Big Hero 6 is the first Disney animated film to feature Marvel Comics characters, whoseparent company was acquired bythe Walt Disney Company in 2009.[6] Walt Disney Animation Studios created new software technology to produce the animated visuals.[7][8]
In the futuristic city of San Fransokyo,[b] Hiro Hamada, a 14-year-old high school graduate and robotics prodigy, spends his time competing in illegal undergroundrobot fights. Hoping to get him out of this dangerous lifestyle, his older brother Tadashi takes him to attend the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, where Hiro meets Tadashi's closest friends – gritty Go Go, neurotic Wasabi, bubbly Honey Lemon and comic book fan Fred. Tadashi also introduces Baymax, aninflatablehealthcare robot, which he invented. After meeting Tadashi's mentor Professor Robert Callaghan, Hiro applies to the university, impressing the school'sshowcase with his project: a swarm ofmicrobots that can link together in any configuration using aneural transmitter. Hiro is accepted, but the celebration is brief when a fire breaks out with Callaghan caught in it. Tadashi rushes back into the building to save him, but an explosion occurs, killing him.
Two weeks later, Hiro, who has isolated himself in grief, inadvertently activates Baymax. Hiro's only remaining microbot begins to move on its own, so he and Baymax follow it to an abandoned warehouse. Inside, they discover the microbots being mass-produced by aKabuki mask-wearing supervillain known as "Yokai", who tries to dispose of Hiro and Baymax, but they narrowly escape. Deducing that Yokai was the mastermind behind the fire, Hiro weaponizes Baymax for defense. Tadashi's friends, whom Baymax contacted, meet up with Hiro. Yokai pursues the group through the streets, but Baymax saves them. At Fred's family home, Hiro upgrades Baymax and the group weaponizes their own inventions to combat Yokai.
Believing Yokai to be Alistair Krei, a tech mogul who had wanted to buy the microbots at the showcase, the group tracks him to an abandoned Krei Techlaboratory on a remote island. They discover the laboratory was used forteleportation research, but the government shut it down after a test pilot disappeared inside a prototype portal. The group are soon ambushed by Yokai, but they manage to remove their mask and is revealed to actually be Callaghan, who hadfaked his death using the stolen microbots to shield himself from the blast.
Hiro, enraged at Callaghan's indifference to Tadashi's death, removes Baymax's healthcare chip and orders him to get Callaghan despite his friends' objections. Baymax obeys Hiro's commands before the team reinsert his healthcare chip, returning him to his former personality as Callaghan escapes. Feeling betrayed by his friends' actions, Hiro flies off with Baymax, intent on avenging Tadashi. Back at home, Hiro tries to remove the healthcare chip again, but Baymax recognises his recklessness and locks his access port. He then shows Hiro footage of his development, reminding him of Tadashi's goal to help others. Through research, they and the rest of the group discover that the lost test pilot was Callaghan's daughter, Abigail. Now prepared to take revenge on Krei, Callaghan reactivates the teleportation portal to demolish his company's headquarters, but the heroes defeat him and save Krei.
Baymax detects that Abigail is still alive inside the portal. Despite Krei's warnings about the portal being too unstable, Baymax and Hiro enter it and find Abigail trapped instasis. Baymax is struck by debris, damaging him and forcing Hiro to leave him behind. Baymax uses his rocket fist to propel Hiro and Abigail out of the portal before it is destroyed. In the aftermath, the awakened Abigail is taken to the hospital, while her father, now relieved that she is finally saved, is brought to justice. Some time later, after beginning his tenure at the institute with his friends, Hiro discovers Baymax's healthcare chip clenched in the rocket fist. He rebuilds Baymax and they and their friends continue to protect the city as a team of high-tech superheroes calledBig Hero 6.
In apost-credits scene, Fred stumbles upon a secret lair within his home and reunites with his father, who was once a superhero.
Scott Adsit asBaymax, an inflatable robot built by Tadashi as a medical assistant. Co-directorDon Hall said, "Baymax views the world from one perspective – he just wants to help people, he sees Hiro as his patient". ProducerRoy Conli said "The fact that his character is arobot limits how you can emote, but Scott was hilarious. He took those boundaries and was able to shape the language in a way that makes you feel Baymax's emotion and sense of humor. Scott was able to relay just how much Baymax cares".[12][13][14]
Ryan Potter asHiro Hamada, a 14-year-old robotics prodigy. Speaking of the character, Hall said "Hiro is transitioning from boy to man, it's a tough time for a kid and some teenagers develop that inevitable snarkiness and jaded attitude. Luckily Ryan is a very likeable kid. So no matter what he did, he was able to take the edge off the character in a way that made him authentic, but appealing".[12][13][15]
Daniel Henney asTadashi Hamada, Hiro's older brother and Baymax's creator. On Tadashi and Hiro's relationship, Conli said "We really wanted them to be brothers first. Tadashi is a smart mentor. He very subtly introduces Hiro to his friends and what they do at San Fransokyo Tech. Once Hiro sees Wasabi, Honey, Go Go, and Fred in action, he realizes that there's a much bigger world out there that really interests him".[13][15][16]
T.J. Miller asFrederick Flamarian "Fred" Frederickson IV, a comic book fan andslacker who is also a team mascot at the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology. Speaking of Miller, co-directorChris Williams said "He's a real student of comedy. There are a lot of layers to his performance, so Fred ended up becoming a richer character than anyone expected", both literally and metaphorically.[12][13][17][18]
Jamie Chung asGo Go Tomago, a tough and athletic student who specializes in electromagnetics. Hall said "She's definitely a woman of few words. We looked at bicycle messengers as inspiration for her character".[12][13][19][20][21]
Damon Wayans Jr. asWasabi, a smart and slightly neurotic youth who specializes in lasers. On the character, Williams said "He's actually the most conservative, cautious—he [sic] the most normal among a group of brazen characters. So he really grounds the movie in the second act and becomes, in a way, the voice of the audience and points out that what they're doing is crazy".[12][13][22]
Genesis Rodriguez asHoney Lemon, a chemistry enthusiast at the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology. Williams said, "She's a glass-is-half-full kind of person. But she has this mad-scientist quality with a twinkle in her eye – there's more to Honey than it seems".[12][13][23] Rodriguez reprised her role in theLatin American Spanish dub of the film.[24]
James Cromwell as Professor Robert Callaghan / Yokai,[25] the head of a robotics program at the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology who becomes an extremely powerful masked supervillain to exact revenge on Krei.[13][16]
Alan Tudyk as Alistair Krei, a pioneer entrepreneur, tech guru and the CEO of Krei Tech.[13][16]
Stan Lee as Fred's father, who appears during the tour of Fred's home in a family portrait and briefly appears in the film'spost-credits scene where it is revealed that he was once a superhero.[28]
"Don Hall, Kristina Reed and the entire crew are such amazingly talented people and have such a love for all things Marvel that it's been an absolute blast working with them. They've really taken theBig Hero 6 property, which at the end of the day doesn't have a lot of publishing history behind it, and built an entire world and mythology around it. The amount of research Don and his crew have done is exhaustive and beyond thorough, and I don't just mean with respect to reading the comics. From the design of the characters and their tech to the look of the world, no stone has been left unturned and a lot of frequent flyer miles have been tallied up to get where they are at this juncture. These guys have traveled the globe to makeBig Hero 6 the very best it can be. It's a tribute to how John Lasseter runs the animation division".
Afterthe Walt Disney Company's acquisition ofMarvel Entertainment in 2009, CEOBob Iger encouraged the company's divisions to explore Marvel's properties for adaptation concepts.[30] By deliberately picking an obscure title, it would give them the freedom to come up with their own version.[31] While directingWinnie the Pooh (2011), directorDon Hall was scrolling through a Marvel database when he stumbled uponBig Hero 6, a comic he had never heard of before. "I just liked the title," he said. He pitched the concept toJohn Lasseter in 2011, as one of five ideas[32] for possible productions forWalt Disney Animation Studios, and this particular idea "struck a chord" with Lasseter, Hall, andChris Williams.[33][34][35]
In June 2012, Disney confirmed that Walt Disney Animation Studios was adaptingMarvel Comics' series and that the film had been commissioned into early stages of development.[36][37] Because they wanted the concept to feel new and fresh, head of storyPaul Briggs (who also voices Yama in the film[38]) only read a few issues of the comic, while screenwriter Robert L. Baird admitted he had not read the comic at all.[39]
Big Hero 6 was produced solely by Walt Disney Animation Studios,[40] although several members of Marvel's creative team were involved in the film's production includingJoe Quesada, Marvel'schief creative officer, andJeph Loeb, head ofMarvel Television.[41][42] According to an interview with Axel Alonso byComic Book Resources,[43] Marvel did not have any plans to publish a tie-in comic.[44] Disney planned to reprint the Marvel version ofBig Hero 6 themselves, but reportedly Marvel disagreed. They eventually came to agreement thatYen Press would publish the Japanesemanga version ofBig Hero 6 for Disney.[45]
Conversely, Lasseter dismissed the idea of a rift between the two companies, and producerRoy Conli stated that Marvel allowed Disney "complete freedom in structuring the story".[46][47] Disney Animation Studio President Andrew Millstein stated: "Hero is one example of what we've learned over the years and our embracing some of thePixar DNA."[48] Regarding the film's story, Quesada stated, "The relationship between Hiro and his robot has a very Disney flavor to it ... but it's combined with these Marvel heroic arcs."[33] The production team decided early on not to connect the film to theMarvel Cinematic Universe and instead set the film in a stand-alone universe.[49]
With respect to the design of Baymax, Hall mentioned in an interview, "I wanted a robot that we had never seen before and something to be wholly original. That's a tough thing to do, we've got a lot of robots in pop culture, everything fromThe Terminator toWALL-E toC-3PO on down the line and not to mentionJapanese robots, I won't go into that. So I wanted to do something original." Even if they did not yet know what the robot should look like, artist Lisa Keene came up with the idea that it should be a huggable robot.[50] Other sources of inspiration cited by the team include Japaneseanime, such asHayao Miyazaki films, includingSpirited Away (2001) andThe Wind Rises (2013), andPokémon, as well asShogun Warriors toys.[51]Mecha designer Shigeto Koyama, who previously did design work formecha anime such asGunbuster 2,Eureka Seven,Gurren Lagann, andRebuild of Evangelion, worked on the concept design for Baymax.[52][53]
Early on in the development process, Hall and the design team took a research trip toCarnegie Mellon University'sRobotics Institute, where they met a team ofDARPA-funded[54] researchers who were pioneering the new field of 'soft robotics' using inflatable vinyl,[55][56] which ultimately inspired Baymax's inflatable, vinyl, truly huggable design.[47][57][58] Hall stated that "I met a researcher (Chris Atkeson[59]) who was working on soft robots. ... It was an inflatable vinyl arm and the practical app would be in the healthcare industry as a nurse or doctor's assistant. He had me at vinyl. This particular researcher went into this long pitch but the minute he showed me that inflatable arm, I knew we had our huggable robot."[60] Hall stated that the technology "will have potential probably in the medical industry in the future, making robots that are very pliable and gentle and not going to hurt people when they pick them up."
Hall mentioned that achieving a unique look for the mechanical armor took some time and "just trying to get something that felt like the personality of the character" Williams stated, "A big part of the design challenge is when he puts on the armor you want to feel that he's a very powerful intimidating presence ... at the same time, design-wise he has to relate to the really adorable simple vinyl robot underneath."[61] Baymax's face design was inspired by a coppersuzu bell that Hall noticed while at aShinto shrine.[62]
According to Conli, Lasseter initially disliked Baymax's description (while low on battery power) of Hiro's cat as a "hairy baby", but Williams kept the line in anyway, and at the film's first test screening, Lasseter admitted that Williams was correct.[63]
According to Williams, Baymax was originally going to be introduced rather late in the film, but then story artist John Ripa conceived of a way for Baymax to meet Hiro much earlier.[64] The entire film became much stronger by establishing the relationship between Hiro and Baymax early on, but the filmmakers ended up having to reconstruct "a fair amount of the first act" in order to make that idea work.[64]
About ninety animators worked on the film at one point or another; some worked on the project for as long as two years.[65] In terms of the film's animation style and settings, the film combinesEastern world culture (predominantlyJapanese) withWestern world culture (predominantlyCalifornia).[66] In May 2013, Disney released concept art and rendered footage of San Fransokyo from the film.[67] San Fransokyo, the futuristic mashup of San Francisco and Tokyo, was described by Hall as "an alternate version of San Francisco. Most of the technology is advanced, but much of it feels retro … Where Hiro lives, it feels likethe Haight. I love thePainted ladies. We gave them a Japanese makeover; we put a cafe on the bottom of one. They live above a coffee shop."[68] The house that Hiro's family lives in is based on a Victorian house at the corner of Haight Street and Masonic Avenue in the Haight-Ashbury.[69] According to production designer Paul Felix, "The topography is exaggerated because what we do is caricature, I think the hills are1+1⁄2 times exaggerated. I don't think you could really walk up them ... When you get to the downtown area, that's when you get the most Tokyo-fied, that pure, layered, dense kind of feeling of the commercial district there. When you get out of there, it becomes more San Francisco with the Japanese aesthetic. … (It's a bit like)Blade Runner (1982), but contained to a few square blocks. You see the skyscrapers contrasted with the hills."[68]
The reason why Disney wanted to merge Tokyo (which is where the comic book version takes place) with San Francisco was partly because San Francisco had not been used by Marvel before, partly because of all the city's iconic aspects, and partly because they felt its aesthetics would blend well with Tokyo.[39] The filmmakers' idea was that San Fransokyo is based on an alternative history in which San Francisco was largely rebuilt by Japanese immigrants in the aftermath of the1906 earthquake, although this premise is not stated in the film.[70]
To create San Fransokyo as a detailed digital simulation of an entire city, Disney purchased the actualassessor data for the entire city and county of San Francisco.[65] The final city contains over 83,000 buildings and 100,000 vehicles.[65]
A software program called Denizen was used to create over 700 distinctive characters[65] that populate the city.[71] Another one named Bonzai was responsible for the creation of the city's 250,000 trees,[72] while a new rendering system called Hyperion offered new illumination possibilities, like light shining through a translucent object (e.g. Baymax's vinyl covering).[73]Pixar'sRenderMan was considered as a "Plan B" for the film'srendering, if Hyperion was not able to meet production deadlines.[8]
Development on Hyperion started in 2011 and was based upon research into multi-bounce complexglobal illumination originally conducted atDisney Research inZürich.[65] Disney, in turn, had to assemble a new super-computing cluster just to handle Hyperion's immense processing demands, which consists of over 2,300 Linux workstations distributed across four data centers (three inLos Angeles and one in San Francisco).[65] Each workstation, as of 2014[update], included a pair of 2.4 GHz Intel Xeon processors, 256 GB of memory, and a pair of 300 GBsolid-state drives configured as aRAID Level 0 array (i.e., to operate as a single 600 GB drive).[65] This was all backed by a central storage system with a capacity of fivepetabytes, which holds all digital assets as well as archival copies of all 54 Disney Animation films.[65] CinematographerRobert Richardson was brought on as a visual consultant to assist in the creation of realistic lighting.[citation needed]
The emotional climax takes place in the middle of awormhole portal, which is represented by the stylized interior of amandelbulb.[74]
The post-credits scene was only added to the film in August 2014, late in production, after Hall and his crew went to seeMarvel Studios'Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). He stated that "[i]t horrified us, that people were sat waiting for an end credits thing, because of the Marvel DNA. We didn't want people to leave the movie disappointed."[75]
Henry Jackman composed thescore for the film.[76] The soundtrack features an original song titled "Immortals" written and recorded by American rock bandFall Out Boy, which was released byWalt Disney Records on October 14, 2014.[77][78] The soundtrack album was digitally released by Walt Disney Records on November 4, 2014, and had a CD release on November 25.[79] While not part of the soundtrack, a brief instrumental section of "Eye of the Tiger" plays in the film.[80] For the Japanese release of the album, a previously unreleased English version of Japanese-American singer Ai's single "Story" was released as a single byEMI Records and Walt Disney Records exclusively in Japan.[81][82] The song was used in promotional videos and the film's credits for the Japanese release.[83]
Big Hero 6 debuted on October 23, 2014, as the opening film at theTokyo International Film Festival.[84] The world premiere ofBig Hero 6 in 3D took place at theAbu Dhabi Film Festival on October 31, 2014.[85] It was theatrically released in the United States and Canada on November 7, 2014,[86] with limitedIMAX international showings.[87] Theatrically, the film was accompanied by the Walt Disney Animation Studios short,Feast.[88]
For the South Korean release of the film, it was retitledBig Hero, to avoid the impression of being a sequel, and edited to remove indications of the characters' Japanese origin. This is owing to thetense relations between Korea and Japan. For instance, the protagonist's name, Hiro Hamada, was changed to "Hero Armada", and Japanese-language signage onscreen was changed to English. Nonetheless, the film caused some online controversy in South Korea, because of small images resembling theRising Sun Flag in the protagonist's room.[89]
The film was released in China on February 28, 2015.[90] Disney had retained the Japanese elements of the film in mainland China during the pre-release marketing, but used the modified version for the theatrical and Blu-ray/DVD releases as it did in South Korea. The mainland Chinese title of the film is "超能陆战队", which is usually interpreted as "super-powermarines"; while the character "陆", which means land, is also six inChinese numerals, so this title can translate to "super-power 6sentai" as well.
As part of Disney's 100th anniversary,Big Hero 6 was re-released inHelios theaters across Poland on October 15, 2023.[91]
Big Hero 6 was released in the United States byWalt Disney Studios Home Entertainment onBlu-ray andDVD on February 24, 2015.[92][93] WriterSteven T. Seagle, who co-created the comic bookBig Hero 6, criticized the Blu-ray featurette documenting the origins of the group, for not mentioning him or co-creatorDuncan Rouleau. Seagle also criticized the bookArt of Big Hero 6 for the same omission.[94]Big Hero 6 was released in 4K Blu-ray on November 5, 2019.[95]
In the United States, the film grossed$102 million from Blu-ray and DVD sales as of April 2022[update].[96] It was the fourth best-selling title of 2015 with 5.1 million units sold.[97] In the United Kingdom, it was watched by9.6 million viewers on television in 2017, making it the year's second most-watched film on UK television.[98]
In the U.S. and Canada, the film is the second-highest-grossing science-fiction animated film (behind 2008'sWALL-E),[102] the third-highest-grossing animated superhero comedy film (behind 2004'sThe Incredibles and 2018'sIncredibles 2),[103] and the fifth-highest-grossing Disney animated film.[104] The film earned $1.4 million from late Thursday night showings, which is higher than the previews earned byFrozen ($1.2 million) andThe Lego Movie ($400,000).[105][106] In its opening day on November 7, the film earned $15.8 million, debuting at number two behindInterstellar ($16.9 million).[107][108]Big Hero 6 topped the box office in its opening weekend, earning $56.2 million from 3,761 theaters ahead ofInterstellar ($47.5 million);[109][110] at the time it was Walt Disney Animation Studios' second-best opening behindFrozen ($67.4 million), both adjusted and unadjusted.[111][112][113][114]
On February 15, 2015,Big Hero 6 became the third-highest-grossing Disney animated film in both the U.S. and Canada, behindThe Lion King andFrozen.[115][116]
Two weeks ahead of its North American release,Big Hero 6 was released in Russia (earned $4.8 million) and Ukraine (earned $0.2 million) in two days (October 25–26).[117] The main reason behind the early release was in order to take advantage of the two weeks of school holidays in Russia. Jeff Bock, box office analyst forExhibitor Relations, said "For a two-day gross, that's huge. It's a giant number in Russia."[118] In its second weekend, the film added $4.8 million (up 1%) bringing its total nine-day cumulative audience to $10.3 million in Russia and $10.9 including its revenue from Ukraine.[119]
In its opening weekend, the film earned $7.6 million from seventeen markets for a first weekend worldwide total of $79.2 million, behindInterstellar ($132.2 million).[120] It went to number one in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia.[121] It opened with $4.8 million in Mexico.[122][123] In Japan, where the film is locally known asBaymax, it opened at second place behindYo-Kai Watch: Tanjō no Himitsu da Nyan!, with $5.3 million, marking it the second-biggestDisney opening in Japan behindFrozen.[124][125] and topped the box office for six consecutive weekends.[126] The film opened in second place with $6 million ($6.8 million including previews) in the U.K., which is 15% lower thanFrozen.[127] It opened at No. 1 with $14.8 million in China, which is the biggest opening for a Disney and Pixar animated film (breakingFrozen's record)[128] and topped the box office for three consecutive weekends.[129]
The film became the highest-grossing Disney animated film in Vietnam[122] and in China (surpassed byZootopia)[130]),[9] the second-highest-grossing Disney animated film of all time in Russia,[121] in the Philippines (behindToy Story 3),[122] and in Japan (behindFrozen).[9] In addition to being the second-highest-grossing Disney animated film, it is also the fifth-highest-grossing animated film of all time in China.[131] In total earnings, its biggest markets outside of the United States and Canada are China ($83.5 million) and Japan ($76 million).[132]
Big Hero 6 received positive reviews upon release.[133][134][135]Review aggregation websiteRotten Tomatoes reports an approval rating of 90% based on 229 reviews and an average rating of 7.4/10. The site's consensus states: "Agreeably entertaining and brilliantly animated,Big Hero 6 is briskly-paced, action-packed, and often touching."[136]Metacritic, which assigns anormalized rating out of 100 from top reviews from mainstream critics, has calculated a score of 74 based on 38 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[137] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[138]
Michael O'Sullivan ofThe Washington Post gave the film 3.5/4 stars, writing that "The real appeal ofBig Hero 6 isn't its action. It's the central character's heart."[139] Maricar Estrella ofFort Worth Star-Telegram gave the film 5 stars, saying it "offers something for everyone: action, camaraderie, superheroes and villains. But mostly, Baymax offers a compassionate and healing voice for those suffering, and a hug that can be felt through the screen."[140]Peter Travers ofRolling Stone gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, stating, "The breakthrough star of the season is here. His name is Baymax and he's impossible not to love. The 3-D animatedBig Hero 6 would be a ton less fun without this irresistible blob of roly-poly, robot charisma."[141] Kofi Outlaw ofScreen Rant gave the film 4 out of 5 stars or "excellent", explaining that "Big Hero 6 combines Disney wonder and charm with Marvel awe and action to deliver a film that exhibits the best of both studios."[142]Alonso Duralde ofThe Wrap gave the film a positive review, calling it "sweet and sharp and exciting and hilarious" and says that the film "comes to the rescue of what's become a dreaded movie trope—the origin story—and launches the superhero tale to pleasurable new heights."[143] Calvin Wilson ofSt. Louis Post-Dispatch gave the film 3.5 of 4 stars, writing that "the storytelling is solid, propelled by characters that you come to care about. And that should makeBig Hero 6 a big hit."[144]
Bill Goodykoontz ofThe Arizona Republic gave the film a positive review, writing, "Directors Don Hall and Chris Williams have made a terrific movie about a boy (Ryan Potter) and his robot friend, who seek answers to a deadly tragedy," calling it an "unexpectedly good treat".[145] Soren Anderson ofThe Seattle Times gave the film 3.5 out of 4 stars, saying that "Clever, colorful, fast on its feet, frequently very funny and sweet (but not excessively so),Big Hero 6 mixes its myriad influences into a final product that, while in no way original, is immensely entertaining."[146] Michael Rechtshaffen ofThe Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive review, saying that "the funny and heartwarming story about the bond between a teen tech geek and a gentle robot represents another can't-miss proposition by Walt Disney Animation Studios."[147] Jon Niccum ofThe Kansas City Star gave the film 3.5 out of four stars, writing that while it "may hit a few familiar beats inherent to any superhero 'origin story,'" it is still "the best animated film of the year, supplyingThe Incredibles-size adventure with a level of emotional bonding not seen sinceThe Iron Giant", and that it "never runs low on battery power".[148] Elizabeth Weitzman of theDaily News gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, calling it a "charming animated adventure", saying that with "appealing 3D animation" and a smart and "sharp story and script", it is "one of the rare family films that can fairly boast of having it all: humor, heart and huggability".[149] Rafer Guzmán fromNewsday gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, saying that "Marvel plus Disney plus John Lasseter equals an enjoyable jumble of kid-approved action", with "rich, vivid colors and filled with clever details".[150]
On February 18, 2015, the film's directors,Don Hall andChris Williams, said asequel was possible. Hall added, "Having said that, of course, we love these characters, and the thought of working with them again some day definitely has its benefits."[170] In March 2015,Genesis Rodriguez toldMTV that a sequel was being considered, saying, "…There's nothing definitive. There's talks of something happening. We just don't know what yet."[171] In April 2015,Stan Lee mentioned a projected sequel as one of several that he understood were in Marvel's plans for upcoming films.[172] In March 2021, head animator Zach Parrish expressed a desire for a sequel, "There have definitely been stories told beyond... I think there's still a lot of potential. There's still plenty of time. The beauty of animation is that can pick up the story at the very end of Big Hero, or we could jump in time. We could go wherever we want, since it's animation."[173]
In December 2020, Disney announced a newDisney+ series titledBaymax!, which would follow Baymax working as a nurse around San Fransokyo.[177] The series, produced byWalt Disney Animation Studios, premiered on June 29, 2022.[11]
A Japanesemanga adaptation ofBig Hero 6 (which is titledBaymax (ベイマックス,Beimakkusu) in Japan), illustrated by Haruki Ueno, began serialization inKodansha'sMagazine Special from August 20, 2014. A prologue chapter was published inWeekly Shōnen Magazine on August 6, 2014.[178] According to the film's official Japanese website, the manga revealed plot details in Japan before anywhere else in the world.[179] The website also quoted the film's co-director Don Hall, to whom it referred as a manga fan, as saying that the film was Japanese-inspired.[179]Yen Press published the series in English.[180]
It was announced thatIDW Publishing would adapt the Disney version ofBig Hero 6 into an ongoing comic. This marked one of the few times whereMarvel Comics loaned out one of its properties to another comic publishing company.[181] The series was intended to debut in July 2018 with Hannah Blumenreich writing and Nicoletta Baldari doing the art.[182] The release of the first issue was later pushed to September 19, 2018,[183] before getting pushed back to April 2019 and now titled after the television series.[184]
Amanhwa adaptation of several episodes ofBig Hero 6: The Series was released in August 2021. Published by Yen Press, the series is written by JuYoun Lee and illustrated by Hong Gyun An.[185]
A video game based on the film titledBig Hero 6: Battle in the Bay was released on October 28, 2014 for theNintendo 3DS andNintendo DS.[186] This game is set after the events of the film and is aside-scrollingbeat 'em up game. Four of the six members are playable (with Baymax and Honey Lemon being non-playable), and the Touch Screen can be used to launch Honey Lemon's grenades in the heat of battle. This was the last game released for the original Nintendo DS. ADisney Two Pack was later released containing both this game andDisney Frozen: Olaf's Quest on one cartridge.
Hiro and Baymax from the film are also available inDisney Infinity 2.0 as playable Disney Originals characters in the Toy Box. As with the other playable characters in the games, tie-in figures for them were also released.[187][188]
A mobile game based on the film titledBig Hero 6: Bot Fight was also released on November 3, 2014. It takes place a year after the events of the film, where the heroes discover and battle runaway robots viamatch-3 battles.[189] It was later discontinued on February 3, 2016 due to the constraints ofDisney Mobile's support team and the need to discontinue old games to release new ones.[190]
The six members of Big Hero 6 and Yokai appear as playable characters, along with other material based on the film, in theworld builder video gameDisney Magic Kingdoms. In the game, the characters are involved in new storylines that serve as a continuation of the events of the film.[191]
A world based onBig Hero 6 makes its debut appearance inKingdom Hearts III. The world continues the story from the events at the end of the film, withOrganization XIII taking control of Baymax's original body that was left behind in the portal space, turning it into a monstrous Heartless that Baymax and Sora fight.[192][193][194] The cast of the film reprise their roles as the members of Big Hero 6, with the exception of Wayans.
Vinyl toy company Funko released the first images of the toy figures via theirBig Hero 6Funko.[198] The POP Vinyl series collection features Hiro Hamada, Go Go Tomago, Wasabi, Honey Lemon, Fred, and a 6-inch Baymax.
Bandai released a number of action figures related to the film; these toys including a number of different Baymax figures. One is a soft plastic 10-inch version that includes a series of projected stills from the film on his stomach, which can be changed when the figure's arm is moved, and which emits accompanying sounds. Deluxe Flying Baymax, which retails for $39.99, depicts the armored version of the character and features lights and sounds that activate at the push of a button. Placing the Hiro figurine on his back changes the sounds into speech and when the figure is tilted, the sounds are those of flying. The Armor-Up Baymax (original retail cost $19.99) comes with 20 pieces of armor that can be assembled onto the robot by the owner. The other characters from the film, including the other members of team and Professor Callaghan (who is called Yokai) are issued in 4-inch action figures, each of which have eight points of articulation.[199]
^abLark, Max; Draskovic, Marina; Solomon, Charles (Spring 2016). "It's a Matter of Trust: At Walt Disney Animation Studios, The 'Story Trust,' A Peer-to-Peer Feedback System, Has Taken Storytelling—And Disney Animation—To New Creative Heights".Disney Twenty-three.8 (1). Burbank: Walt Disney Company:18–21.ISSN2162-5492.OCLC698366817.
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