Disneyland Paris Shares ‘Doctor Strange: Mystery of the Mystics’ Details in New Interview

Louisa, Mabrouk, you’ve directed a number of shows for Disneyland Paris linked to the Marvel universe and were directly involved in the opening of Marvel Avengers Campus. What attracts you to this universe? 

Louisa: As you pointed out, a lot has happened since the launch of Marvel Summer of Super Heroes in 2018 but I have to say that it’s still the same passion that drives me. What I love most about this universe is the fact that I can follow its evolution through all the new releases in the cinema, as well as the series. There’s a real synergy between the studios and the Disney Parks, and the opening of the Marvel Avengers Campus at Disneyland Paris has added another level of excitement. We regularly welcome new Super Heroes and this momentum provides a huge boost to our creativity and inspiration.

Mabrouk: This allows us to keep bringing something new and to remain true to the promise of the Marvel Avengers Campus, which is to be a dynamic place where the unexpected can happen at any moment. As Louisa rightly said, there are all these films and series, but we also have our own timeline and our own relationship with the Super Heroes. It is an incredible richness that allows us to approach this universe from an original angle every time. 

From 23 November, recruits at the Marvel Avengers Campus can look forward to an epic, all-day adventure. Can you tell us more?

Mabrouk: The main idea is the night, which falls very early in winter, with all its mystery. When you take an evening stroll around Marvel Avengers Campus, there are times when you feel something ominous and threatening hovering around you, something that’s both elusive and magical. What can we do about that? Above all, we need to find a way of protecting our recruits. That’s what the Marvel Avengers Campus is all about. But in the evening, there’s a completely different atmosphere, with a darker, more eerie side. That’s why we immediately thought of Doctor Strange. He’s the ideal person to teach our recruits the mystic arts and help them protect the Campus from any potential magical threats.

Louisa: We’ve also invited the Scarlet Witch, well known for her powerful magic. This was especially apparent in the WandaVision series, where she came face to face with Agatha Harkness.

With The Teachings of Doctor Strange and Mystical Moments with The Scarlet Witch, there will be several opportunities for recruits to share and learn, which will prove decisive for the evening.

So it’s a day-long adventure in which the recruits are directly involved.

Mabrouk: The advantage of the Marvel Avengers Campus is that our recruits are totally immersed. From F.R.I.D.A.Y. to the various buildings assembled around the famous ‘A’ of the Avengers, everything is designed to plunge our guests into incredible adventures, all day long. Starting in the morning, in The Teachings of Doctor Strange, Stephen Strange will pass on essential information to our recruits. In particular, he will teach them a very useful formula to use when attacked by a mystical force.

In Mystical Moments, the Scarlet Witch offers some important advice, such as staying focused, united and working together to defeat certain forces that could harm us all. Because the threat can come from anywhere at any time, and in different forms – a voice, even a song… – as we’ll see in the evening in Doctor Strange: Mystery of the Mystics. 

Rumour has it that the Scarlet Witch is due to appear next to the Quinjet…

Louisa: It is both the emblem of the Campus and a focal point that ensures maximum visibility. This will enable her to reach as many people as possible throughout the Campus. Thanks to her powers, she has a special perception of what’s going on and can give our Recruits the tools they need to prepare for any eventuality when night falls. 

Alongside Doctor Strange and The Scarlet Witch, F.R.I.D.A.Y. also plays an important role. 

Mabrouk: F.R.I.D.A.Y. is the heart of Marvel Avengers Campus and as such is at the heart of this epic moment. Everything goes through her, and she is meticulous about campus security. She’s the one who realises that the campus is under threat and that someone like Doctor Strange absolutely has to intervene.

You mentioned Agatha Harkness. What could she be looking for at Avengers Campus? 

Mabrouk: Fans discovered her in WandaVision and now have the chance to get to know her better through the Agatha All Along series on Disney+. In our timeline, she’s heard about the Marvel Avengers Campus as a place to find recruits, so this is an ideal opportunity for her to attract as many people as possible to her side. She’s interested in acquiring more and more power. That’s why Marvel Avengers Campus is the perfect place for her to gather her own recruits and build an army of witches and warlocks. To do this, she has a formidable weapon at her disposal: ‘The Ballad of the Witches’ Road’ heard in the series. There’s nothing quite like that spellbinding tune to bewitch recruits.

Doctor Strange: Mystery of the Mystics is also a very impressive visual experience. How does technology fit into this adventure? 

Mabrouk: Until now, the Super Heroes we’ve welcomed have excelled in their physical prowess, like the various Black Widow battles. Doctor Strange, The Scarlet Witch and Agatha Harkness will take us into the realms of magic, sorcery and the mystical arts. From there, technology allows us to showcase the powers of our Super Heroes. Mapping*, pyrotechnic effects and lasers all serve to make the experience even more immersive. 

Louisa: At Marvel Avengers Campus, there’s no stage, no show like the one you see at Sleeping Beauty Castle. Everything that happens here is very realistic, and the effects are only there to add to the experience, enhancing the events that are taking place before the recruits’ eyes and where they can participate directly. 

*Projections

Once again, the artistic and technical teams at Disneyland Paris have done a remarkable job. 

Mabrouk: Absolutely. Especially since this is a real innovation for Marvel Avengers Campus. It’s the first time we’re offering a daily night-time experience. It was a real challenge to set it up. We worked extensively with our in-house teams. I’m thinking of Jean-Paul Faure for all the media and image creation, Charles Saulais for the special effects, Jimmy Berrigot for the lighting, Martin Clérel for the video, Xavier Bongrand and Mickael Paradis for the sound and Clément Bertaux Lutun for the technical side. Everything was coordinated on site by the Avengers Campus management team, led by Kevin Quiniou. Everyone worked hand in hand on this project, along with many other Cast Members from the Disney Live Entertainment and Operations teams at Disneyland Paris.  

Louisa: We were very lucky to be able to work with such a great team who supported us 100% in this crazy idea. At the same time, it has allowed us to rediscover Marvel Avengers Campus in a whole new light, opening up new creative possibilities for the years to come…

How did you go about creating the spectacular music, arranged especially for the occasion? 

Mabrouk: The musical dimension was vital for us. In the Marvel universe, the soundtracks have to be very strong, because they provide the emotions and impact that are the hallmarks of these films. So we turned to our production team, and in particular Osvaldo Del Mistero, to let him know how important music would be to the experience. Once we knew exactly what we were looking for, with the key moments we wanted to highlight musically and the themes we wanted to use to represent the different Super Heroes, we approached Guillaume Coignard, our music producer. He worked directly with arranger Tyler Koontz. He created an incredible showtape which in turn inspired our creative work. In particular, he came up with a mystical and mysterious version of the Avengers theme that literally hypnotised us. And once everything was finalised, we went to London to record the music live with a big orchestra. 

Louisa: I have to say that for me it was one of the most emotion-filled moments of the whole process. We were very lucky to be able to record in the legendary Abbey Road studios, where so many famous musicians have met.

Mabrouk: We were also able to make a number of adjustments there, including highlighting certain sound effects that we wanted to bring out the full emotional impact of the experience. 

Louisa: That’s what’s so great about Marvel: you’re immersed in a fantastic universe and you’re experiencing incredible emotions at the same time. When you hear the Avengers theme played by a full orchestra, with strings, brass and all the other instruments, it’s just magical!

Mabrouk, Louisa, we sense that you are very close and that you complement each other very well. Tell us about your collaboration. 

Mabrouk: Louisa and I go back more than 20 years! We developed and grew up together at Disneyland Paris. Along with Matteo Borghi, we were involved in the launch of Marvel Avengers Campus. Because of this, we know the site very well and we’re used to working together on projects for the Campus. 

Louisa: Over time, things have become so natural between us that we hardly need to talk to each other anymore. We know immediately when one or the other needs to take the lead on a particular aspect. Mabrouk generally provides the overall vision, and I come up with all sorts of ideas to flesh out the concept. He was responsible for the night-time part of the adventure, while I was more in charge of the day-time experience. We work together very naturally, and that’s what enables us to move forward together successfully. 

What is Marvel’s role in a project like this? 

Mabrouk: We’re lucky enough to have the franchise with us on a daily basis thanks to Coraline Guillou, our Brand Management Project Leader, who has been with us since the start of our Marvel adventure. We also work hand in hand with our American managers: Dan Fields for Disney Parks Live Entertainment and Brian Crosby for Marvel Experiences Development, and this has been the case since the project was launched. Louisa and I have known them for years. There’s a real trust between us, and as soon as an idea takes shape, we immediately share it with them. It’s a bonus for us to get their direct feedback and to talk to these two experts. They have provided a great deal of support throughout the development of this project.

Louisa: Both of them were very enthusiastic about our ideas, and that made us very happy. The new adventure awaiting our visitors is an original and unique way of reaching a very wide audience, including Disneyland Paris and Marvel fans. We’re very proud that together we’ve made this dream a reality, and we can’t wait to share it with as many people as possible from 23 November.