Would you believe that one of my co-workers just told me that Disney's BIG HERO 6 "didn't do anything" for him? He's a monster, I know. You can email him your hate at … I'm only kidding, I'm giving him enough crap for his sacrilege already. Today, Disney XD has announced that they've granted the forthcoming BIG HERO 6 television series a second-season ahead of its Fall debut! While not uncommon, this move certainly speaks to the level of confidence that Disney must have in its diverse super hero show. Personally, I've been wondering why we haven't heard of plans for a feature-length sequel since the original film's 2014 release, though I suppose that now I have my answer.
In casting news, Maya Rudolph (Aunt Cass), Jamie Chung (Go Go) and Stan Lee (Fred's dad) will be returning to the franchise to again voice their characters for the series, Other returning cast members will include Scott Adsit (Baymax), Alan Tudyk (Alistair Krei), Ryan Potter (Hiro), Genesis Rodriguez (Honey Lemon), and David Shaughnessy as the butler Heathcliff. Furthermore, Khary Payton has joined the cast to lend his voice to the Wasabi character (who was originally voiced by Damon Wayans Jr. in the film) while Brooks Wheelan will portray the nerdtastic, kaiju-obsessed Fred (who was originally voiced by T.J. Miller in the movie).
Additional guest casting includes actors Jenifer Lewis (BLACK-ISH) as the stern Professor Granville; Andrew Scott (SHERLOCK) as villain Obake; comedian Andy Richter as Globby; Diedrich Bader (AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE) as Bluff Dunder; Susan Sullivan (CASTLE) as Fred's mother; Sean Giambrone (THE GOLDBERGS) as Richardson Mole; John Ross Bowie (SPEECHLESS) as Mel; and Haley Tju (BELLA AND BULLDOGS) as classmate Karmi.
The series, set to make its debut in the Fall of this year, picks up immediately where the events of the film left off. With the team dynamic of Big Hero 6 established, our heroes will embark on a self-appointed mission to protect their city from a wide array of villainous and technological threats. Mark McCorkle, Bob Schooley and Nick Filippi, the team behind the Disney Channel series Kim Possible, will serve as the program's executive producers. Here's hoping that the series can capture the spectacle of the feature film and usher BIG HERO 6 into the spotlight once more!
BIG HERO 6 the television series will premiere on the Disney XD channel in the Fall of 2017.