Steve Martin Films at Disneyland for Oswald Project as Only Murders Season 5 Teases Real-World Murders
Nov, 24 2025
On his 80th birthday, Steve Martin didn’t just blow out candles—he filmed a secret scene at Disneyland, sparking wild theories about the next season of Only Murders in the Building. The actor, writer, and executive producer was spotted on August 17, 2025, at 1313 Disneyland Drive, Anaheim, California, working on a mysterious project tied to The Walt Disney Company’s long-lost cartoon star: Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. The timing wasn’t coincidental. Martin celebrated his birthday on set, and the footage was quietly confirmed by multiple outlets—including Laughing Place, Soap Central, and Times Now News—all reporting the same day. But here’s the twist: this isn’t just a cameo. It’s a breadcrumb. A very shiny, very Disney-shaped breadcrumb.
Why Oswald? And Why Now?
So why now? And why with Martin? The answer might lie in what happened next. On the official Only Murders in the Building podcast, released around the same time, Martin dropped a cryptic line: “You know, when you’re surrounded by mice and rabbits, you start to wonder who’s pulling the strings.” The episode didn’t elaborate. But fans didn’t need more. The Times Now News headline called it a “MAJOR Hint,” and they weren’t wrong. The show has always mirrored real life—Season 1 had a Broadway murder, Season 3 tackled influencer culture, Season 4 waded into media ethics. Now, it’s turning toward Disney’s own shadowy past.
“We Pull From the Headlines”
An unnamed producer of Only Murders in the Building, speaking to WTye FM and IMDb News on August 16–17, 2025, gave the clearest clue yet: “We pull from the headlines.” That’s it. Just seven words. But in the world of the show, where every prop, every overheard conversation, every billboard matters, those words are a blueprint.
Think about it: Disney’s history is riddled with real-life drama—labor strikes, corporate theft, lost copyrights, even rumors of dark secrets behind the parks. Oswald’s return to Disney wasn’t just a licensing deal; it was a corporate resurrection. What if Season 5’s murder victim is a former Disney archivist who knew too much about Oswald’s original creators being erased from history? What if the killer is someone who believes the character still belongs to the Iwerks family? The show doesn’t need a haunted mansion—it just needs a forgotten animation cel and a 97-year-old contract.
The Hulu Countdown Begins
Hulu, LLC confirmed that Season 5 will drop on September 9, 2025, at 12:01 AM Pacific Time. All nine episodes will land at once, continuing the binge-friendly model that helped the show win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in September 2024. The timing is perfect: just weeks after the Emmys, while buzz around Martin’s Disneyland surprise is still hot.
What’s striking is how little was revealed. No cast additions. No episode titles. No official statement from Disney. Only Martin’s quiet filming, the producer’s one-line mantra, and the fact that 20th Television—Disney’s own TV studio—produces the show. This isn’t just cross-promotion. It’s a narrative merger. The same company that owns Oswald also owns the show that’s about to make him relevant again. And they’re letting Martin, their most beloved elder statesman of comedy, be the bridge.
What’s the Real Story Behind the Rabbit?
Here’s what no one’s saying: Oswald wasn’t just a cartoon. He was the first casualty of Hollywood’s brutal copyright wars. Walt Disney lost him because he couldn’t afford to pay his distributor. That loss haunted Disney for decades. It’s said he never forgave himself. And now, decades later, his company is letting Steve Martin—a man who once sang about being “a lonely man” in The Jerk—step into that same story. Is this a redemption arc? For Oswald? For Disney? For Martin himself?
It’s not just a cameo. It’s a metaphor.
What’s Next?
September 9 is the date. But before then, look for Easter eggs. The Only Murders team loves hiding clues in set design. Did you notice the rabbit-shaped cookie in Season 4’s finale? Or the 1927 newspaper clipping in Charles’ apartment? Those weren’t accidents. And if you watch the Disneyland footage closely—rumored to be shot near the Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway ride—you might spot a shadowy figure holding a sketchbook with rabbit ears.
Meanwhile, the real-world headlines keep coming. Disney’s streaming wars, labor disputes at its parks, the ongoing debate over who owns legacy characters—these aren’t background noise. They’re the next murder mystery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Steve Martin voicing Oswald the Lucky Rabbit?
It’s not confirmed, but unlikely. Martin’s involvement appears to be live-action, possibly as a character connected to Oswald’s legacy—perhaps a historian, archivist, or former animator. His age and comedic style suggest a grounded, human role rather than voice work. Disney has used voice actors like Seth MacFarlane for Oswald before, so Martin’s presence on set likely ties to the show’s plot, not the cartoon itself.
How does Oswald connect to Only Murders in the Building Season 5?
The producer’s quote, “We pull from the headlines,” suggests the murder mystery will draw from real Disney controversies—possibly the loss and recovery of Oswald’s rights. Martin’s filming at Disneyland may represent a character in the show investigating corporate theft, intellectual property fraud, or the erasure of early animators. The rabbit isn’t the victim—it’s the symbol.
Why is this being released on Hulu, not Disney+?
Hulu, owned by Disney Entertainment, serves as the home for more mature, edgy content. Only Murders deals with dark themes like media manipulation and murder—tone that fits Hulu’s brand better than Disney+’s family-friendly image. Releasing it on Hulu also lets Disney use the show to quietly promote Oswald without diluting its legacy on the main platform.
Will Martin Short or Selena Gomez appear in the Oswald project?
No evidence suggests they’re involved in the Disneyland filming. Reports only mention Martin. That’s telling. If the Oswald storyline is tied to Season 5’s mystery, it may be a solo arc for Martin’s character, Charles, possibly exploring his obsession with forgotten pop culture. Martin Short and Gomez might appear in the season, but not necessarily in the Oswald subplot.
What’s the significance of filming on Martin’s birthday?
It’s a deliberate narrative echo. Martin’s character, Charles, is a man haunted by his own past failures and forgotten dreams. Filming Oswald’s return on his 80th birthday mirrors Charles’ journey—rediscovering something lost, not for fame, but for meaning. It’s not just marketing. It’s meta. The actor and the character are both coming full circle.
When will we know more about Season 5’s plot?
Hulu typically releases trailers 4–6 weeks before a premiere. Expect a teaser in late July or early August 2025, but given the secrecy around this project, they may wait until mid-August—right after the Emmys and Martin’s birthday buzz fades. The real clues will be in the trailer’s background details: old animation cells, newspaper headlines from 1928, and possibly a rabbit-shaped locket.