Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
Robert Downey Jr. is suiting up as Iron Man again – alongside a host of his fellow Marvel stars – for two major new Avengers attractions coming to Disneyland in 2028.
The 61-year-old actor will reprise Tony Stark for the expansion of Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, California, Disney has announced at its D23 Experiences showcase.
Robert will be joined by Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, with the two new attractions – Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab – set to double the size of the Marvel-themed land.
Disney Imagineers also showed fans on Saturday (15.08.26) behind-the-scenes footage of the actors filming material for the attractions while working on Avengers: Doomsday in London.
Avengers Infinity Defense will recruit visitors for a mission involving Iman Vellani reprising her role as Kamala Khan, or Ms. Marvel.
Explaining the attraction’s storyline, Imagineers said: “It’s up to you to assemble the Avengers and stop Thanos.”
The second attraction, Stark Flight Lab, will feature Robert, Anthony and Brie as instructors putting visitors through superhero training.
Imagineers said: “They will be your flight instructors as you feel what it’s like to train like an Avenger.”
Disney previously provided a glimpse of the technology being developed for Stark Flight Lab through its We Call It Imagineering YouTube series.
The ride combines two different systems – a linear track and robotic arms mounted on moving track bases.
Footage showed testers sitting in vehicles attached to the arms as they moved through the air.
Sara Thacher, executive creative director for Walt Disney Imagineering, said: “We’re learning how does it feel to fly?”
She added: “How can we give our guests that feeling and lean into what these massive robot arms can do?”
Robert’s return to Tony Stark follows the character’s death in 2019 blockbuster Avengers: Endgame, when Iron Man sacrificed himself to defeat Thanos.
He first played the billionaire superhero in 2008’s Iron Man, the movie that launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and subsequently appeared in films including The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.
His latest Marvel involvement has generated particular attention because Robert is also returning to the MCU as Victor von Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, due in cinemas this December.
The film reunites numerous stars from across Marvel’s franchises and precedes Avengers: Secret Wars. Disney’s new D23 presentation showed footage of Robert and other Avengers actors filming in London.
The Avengers Campus expansion is also featured in Leslie Iwerks’ new documentary Disney Worldbuilders, which received its D23 premiere in Anaheim on Sunday and arrives on Disney+ on August 20.
Leslie’s documentary includes Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios, alongside Disney and entertainment figures including James Cameron, Jon Favreau and Pete Docter.
Discussing her access to Disney projects, Leslie said: “I’m fortunate to be able to get access behind the scenes in an unprecedented way with Disney. There’s a trust between me and them and everyone.”
She added: “It’s a very tricky balancing act that I have to go through with Imagineering and something like this, which is how much can you show at this stage of the process so you don’t give away too much?”
Leslie also said: “I have a lot of secrets in my head, and I’m good at keeping them.”
The two new Marvel attractions will join the existing Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! and WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure, while Avengers Campus also includes Pym Test Kitchen, inspired by Ant-Man and the Wasp.
Disney says Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab will both open in 2028.
