Although still in development, Kingdom Hearts 4 has been keeping fans in suspense without any new information or trailers released in nearly a year. The trailer released in April 2022 revealed to fans that Sora, the beloved protagonist, is lost in a world called Quadratum, a city resembling real-life Shibuya. With Sora separated from all his friends from Kingdom Hearts 3, it seems as though Kingdom Hearts 4 is setting up a story in which the other characters search for Sora while Sora explores the strange new world.
The end of the April 2022 trailer also showed Donald and Goofy on their mission to search for clues related to Sora's disappearance. It's strange to see Donald and Goofy without their group leader Sora, as the trio have been together exploring the various worlds throughout the Kingdom Hearts series. Since they're without Sora, Donald and Goofy need another person to help them in the search, and the best candidate to be their group leader is King Mickey Mouse.
Why Mickey is a Perfect Kingdom Hearts 4 Party Member
Mickey has been a supporting character throughout the Kingdom Hearts games, but Kingdom Hearts 4 should give him a more prevalent role as the new leader of the Donald and Goofy troop. It just makes sense for Mickey to finally lead the Disney trio in an adventure, as Mickey hasn't been with Donald and Goofy as much as he should throughout the series. In Kingdom Hearts 1 and Kingdom Hearts 2, Sora, Donald, and Goofy were searching for Mickey throughout the games, so Kingdom Hearts 4 could be an opposite adventure with Mickey leading the group to find Sora.
Aside from the fact that Mickey is a Disney character, he's more than qualified to be the leader. After all, Mickey's an experienced keyblade master who's been through many battles and adventures throughout the series. The other characters, specifically the keyblade wielders, aren't as close to Donald and Goofy as Mickey is, as the Disney boys' chemistry could provide more fun in the game. Also, the other keyblade wielders have their own missions in the search for Sora. One cutscene from the Kingdom Hearts3 Re:Mind DLC already revealed that Mickey, Donald, and Goofy are traveling to all the past worlds Sora visited for any clues, so Kingdom Hearts 4 will possibly give more value into Mickey's role.
Mickey Should Become a Playable Character
With Mickey as the Disney group leader, there's potential of having Mickey as a playable character in Kingdom Hearts 4. The story could have players playing as Sora in one storyline and Mickey in another, similar to how some levels in Kingdom Hearts 3 had players controlling Riku or Aqua. Kingdom Hearts 4 wouldn't be the first time Mickey would be a playable character, as Mickey was playable for some boss battles in Kingdom Hearts 2 and also in the Kingdom Hearts 3 Re:Mind DLC, where Mickey engages in a dramatic boss battle against Xehanort's Vessels.
Having Mickey as a playable character would give the Kingdom Hearts 4 story more breathing room, as Sora will be preoccupied with exploring a different world and meeting new characters. Having Mickey, Donald, and Goofy traveling across different worlds (especially Disney and Pixar-related worlds) should have players at ease after some potentially dramatic events occur in Sora's storyline. The Disney trio could get into fun misadventures on their search, and with Mickey as their leader, Donald and Goofy should have nothing to worry about.
Kingdom Hearts 4 is in development.