It’s no secret that Robert Downey Jr. has become Doctor Doom. But at least at Disney Parks, he’s also back as Iron Man. During Disney’s big D23 Experience panel this weekend, Downey will reprise the iconic role in at least one, and possibly two, new rides, which were officially announced for Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, California. These will join two new Spider-Man rides, bringing the total number of new Marvel attractions announced at the event to four.
Downey will definitely be returning for Stark Flight Lab, a ride that was first announced at the event and will be located at the Avengers Campus in California. You and a friend will sit in a seat and spin around as part of a new experiment by Mr. Stark himself. This will join the already announced Multiverse Avengers ride, which we now know will be called Avengers: Infinity Defense. Park guests will travel through time and space, visiting Wakanda, Asgard, and eventually New York to battle King Thanos. Construction on both rides is expected to begin in 2025, and here’s some more concept art.
Speaking of Downey, at D23 Imagineer Scott Trowbridge said Downey would be returning as Stark, “bringing a new experience to Avengers Campus.” “Experiences” is plural. Disney Parks Blog reports that “Robert Downey Jr. will reprise his role as Tony Stark.” [Stark Flight Lab.]We’ve reached out to Disney for more details and will update this post if we hear back.
Either way, both rides will be twice the size of the original Avengers Campus, which was recently resurrected with the addition of Deadpool. Deadpool made an extensive appearance on the panel and pitched Disney parks chiefs a few Deadpool-themed rides that won’t come to fruition.
The two planned Marvel rides will debut on the other side of the Pacific: Shanghai Disneyland will feature a Spider-Man roller coaster, while Hong Kong Disneyland will feature what appears to be a Spider-Man drop ride. Images can be seen below.
Be sure to check back with io9 soon for more details on the vast amount of new information announced at D23.
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