First Concept Art for Disney and Activision’s Canceled Smash Bros-Style Fighting Game Surfaces

Disney has explored the possibility of having its characters engage in direct combat multiple times over the years, but most of these ideas never progressed beyond internal presentations. For over a decade, one particular project has remained largely within the realm of internet folklore, a rumored crossover fighter that fans have pieced together from scattered mentions and old portfolio postings rather than any official confirmation.

This project, reportedly titled ‘Disney’s Action Figure Face Off’, was envisioned as Disney’s own take on the genre popularized by ‘Super Smash Bros’, with Activision involved in bringing it to fruition. In 2013, outlets like Siliconera and Nintendo Life reported on the concept after discovering images shared on the portfolio site of former Disney Interactive concept artist Ken Christiansen, although the artist remained silent about the project for years.

Recently, the original concept art for this shelved fighting game has emerged, providing fans with their clearest glimpse yet at what could have been. The illustrations showcase Disney characters battling, featuring a warrior mouse facing off against a towering Beast, along with other action-figure renditions of classic characters caught in dynamic poses.

According to Christiansen, the entire concept originated from Disney’s cautious stance on character crossovers before ‘Kingdom Hearts’ demonstrated that audiences would embrace such ideas. He noted that Disney was initially very reluctant to allow worlds like ‘The Lion King’ and ‘The Little Mermaid’ to intersect, which was a significant hurdle for the studio at the time, despite the creative team being fully supportive of the concept.

Once ‘Kingdom Hearts’ became a success, that resistance reportedly diminished significantly. Christiansen explained how producers began to pitch the notion of treating Disney characters as action figures in the spirit of ‘Toy Story’, but with them battling each other instead, incorporating figures from ‘Tarzan’, ‘The Lion King’, and ‘Treasure Planet’ to create a unique roster for the game.

Despite reaching the prototype stage, ‘Disney’s Action Figure Face Off’ was ultimately shelved in favor of safer projects tied directly to existing films and television shows. Christiansen recalled that Disney’s typical approach to green-lighting games often relied on whether a title was associated with a major theatrical or TV release, citing projects like ‘Treasure Planet’, ‘Atlantis’, and ‘Kim Possible’ as examples that secured funding due to their built-in connections.

He mentioned that despite pitching numerous concepts during his four years at the studio, very few advanced beyond internal discussions, largely because Disney struggled to determine how to utilize its vast library of standalone properties. That uncertainty wouldn’t be resolved until years later with the launch of ‘Disney Infinity’, which finally embraced the character-mixing concept that the earlier pitch had been based on.

Beyond Christiansen’s insights, corroborating details are sparse. A few LinkedIn profiles belonging to former Activision employees, including a software engineer and an associate producer, reference the project, though they differ on which platforms it may have targeted, with one listing PlayStation 2 and PC while another mentions PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox.

With ‘Disney Infinity’ now a thing of the past and rival crossover fighters like ‘Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl’ and ‘MultiVersus’ demonstrating that the format still has a fanbase, ‘Disney’s Action Figure Face Off’ remains one of the more fascinating what-ifs in the studio’s video game history.

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