For decades, filmmakers and Imagineers have worked together to perfect the art of taking the company’s iconic characters and stories beyond the silver screen.
Major acquisitions like Pixar (2006), Marvel Studios (2009) and Lucasfilm (2012) have spurred even more opportunities to deliver classic and new stories to fans in incredible ways.
As new stories are created and films produced, Disney teams around the globe come together to bring those stories to life. The years or months long process often culminates with the collective story and experience hitting theaters, the parks, cruises and products on the same day — giving fans a multitude of ways to be part of the story.
This is connective storytelling that only Disney can create. Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps is no exception.
Beginning with the film’s release in July 2025, Disneyland Park guests have stepped into the 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world to meet Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and The Thing, along with their robot assistant H.E.R.B.I.E. Guests at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and Disneyland Paris also can see members of Marvel’s first family.
We spoke to David Lightbody, who heads up Disney Live Entertainment, and Kyle Laughlin, leader of Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development (R&D), about how teams across the company came together to take The Fantastic Four: First Steps from the big screen to the parks.
How early do park teams begin to work with filmmakers to bring the characters to these parks day and date with the movie premiere?
Lightbody: It’s incredibly exciting to collaborate with the filmmakers to bring to life the stories and characters they create for the big screen in our parks. We partner with them early on, while they are still in development or in production, to ensure we can deliver the most authentic guest experience that translates from the set to the parks. As is often the case, Imagineers and Disney Live Entertainment cast members got the chance to visit the set of the film to get a feel for the environments, sets, props, and more, providing amazing inspiration to design and create experiences true to the source material.
What is the most important factor in creating a seamless transition from the big screen to the parks?
Lightbody: The partnership with the filmmakers is so key, as we want guests to have similar emotions with the parks experience as they do when they see the film — through the story, characters, themes, or even music. With The Fantastic Four: First Steps, we had the opportunity to lean into all of these with these parks’ experiences. For example: in Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland it was essential to bring these characters to Tomorrowland, which felt more in line with the design and aesthetic of the film. Music plays such an important role in our experiences, and Michael Giacchino’s score for this film is the perfect fit for our parks and experiences worldwide.
What did it take to bring H.E.R.B.I.E. to life?
Laughlin: Just like in the film, H.E.R.B.I.E. started as an experiment — only this time, the experiment was ours. The R&D team jumped at the chance to bring this character to life using the latest in robotic self-balancing technology. We collaborated closely with the film’s design team to make sure every detail translated from screen to real-world and even partnered with the original voice talent to keep things as true to character as possible.
What’s wild is how quickly it all came together — from concept to park-ready in just 90 days. Fastest we’ve ever done it. And honestly, seeing H.E.R.B.I.E. roll through the parks in real life? It’s just plain cool.
How many cast members did it take to bring The Fantastic Four: First Steps to life in these parks?
Laughlin: It was an amazing collaboration across Disney Experiences to bring these characters and experiences to Disneyland Resort, Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Disney Cruise Line. So many talented individuals joined together from Walt Disney Imagineering, WDI R&D, Disney Live Entertainment, Operations, Food & Beverage, Merchandise, and Disney Photo Imaging to create these experiences for our guests, and we have amazing partnerships with our marketing and synergy teams across the company. So, it would not be an exaggeration to say that hundreds of people had a part in this incredible effort.
For more details on all the ways to see Fantastic Four heroes in our parks, see the Disney Parks Blog story.
