Baymax!, the original Disney+ series based on Big Hero 6, was released on Disney+ earlier this week. While the series is still set in the world of San Fransokyo and sees the return of characters from the 2014 film, the emphasis on the show is not with the hero group of the same name. Creator and Big Hero 6 director Don Hall spoke about the initial idea for the show, which set its roots in returning Baymax to his original purpose. He also highlighted how this show is different from Big Hero 6: The Series, which focused more on the superhero team.
In a press conference for Baymax!, Hall discussed the following when highlighting the show’s concept:
“It kind of started with just this idea of returning Baymax to what he was created to do. I felt like the television show at Disney TV explored so many great avenues and really furthered the story of all the characters in “Big Hero 6.” What I thought we could do with the series is actually just focus on Baymax and one patient at a time. I thought it would lend itself to just some fun stories where we just get to meet a patient and get to have the fun of Baymax helping them. And then, through the making of it, through Cirocco Dunlap’s writing and Scott Adsit’s performance and all the directors that worked on the show, [it became] something much more than what I’d envisioned at the beginning. The beating heart of the show is something that is real, and it elevated it beyond what I ever imagined.”
Hall’s words are all the more impactful when considering the stories told within Baymax!. For instance, the episode Mbita follows a gay food truck owner who becomes hesitant to present his allergy of fish to his family. Screenshots of this episode have already made waves on social media, capping off Pride month. There is also an episode where Baymax assists a middle school girl who gets her first period. Episodes like this, in addition to films like Turning Red, show Disney’s willingness to let filmmakers tell the stories that resonate with them. There is still a long way to go (especially for a studio like Disney), but steps like this do present some progress.
Baymax! is the first in a line of several shows based on Disney’s recent original films. Zootopia+, a series of shorts set in the world of Zootopia, will be released on the streamer later this year. There are also shows in the works based on The Princess and the Frog (titled Tiana), as well as a Moana series. Disney is also hard at work on Iwájú, which is an original story rooted in Afrofuturism.
All episodes of Baymax! are now on Disney+.