How Marvel uses additive manufacturing to create new worlds

Without props, many of Hollywood’s most successful films would never have come to life. Russell Bobbitt, the head of props at Marvel Studios, boasts over three decades of experience in film design, contributing his expertise to major blockbusters like Iron Man, Avengers, and Guardians of the Galaxy. As a props master, Bobbitt plays a crucial role in crafting many of the iconic elements that audiences see on screen.

“In the Marvel world, I’m responsible for Captain America’s shield, Thor’s hammer, Iron Man’s bow and the light on his chest, among other things,” Bobbitt said.

But Bobbitt doesn’t just work on scenes: virtually everything an actor touches, even doorknobs, are considered props.

Creating props requires incredible creativity, imagination and precision. This is where 3D printing comes in.

During the Formlabs User Summit, Bobbitt explained how he was able to use 3D printing at Marvel.

Additive manufacturing in the world of cinema

Bobbitt was introduced to 3D printing by JJ Abrams during the 2009 Star Trek reboot. Abrams wanted a cop on a floating motorcycle to fire his ray gun. When Bobbitt asked for advice, Abrams said he had a 3D printer in his office. So Bobbitt got to work, teaming up with someone who was an expert in CAD drawing to invent a ray gun.

“We sat down, sketched out the gun and he hit the print button,” Bobbitt said. «That was my baptism in 3D printing, with JJ Abrams in Star Trek. The next day I had the gun. I had painters paint it quickly and used [raygun] directly from the car. No molds, no castings, no nothing.

At the time, 3D printers were not as affordable as they are today. Bobbitt recalls that the first 3D printer he used had a hefty price tag of $150,000. He was so convinced that 3D printing would play a vital role in set design that he said, «I started researching 3D printing and told all my illustrator friends who draw with pencils to go digital.»

The additive manufacturing process in Hollywood

3D printing workflows differ for each industry and application. Bobbitt has fine-tuned his workflow for the fast-paced entertainment industry. It all starts with reading a script.

«Nine times out of 10, I’m the one solving problems. People call me when there’s a major production. I worry about questions like what should a weapon look like in space in 2,200 years?» Bobbitt explains.

It all starts with a list of important props working with a team of illustrators. He will then discuss the sketches with the director and they will decide together which will be transformed into props.

«And then once we get approval, we move into the CAD world. We definitely need a good CAD drawing to get a nice prototype and then make mold after mold and make rubber stunt props.»

A meeting with the actor follows to discuss any adjustments that need to be made.

«Then there’s the manufacturing process, once the prototype is approved and the actor feels comfortable. That’s where the printer fleet comes in. For example, Stormbreaker, the new Thor Hammer, we built it in 34 pieces, assembled like a trophy,» Bobbitt said. Bobbitt worked directly with Chris Hemsworth to adapt the Stormbreaker: for each prop, Bobbitt must find the perfect scale.

3D printing significantly saves time in making props and stimulates creativity in the design process, allowing the creation of dozens of in-house prototypes. The design process becomes more flexible and fluid, and props can be created efficiently.

«Then we iterate on the final print and then we go into production with it. So we’re not just making one prototype. We might make eight or 10 prototypes so we know exactly what’s needed before we spend tons of money on very expensive silicones to make pour molds and find out everything comes out wrong,» Bobbitt said.

“In those days, we had a sculptor who sculpted props of various sizes until we got the version we needed.”

The future of 3D printing in entertainment

Bobbitt has over 30 years in the entertainment industry and the changes over the years have been tremendous.

“We used to make movies where we didn’t have a cell phone, I had a pager and, you know, and now we have 3D printers,” he recalls.

3D printing has played a transformative role in the production of props. For Bobbitt, 3D printing has become vital in a very short time and he estimates that he uses 3D printing to print around 100 props per film.

«I’m working on five Marvel streaming shows right now and a feature film. I’m printing 200 props at a time. So it’s constant work,» he said.

With so many props to print, Bobbitt experiments with different materials.

«I usually print two to four props in a hard resin. But if there’s a stunt with that prop, I’ll print six to ten iterations in rubber, so if a stunt has to roll, fall, or hit someone, you use a softer rubber.»