The 2022 Chip ‘n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers film has received praise for how it blends animation and live action, as well as how it celebrates and parodies animation as a whole. There are countless popular animated characters who appear throughout the film, and not all of them are from Disney-owned properties. This has caused many people to speculate that this movie exists within the same canon as the animated-live action hybrid classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Perhaps those folks are on to something. Let’s take a look at some of the evidence that the two movies may be linked.

Toons Exist and Are Actors

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? showcased the idea that animated characters, referred to as Toons, not only exist in the live action world, but that many of them are actors and that cartoons are made with them as the actors. The same rules apply in Chip ‘n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers. Even their classic Disney Afternoon animated series was something that the iconic chipmunks acted in. They interact with other animated characters as well as real human beings. On top of that, there are different types of Toons, including 2D-animated, 3D-animated, motion capture, uncanny valley, claymation, and even puppets, who exist as real, sentient beings. This is something that absolutely fits in the rules set up by Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

The DIP

In Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, the villainous Judge Doom used a strange green liquid to wipe Toons from existence. This deadly substance became known as “DIP.” During Chip ‘n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers, when Sweet Pete attempted to force Chip to undergo surgical alteration, a bottle of DIP is seen among the tools that he plans to use. This means that this weaponized goop exists in the worlds of both movies, or it’s something that proves that these movies exist within the same canon.

Roger Appears and Jessica is Mentioned

Roger Rabbit makes an actual appearance in Chip ‘n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers. He legitimately exists in the world of this film and not just his own. We see this as he dances with Chip and Dale at a party. Later in the movie, they mention Roger’s wife, Jessica, on their way to meet with Sweet Pete for the first time. Roger and Jessica Rabbit existing in this movie is definitely a concrete sign that the two films are canon to each other. That being said, Beavis and Butthead, characters from My Little Pony, Jimmy Neutron, Johnny Bravo, Batman, Doug Funnie, and others are also shown to exist in this movie, which wouldn’t work in their own respective canons, so take any evidence with a grain of salt. 

When taking all of this into consideration, it certainly seems like Chip ‘n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers is canon to Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Until there’s an official confirmation from Disney, the answer is a resounding “maybe,” or at least a “probably.” To be honest, there’s no reason for them not to exist within the same canon. Nothing is altered or retconned. Plus, it’s really cool to finally have some sort of follow-up to such an iconic film.