10 Things You May Not Know About Mushu

1. In early drafts of Mulan, Mulan’s companions were going to be two reptilian creatures, not dragons. As the story continued to be developed, it was clear that two sidekicks were too many. The character was then morphed into a two-headed dragon, although this dragon would have been green, and rather on the grotesque side. But even with this change, it was realized that two heads basically meant two characters, and so to further simplify things, Mulan’s sidekick became a small dragon…with one head! And thus, Mushu’s final physical form was created.

2. Simple, right? Well, not exactly. The concept of Mulan having a dragon companion was actually considered early on, but was just as quickly rejected since a traditional large dragon would have figuratively and literally overshadowed the main character.

3. However, once the creative team learned that Chinese dragons came in many shapes and sizes, both large and small, the idea was brought back to life. As it turned out, a diminutive sidekick made a much better companion for Mulan, and so Mushu was shrunk down to the size we know today.

4. In seeking out the voice for Mushu, Disney decided to recruit top Hollywood talent, much as they did when they cast Robin Williams in the role of Genie for Aladdin. Actors such as Joe Pesci and Richard Dreyfuss were initially considered, but it ended up being Michael Eisner who brought up the name Eddie Murphy. Murphy accepted the role, but initially balked at the prospect of traveling to the Disney Studios for recording. He asked if he could instead record his performance in the comfort of his basement at his Bubble Hill mansion in Englewood, New Jersey. This arrangement was quickly agreed upon, and so Mushu was brought to life!

5. Long before Murphy was cast, the film’s songwriters had written a song for Mushu to sing, in order to assure Mulan that he’ll be there to help her. However, once Murphy came on board, the dynamic of the character changed to that of being more comedic, so the song was written out of the film.

6. Mushu has the body of a snake, the horns of an elk, the claws of an eagle, and the face of a camel. He’s pretty tough too, we see him getting stomped on, getting caught in an explosion, and (literally) riding out an avalanche!

7. He can also understand other animals, particularly Cri-Kee (Mulan’s cricket) and Khan (the horse). According to the Disney Junior Encyclopedia of Animated Characters, Mushu is the only one who can understand Cri-Kee’s chirps, so he also serves as Cri-Kee’s translator.

8. Mushu’s favorite foods are Kung Pao chicken and roasted nuts. Spicy stuff! Unfortunately, Mushu has to be careful with liquids…drinking iced water keeps him from being able to breathe fire.

9. In an early concept of Mulan II, Mushu was going to have a love interest in the form of another dragon, who would have served as either Shang’s confidant or as a family guardian. Curiously, Eddie Murphy also famously voiced the character Donkey in Shrek, in which his love interest was…a dragon!

10. Mushu once served as your host in the now-closed Magic of Disney Animation tour in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This was especially fitting, as Mulan was the first animated feature to be primarily produced in the Florida animation studios.

Catch up on Summer Fun in Walt Disney World with the new Summer issue of Celebrations Disney Magazine!

Immerse yourself in the magic of Disney with features and pictorials on:
• Summer Fun at Walt Disney World
• The BoardWalk and BoardWalk Inn Resort
• Disney Parades Throughout the Years
• Percy Jackson
• Wayback Machine: The World of Motion
• Top Ten Facts About the Dreamfinder

• and Much More!!