Mulan Video Shows Original 1991 Mushu Designs By Disney Animator
Former Disney animator Tom Bancroft shares a video showcasing a number of early design sketches for Eddie's Murphy's Mushu from 1998's Mulan. Murphy voiced the small dragon and former guardian of the Fa family in the animated musical adventure film. Murphy starred alongside Ming-Na Wen, who provided the voice of the titular heroine.
Released in 1998, Mulan is inspired by the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, and follows Wen's Mulan as she takes her father's place in the Chinese army when he is conscripted. Disguising herself as a man to join the ranks of the Imperial army in their fight against the invading Huns, Mulan is aided by the disgraced Mushu, who hopes to regain the praise of the spirits of the Fa family ancestors by guiding her in her quest. While the 2020 live-action Mulan remake cut Mushu, the character was a key part of the original animated feature, as both a source of comedy and a companion to Mulan throughout her journey.
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With the film having recently passed the 24th anniversary of its release, one of the features' animators has offered fans a glimpse of Mushu's design's evolution. In a video posted on his personal TikTok account to celebrate the milestone, Bancroft showcases a number of sketches from Mulan's early stages of production in 1991. In the video, the character's original designer shares a number of character sheets and sketches of Mushu created to see how the character's expressions could work alongside Murphy's performance. In some sheets, Bancroft notes that Mushu once had longer, more curved horns that were shortened to lessen any animation issues that could arise. Alongside Mushu, Bancroft also shows a clip glimpse of sketches of the
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