Disney's Big Hero 6 takes an obscure Marvel Comics property and reimagines it as an animated adventure about a boy and his pet robot and the tech-enhanced team of friends they build together. Much of the early marketing for the film has focused on the relationship between the protagonist Hiro Hamada (Ryan Potter) and his pet robot Baymax (Scott Adsit) - but Big Hero 6 has more to offer than just that, and the crowd at NYCC '14 was happy to learn.

Below is the recap of what footage we saw, and what we learned about what will be Disney Animation's most technically intricate film to date.

FOOTAGE

  • Clip 1 - Hiro and his brother Tadashi visit the scientist factory and meet the other (future) team members and Baymax.
  • Clip 2 - Baymax  has a low battery, so Hiro sneaks him into the house past his aunt. A comedic sequence ensues with Hiro trying to sneak a delirious (drunkenly so) Baymax up the stairs, using the house cat as cover.
  • Clip 3 - Hiro and Baymax do an armor upgrade for Baymax, along with inputing him with martial arts training. With the upgrades complete, they then sneak out into the streets to hunt for the mysterious villain in the Kabuki mask using rogue nanotech as weapons.
  • Clip 4 - The Big Hero 6 team (pre-armor stage) escape in a car from Kabuki man and his nano machines. A pretty epic action/chase sequences ensues.

PANEL

Big Hero 6 Japanese trailer
  • Voice actors Jamie Chung (Sucker Punch), TJ Miller (Transformers 4), Genesis Rodriguez (Identity Theif), directors Don Hall & Chris Williams and host Chris Hardwick were all in attendance.
  • Genesis Rodriguez was on a robotics team in real life - so Honey Lemon and working with Disney/Marvel was a “dream come true” for her.
  • TJ Miller was on Battlebots team - his robot just curled into fetal position
  • Jamie Chung: “Gogo is the Clint Eastwood of the group.”
  • Cast recorded their parts a year ago
  • TJ Miller was just on @Midnight - describes recording in soundproof booth. They could improvise with the lines. Says even thought script changes and is “malleable” they get time to see how the characters and story develop.
  • TJ Miller jokes working with Disney/Marvel isn’t a dream come true for him; says that seriously it was overwhelming to see both logos while screening the film a few days ago.
  • Scott Adsit and Ryan Potter took the stage after clip #2 screened.
  • Adsit jokes that he has tried to get into the NYCC main stage for years - so it’s “mind-blowing” to be a part of this sure to be iconic Disney character.
  • Adsit and Hardwick joke about knowing each other 12 years and how this will change their relationship dynamic.
  • Potter jokes that Hiro is smarter and handsomer than he is; but Hiro is a genius with a good heart and a lack of direction in life. Baymax and the team help to put him on the right path.
  • Baymax ended the panel by doing an interactive scan of audience to check our health. It accurately identified one cosplayer with a hatchet in his head.
  • Panel ended with a screening of a new Big Hero 6 trailer.
Hiro and Baymax in Big Hero 6

Even though the Marvel Comics connections are being downplayed (except for in the trailer we saw, which proudly name-drops Marvel), Big Hero 6 definitely carries the signature of a product that is truly the best of both the Disney and Marvel worlds. It has the heart and fun soul of a great Disney story, with the action and adventure of a Marvel Comic book movie.

While Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy have been the Marvel films dominating the 2014 conversation, we may ironically get our most special surprise yet with Big Hero 6.

Big Hero 6 will be in theaters on November 7, 2014.