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Could DC Heroes Trade Places With Marvel In Orlando’s Theme Park Multiverse?
Warner Bros. Discovery is reportedly chatting with theme park operators, including Universal, about licensing DC Comics heavy hitters like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman for new attractions. It is very early days, and nothing is signed, but if those talks ever turn into a full deal, it could represent a seismic shift in the Orlando marketplace. Right now, most DC-themed rides live at Six Flags parks, while Universal’s big superhero footprint in Florida comes from Marvel Super Hero Island at Islands of Adventure.
Related: Single Rider Line for VelociCoaster at Islands of Adventure Closes
Here is where it gets extra juicy for Central Florida fans. Universal secured the theme park rights east of the Mississippi for key Marvel characters back in the 1990s, long before Disney acquired Marvel. As long as Universal keeps Marvel Super Hero Island open and maintained, it can continue to use those heroes, and in return, Universal pays royalties to Disney for the privilege.
That agreement is exactly why Walt Disney World cannot build an Avengers Campus-style land in Florida featuring characters like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, and the X Men, even though Disney owns Marvel outright. This also limits what Universal can do in Super Hero Island, which may be preventing the park from innovating and expanding the land.
Related: Epic Universe Ultimate Planning Guide
If Universal were to acquire the rights to use DC characters in its parks, it would open up a very big “what if” question. Universal could eventually choose to retire Marvel Super Hero Island and reimagine that space as a DC-themed land filled with Gotham, Metropolis, and the Justice League. If that happened, Marvel’s Orlando theme park rights would effectively fall fully back into Disney’s hands, since Disney is Marvel’s owner. That could finally clear the legal tracks for Walt Disney World to bring something like Avengers Campus to Florida, giving Disney a proper Marvel land to match what guests see at Disney California Adventure and Disneyland Paris.
Right now, though, all of that is still speculation layered on top of very early licensing talks. There is no guarantee Universal will close a deal for DC, no confirmation that any potential agreement would impact Islands of Adventure, and no sign that Marvel Super Hero Island is going away anytime soon. But it is hard not to imagine the possibilities. Universal could trade Spider-Man and Hulk for Batman and Superman, while Disney upgrades from one-off Marvel attractions to a full Avengers-scale presence at Walt Disney World. If the pieces ever line up, Orlando’s superhero scene could end up looking very different along I-4.
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