Disney’s SXSW “The Future of World-Building” session lived up to its promise of special guests, with appearances from “The Mandalorian” creator Jon Favreau, Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter, Marvel Entertainment president Kevin Feige, and “Iron Man” star Robert Downey Jr.
They appeared alongside the Imagineers who create the rides at Disney theme parks, using their stage time to highlight upcoming attractions drawn from Star Wars, Pixar, and Marvel movies and shows. (Sometimes, the inspiration can go in the other direction, with droids built for the parks also appearing in the upcoming film “The Mandalorian & Grogu.”)
Downey compared the Imagineers to his superhero character Tony Stark/Iron Man (a role he’ll be reprising in both “Avengers: Infinity Defense” and “Stark Flight Lab”), praising their “drive to put something good into the world” and make it “at a minimum, more fun.”
