Warner Bros. has filed a trademark for the Bugs Bunny meme Big Chungus, and some are speculating it’s for inclusion in the free-to-play fighting game MultiVersus.
Video Game Chronicles reporter Andrew Marmo says the company filed the trademark claim with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) for the image of an inflated Bugs Bunny under the name “Big Chungus” in all manners of goods and services, from multimedia to merch.
Warner Bros. trademark Big Chungus for use of a video game. pic.twitter.com/T9tTg9jrko
— Andrew Marmo (@the_marmolade) August 27, 2022
The meme originated from a fictitious cover art for a video game titled “Big Chungus” with “chungus” being a neologism coined by video game journalist James Sterling back in 2012.
The design of the puffed-up bunny was from an old episode of Merrie Melodies where Bugs Bunny inflates himself to humongous proportions in an effort to mock Elmer Fudd. The character was named “Big Chungus” in 2018 when a Gamestop manager alleged that a customer had inquired about purchasing the fictional game as a gift.
Although no official intended plans were mentioned by Warner Bros., some could speculate that the trademark was meant for another video game by the same company titled Looney Tunes World of Mayhem wherein Big Chungus appeared as a playable character.
However, discussions on Big Chungus becoming a part of MultiVersus still persist given the silly nature of the game and the company gearing up to add more fighters to its roster. Fans can still hope that the iconic meme comes as a fighter and could potentially get some great lines with Bugs Bunny in the game.
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