Robert Downey Jr. is back as Iron Man for Disney’s big Avengers land expansion

By James On Aug 11, 2024

How much of the Marvel Cinematic Universe can one man own? Robert Downey Jr. is on a mission to find out. Despite Marvel casting the actor as Doctor Doom for the upcoming Avengers: DoomsdayDowney 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 2024 D23 Expo on Saturday night, Disney Experiences President Josh D’Amaro revealed that the Avengers Campus, which is located next to Disneyland, will double in size in the coming years, with two new attractions that will tap into the immediate nostalgia for the days of Avengers: Endgame. After the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays, Avengers Campus struggled to get going in 2021 with just two current attractions: the Spider-Man-themed interactive screen ride Web Slingers and Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission Breakout, the drop ride converted from Tower of Terror. Doubling up is a big investment for a park that was theoretically supposed to be a cornerstone of the modern park era. And Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark will appear in both attractions.

Image: Disney / Marvel Studios

Stark Flight Lab is an indoor ride that takes couples through Stark Lab with the help of robotic arms. If you’ve ever wondered if you’d throw up flying around in Mark IV armor, now there’s a ride to test your airborne endurance. Tony Van Downey Jr. will of course be leading riders through the test.

Avengers Infinity Defense, originally announced for 2022, is finally coming to fruition, too. Concept art for the ride finds an audience in an immersive, mobile screen ride that sees the Avengers battle the multiversal variant King Thanos, who is wreaking havoc across all realities. According to Disney, “recruits will travel to iconic locations like Asgard, Wakanda and New York City alongside heroes big and small.” Downey Jr. also stars.

Ant-Man punches some aliens while Iron Man fires his lasers in the Avengers: Infinity Defense attraction at Disney's Avengers Campus

The Hulk dodges fire from Thanos' ship in Avengers: Infinity Defense attraction at Disney's Avengers Campus

Disney did not provide a timetable for the new attractions to open, but promised construction would begin in early 2025. But development of the attraction concepts is already underway. Downey Jr. has already tested the Stark Flight Plan pods. teased in a photo on 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.