How much of the Marvel Cinematic Universe can one man own? Robert Downey Jr. is on a quest to find out. Although Marvel has cast the actor as Doctor Doom for the upcoming Avengers: EndgameDowney Jr. has just booked his next appearance as Iron Man – in a new attraction for Disney’s Avengers Campus at California Adventure Park in Anaheim.
At the D23 Expo 2024 on Saturday night, Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, announced that the Avengers Campus adjacent to Disneyland will double in size in the coming years, with two new rides that will capture the immediate nostalgia for the days of Avengers: Endgame. After the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays, Avengers Campus opened in 2021 with just two current attractions: the interactive Spider-Man ride Web Slingers and Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission Breakout, the parachute converted from the Tower of Terror. Doubling up is a big investment in a park that, in theory, should be a cornerstone of the modern park era. And Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark will appear in both attractions.
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Image: Disney / Marvel Studios
Stark Flight Lab will be an indoor ride that whirls couples around the Stark lab using robotic arms. If you’ve ever wondered if zooming around in a suit of Mark IV armor would make you throw up, there’s now a ride that will test your endurance in the air. Of course, Downey Jr.’s Tony will guide participants through the test.
Avengers Infinity Defense, which was teased back in 2022, is finally becoming a reality. The concept art for the ride finds audiences on an immersive ride on their phone screens, where they watch the Avengers fight the multiversal version of King Thanos, who is wreaking havoc in all realities. According to Disney, “recruits travel to iconic locations like Asgard, Wakanda and New York City, alongside heroes big and small.” Downey Jr. is also there.
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Images: Disney/Marvel Studios
Disney hasn’t provided a timeline for when the new attractions will open, but promised that construction would begin in early 2025. Work on developing the ride concepts is well underway, though—in fact, Downey Jr. has already tested out the Stark Flight Plan pods, as seen in a photo shown at D23. He looks excited! Or maybe he’s thinking about how many more boats he can buy by playing both Doctor Doom in the movies and Tony Stark in the Marvel Theme Park Universe. It’s a lot of boats.
