute-long showcase of the mega-corporation’s place in pop culture over the past century.
Billed as a “special look that honours the fans and storytellers who made this dream come true,” the Disney 100 video features a plethora of footage to get you right in the nostalgic feels. In addition to the present day heavy hitters like Marvel, Star Wars, and Avatar, there’s also some well-beloved gems in classics featured like Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, and even Remember the Titans featured. With old voice over from Walt Disney and footage of him creating Mickey Mouse included with home videos of kids in Disney costumes, it can be an effective tug at the heartstrings.
But also, it’s undermined in part by the fact that Disney laid off 7,000 people just a handful of days ago. The news broke the same day that returning CEO Bob Iger announced that sequels for Toy Story, Frozen, and Zootopia (all of which were featured here) were in the works. For as much touching footage as there is in the Super Bowl spot, it’s not wrong to call this a grimly timed flex, and that’s without getting into the mess Disney stepped into last year with Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill and how it affected its many employees.
The Super Bowl airs tonight, and will surely feature teasers for a variety of upcoming Disney films and shows, including The Mandalorian and The Little Mermaid.