Robert Downey Jr. Reprising His Roll at Tony Stark at New Avengers Campus Expansion
At SXSW 2025, Robert Downey Jr. surprised the audience by appearing at a Disney panel to discuss updates to Avengers Campus expansion coming to Disney California Adventure.
Downey expressed excitement about the Imagineers’ creativity and involvement in the project, even referencing his beloved robotic companion, DUM-E. The attractions will showcase cutting-edge technology, making it an integral part of the experience. Downey also hinted at his continued involvement in future developments at the campus.
An animation of how the Stark Flight Lab attraction coming to Avengers Campus at DCA is going to operate. #SXSW #SXSW2025 pic.twitter.com/dnhpnULIVE
— ThrillGeek (@thrillgeek) March 8, 2025
In Stark Flight Lab, guests will ride in “gyro-kinetic pods” that travel along a track before stopping in front of a giant robot arm. The arm will lift them into the air, where they’ll perform high-speed maneuvers inspired by Iron Man and other Avengers. Robert Downey Jr. humorously mentioned that the Avengers involved in the experience would be chosen based on merit and who answers his FaceTime calls on the first ring.
The team used dancers and motion capture technology to create a “virtual mirror” to incorporate realistic movements into early ride mockups. The Imagineers aim to make the robots in Stark Flight Lab as lifelike as possible, similar to Tony Stark’s beloved robot, DUM-E.
Clint Gamache is the owner of ThrillGeek. He started ThrillGeek to share his love of theme/amusement parks and pop culture with the world. You can find him at Halloween Horror Nights. Also, be sure to follow him on Twitter/X, Instagram @iamcg83