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Ben F. Silverio
When Avengers Campus opened at Disney California Adventure in June 2021, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige echoed Walt Disney’s sentiments from the opening of the Disneyland resort. He said that the land “will never be completed. It’s a living, breathing space that will grow and evolve as the cinematic universe grows and evolves, with new props and new characters assembling here at Avengers HQ.” Since the Imagineers had this in mind when replacing A Bug’s Land with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, True Believers were told from the beginning that the campus would eventually include another E-ticket attraction featuring characters from the beloved Marvel films and shows. However, there was no timeline given for when guests could expect this phase of the park to materialize — that is, until recently.
Previously, all the information available about the ride was that it would be housed in the Avengers facility at the center of the immersive land. It would involve riders accompanying the team on a mission in a Quinjet, similar to the one parked on top of the building. The concept of the ride has evolved past that idea, and now, some exciting new details have been revealed regarding the storyline and the ride vehicle.
Multiverse of Madness
Disney Parks
As seen in “Loki,” “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” and other projects, the Avengers’ world exists in a multiverse. The comics, the Sam Raimi-helmed Spider-Man trilogy, Hugh Jackman’s team of X-Men, and so on are all in their own universes. Similarly, Avengers Campus in DCA (as well as the other two in Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland) exists in a universe where Thanos’ snap didn’t wipe out half of the universe. That’s why both T’Challa and Shuri greet guests in their respective Black Panther suits, Iron Man sports his Mark 80 armor (a Disney Parks exclusive), and Cap’s iconic shield is carried by Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson.
But guests will soon be able to travel to other universes within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, thanks to the highly anticipated ride coming to California. During the 2022 D23 Expo, Feige and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairperson Josh D’Amaro announced that recruits will encounter a variant of the nefarious Thanos when the ride opens. Known as King Thanos, this version of the Mad Titan comes from a world where he defeated the Avengers during the events of “Avengers: Endgame.” Now, he’s targeting the rest of the multiverse and wants to start by taking over Avengers Campus.
Obviously, the multiverse’s mightiest heroes won’t stand for this as Avengers from across the multiverse. Captain Carter, Daredevil, Ms. Marvel, and more will join forces to defeat Thanos. Basically, we’re about to join the biggest superhero team-up ever.
Avengers Assemble!
Disney Parks
Fun Fact: Just like S.H.I.E.L.D. and S.W.O.R.D. in the MCU, Avengers Campus stands for more than meets the eye. When Tony Stark retrofitted two of his father’s Stark Industries complexes into hubs for the Avengers Initiative, he dubbed the facility a C.A.M.P.U.S. or Centralized Assembly Mobilized to Prepare, Unite, and Safeguard. This works out perfectly since the Avengers and their new recruits must do those things to protect the multiverse against King Thanos’ evil plan. To help the heroes do this to the best of their ability, they need the best tools for the job, including state-of-the-art transportation.
During the 2023 Destination D23 convention, the ride vehicle for this upcoming attraction was unveiled. No longer a Quinjet as previously expected, this new high-tech vessel designed by the scientists and inventors of Avengers Campus will incorporate “elements of Tony Stark’s time-suits, Xandarian jump points, and Wakandan technology” to aid in the fight.
Imagineer Brent Strong would later expand on the presentation by offering more details about the ride. While discussing the ride system on Instagram, he said that the latest attraction would feature “a blend of large-scale built environments and immersive media.” That sounds like the similar approaches taken by fan-favorite rides “Toy Story Midway Mania,” “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance,” and “Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.” If this new Avengers ride expands on what Imagineering learned from them, then it’s sure to be amazing, fantastic, incredible, and every other adjective in the Marvel Handbook.
