Robert Downey Jr gets surprising Iron Man comeback in new ‘Avengers’ project
Robert Downey Jr. (RDJ) is set to return as Iron Man again. However, this time, it is not for a movie. Disney officially announced at the D23 Expo on August 16 that RDJ will reprise his iconic role for the new Disneyland attraction, ‘Avengers: Infinity Defense.’ It is a surprising turn for the actor to take on the role once again after ‘Avengers: Endgame’ saw his character, Tony Stark, die. With him dead in the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Downey is set to take on the much more villainous role of Doctor Doom in ‘Avengers: Doomsday.’ This means reprising the role of Iron Man is a true treat for fans who have enjoyed seeing him in the role for the better part of a decade.
Not only is he set to star as Iron Man in the new Disneyland ride, but the new attraction will also see him team up with other MCU stars, including Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and Anthony Mackie as Captain America. Chris Hemsworth reprises his role as Thor, and Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel. Disney Parks shared footage of the four stars on social media, filming scenes for the new attraction. The footage was actually filmed during production of ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ according to Cosmic Book News. In the video, Downey can be heard saying, “Welcome to Avengers Campus. We built this place to recruit, inspire, and train the next generation. You are a big part of that mission.”
A few familiar faces are joining in on the action 💪 @RobertDowneyJr, Anthony Mackie and @ChrisHemsworth will be featured in Avengers Infinity Defense opening at Disney California Adventure in 2028 ⭐ #D23 #Disneyland pic.twitter.com/bPJaXJYmhl
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) August 16, 2026
The premise sends riders in as recruits on a mission to reassemble the Avengers to take on King Thanos, a multiverse variation where the villain was actually successful. Recruits will travel through spaces such as New York City, Wakanda, and Asgard in their quest to regroup the Avengers team and defeat King Thanos, using the new 3D system previously seen in Peter Pan’s Neverland Adventure at Tokyo DisneySea. Downey will also be appearing in another new attraction, ‘Stark Flight Lab’, alongside Mackie as Captain America and Brie Larson as Captain Marvel. All three Marvel heroes will serve as flight instructors for the new experience. According to details revealed at SXSW 2025, riders are held in two-person ‘gyro-kinetic pods,’ which roll along on a track before stopping in front of a giant mechanical arm that subjects them to Iron Man-esque maneuvers before sending them on a virtual flight.
Both of the new attractions, ‘Avengers: Infinity Defense’ and ‘Stark Flight Lab’, are set to debut at Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure in 2028. The park will double the size of the land and connect it to Cars Land. So for anyone who thought that Downey had laid down the suit for good after ‘Endgame,’ that is not quite the case. He is just swapping one for a theme park ride while he plays the villain in the movie.
