Well the most exciting announcement for me at the D23 Expo today was the Multiverse Saga’s King Thanos Ride coming to Disneyland’s Avengers Campus (likely in 2025-26). Considering WDI removed the concept art for the old Quinjet ride from the Marvel Hotel in Paris last month and considering WDI passed out this concept art to folks leaving the D23 Expo, I think things are looking up. There’s a great chance they are actually planning on seeing this attraction to completion (something slightly in question these days with multiple announced attractions like Mary Poppins and the Play Pavilion in Epcot being seemingly abandoned and unmentioned).
According to Kevin Feige and Disney’s President of Parks Josh D’Amaro, the new version of the ride will be a trip through the multiverse into a universe where “Thanos won” and has become “King Thanos”. The Avengers from our and other universes have heard about this and “are not too happy” – so they team up along with park guests to stop this version of Thanos. But which Avengers?
Overall it really seems to be a ride that is combining the best of the Infinity Saga with the potential of the Multiverse Saga and I really like that. You can see that in both the working name “King Thanos Ride” as well as the concept art.
In fact the concept art seems so concrete that it was given as a takeaway to audience at the Parks Panel at the D23 Expo upon their exit. And when I started to really and REALLY look at it… it gave me a lot to think about. Now I know that some of this is all conjecture and concept art only – but still it is concept art distributed to the public in hard copy form. So it is my belief that it will not entirely be a fool’s errand if I use it for some level of speculation. To what degree that is reliable, that is for you to decide. I would say to take it all with a grain of salt. But with that endorsement…
Here are my favorite things noticed from this art:
1. We get Nat and Tony back!
How cool would it be if we got Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson back to reprise their roles as Tony Stark aka Iron Man and Black Widow? Of all the concept art this is my favorite. And the idea that we could have almost all of the OG Avengers back is pretty darn exciting.
2. We get Netflix hero Matt Murdock aka Daredevil
Yes it looks like Matt Murdock will be joining the ride. I think it’s cool that even though he has yet to appear in the MCU (although he presumably will soon in SHE-HULK and ECHO and his own series) he is already featured in the concept art. It speaks well to his continued presence and part of the future of the MCU.
3. Werewolf By Night and Man-Thing
Just geeked out – which is saying something for me. I have no clue what the “Werewolf by Night” show coming to Disney Plus in October will be about or even how WBN and Man-Thing will be featured – but honestly cannot wait to see these guys elevated to Avengers Status.
4. The next… Black Panther… aka Shuri as Black Panther!
Take a look at that Black Panther render. It certainly looks like a woman to me and substantially different from Chadwick Boseman’s renders in the same position. While I will weigh in on Shuri once Wakanda Forever comes out in a few weeks, I’m excited about this possibly being the first time we see her in the suit (although the absence of the fur collar DOES make me think they are trying to hide it a bit).
One other sad note, it is interesting that they are not putting Chadwick Boseman’s version into the ride likely because they cannot place his voice into the ride. Which also would make me assume that we are getting the voices of the MCU actors that have left the series (like RDJ, Scarlett Johannson, Chris Evans, and Josh Brolin among others).
5. We get my favorite Phase 4 heroes: The Mighty Thor and America Chavez
IDK I just love these two and I’m happy that we’re getting more of them.
6. We get THREE Hulks and two versions of Bruce Banner?
Looks like we get the Ragnarok Hulk, Avengers or Professor Hulk and She-Hulk all on the ride. I’m excited about this because 1.) It means that we get more Hulk and I love Hulk fam. And 2.) It gives me hope that She-Hulk will have some kind of bad-ass fight before the show is over against a real adversary.
7. We get BOTH Captain Americas!
I really hope we get some interaction between these two and maybe even a “You’re the Captain Now” and “I understood that reference” back and forth between Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson.
8. We get ANIMATED additions from WHAT IF and SPIDER-MAN: FRESHMAN YEAR
I didn’t love “What If” but I liked the characters so I’m happy to see them here and I’m really excited to see how they’ll fight side-by-side with live action characters. I am also REALLY looking forward to SPIDER-MAN FRESHMAN YEAR.
9. Big misses: now Hawkeye – either Clint Barton or Kate Bishop, no Captain Marvel, and no Scarlet Witch?
I love these four characters and I’m bummed that we get none of them in the concept art. I can’t imagine an Avengers vs Thanos ride without Carol or Wanda so I will just pretend that it was an oversight.
10. Bonus miss: No Mutants or X-Men… besides Ms. Marvel
We still have time but I am starting to think the real-world timelines of producing this ride and having X-Men from a future X-Men film might not be a possibility.
11. Let’s talk about the ride vehicle
The ride vehicle is three rows with four people in each row. While some have compared this to the Spider-Man and Transformers rides at Unviersal Parks, but I cannot see Disney Imagineering using such an antiquated system – especially when it is currently being used with a mirror IP.
But the ride’s seating and look actually kind of matches the ride vehicle that is currently being used at Tokyo DisneySea for the soon-to-be opened Peter Pan attraction in Fantasy Springs. The ideas is that this ride will be somewhat similar in concept to the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride at Universal but will employ a ride system entirely different that will be able to simulate some form of both flight and ground level travel – and I could see that being used for this story as well.
But I do think this means that screens will be heavily involved in the ride. Still I think that does not prevent animatronics from being added as well – which is a tradition at Disneyland and DCA (see Rocket at GOTG: Mission Breakout, Radiator Springs Racers, Toy Story Mania and even The Little Mermaid).
Anyway, I’m ecstatic about this new addition to DCA’s Avengers Campus, what do you think?
No Scoops Club 
This looks like a very worthy addition to the entertainment options Disney provides. Hopefully the concept art did leave out other characters who will be included also.
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