Robert Downey Jr. Returns as Iron Man, But It’s Not What You Think …
By Movieguide® Contributor
Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man is returning but not to the big screen.
Disneyland is expanding its attractions, and two new rides will feature the iconic Marvel hero.
“Iron Man: Avengers Infinity Defense will see guests travel across the multiverse to New York City, Asgard and Wakanda to battle with King Thanos. And then there’s Stark Flight Lab, where guests will sit in two-person pods to be deployed to a test station,” MSN reported.
Executive Creative Director Scott Trowbridge said of the new Iron Man ride, “We’re going to find out that some of this global technology has gone missing and now King Thanos is using it to wreak havoc across multiple worlds. It’s gonna be all hands on deck as we assemble the Avengers to take on his army.”
According to PEOPLE, “The changes on the Avengers Campus will see the area double in size.”
These new attractions are part of a larger expansion plan called Disneyland Forward, which was approved by Anaheim’s City Council on May 6. It also includes other updates to improve the park property.
“DisneylandForward does not grant any new acreage, square footage or hotel rooms to be developed,” Anaheim.net explained. “Instead, it shifts already approved development amounts across land Disney owns or operates on. The plan also calls for Disney to pay $39.6 million to take on responsibility for Magic Way, a road 1,150 feet in length from Disneyland Drive to Walnut Street, and for entry drives into Disney parking at Clementine Street, at 575 feet in length, and Hotel Way, at 125 feet in length. Payment would also go to remove planned extensions of Clementine and Gene Autry Way.”
Downey Jr. is returning to the MCU, just not as Iron Man. It was announced at San Diego Comic-Con last month that he will appear in two upcoming AVENGERS movies as the villain Doctor Doom. Movieguide® reported:
Last week, Downey Jr. posted to Instagram about his new role. Along with the caption, “New mask, same task,” he posted a photo of him holding the mask of Doctor Doom, as well as a video of him at Comic Con taking off the mask and revealing his face to the crowd.
Fans seemed to have mixed feelings about seeing the actor who played their favorite superhero return as a villain, but it seems that many are looking forward to the film, which is predicted to come out sometime in 2026.
