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Universal Studios’ Marvel Super Hero Island theme park is stuck in the ‘90s – and that’s absolutely fine!

Universal Islands of Adventure is the last place where you can see the pre-MCU Marvel Universe.

Promotional image for Superhero Island — Image credit: Marvel/Universal

Features by Joshua Lapin-Bertone, Contributing writer

Published on Fri Dec 20 2024

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If you miss the ‘90s, then you should take a trip to Orlando, Florida. Universal Islands of Adventure is more than a theme park, it’s a gateway to the past. At Marvel Super Hero Island (the theme park’s Marvel-themed area), the ‘90s never ended. For better or worse, it’s a corner of the Marvel Universe that’s been untouched by time.

Journey to the ‘90s with Marvel Super Hero Island

Marvel Super Hero Island at Universal Islands of Adventure — Image credit: Popverse

Marvel Super Hero Island mural — Image credit: Popverse

As you enter Marvel Super Hero Island, one of the first things you’ll notice is the character murals. They’re scattered throughout the themed land, and their size makes them pretty hard to miss. As a result, these murals set the tone, giving parkgoers their first impression of the area. Universal Studios commissioned Andy Kubert to illustrate these murals prior to the park’s 1999 opening, and the results are glorious.

If you read comics in the ‘90s, then you know that the art style had a different vibe. It was a time when comic book art was expressive, cartoony, vibrant, and stylized. Characters weren’t drawn in the hyper-realistic style that took over the industry in the mid-2000s. Kubert’s murals are pure ‘90s, and they dominate every corner of the land. Every restaurant, every shop, and nearly every ride has a giant ‘90s character towering over the entrance.

When I visit Islands of Adventure, one of my favorite places to eat is Captain America Diner. It’s a quick service restaurant with the walls and ceiling covered in ‘90s era artwork from Kubert. Crystal is wearing her ‘90s bomber jacket and the Avengers are in their ‘90s costumes. Plus, you get a great view of the park’s lagoon.

Character actors dressed as Spider-Man, Captain America, and various X-Men will appear throughout the park. Captain America is in his classic comic book costume, rather than the MCU-inspired soldier uniform that he wears on modern licensed merchandise. Spider-Man is wearing his classic cloth suit, not the metallic armor from the recent movies.

Speaking of Spidey, I would highly recommend his ride, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. The plotline of the motion simulator dark ride feels like it came from a ‘90s comic. Doc Ock’s look was updated during a refurbishment to closely resemble Alfred Molina’s portrayal in Spider-Man 2, but the other villains are still in their ‘90s designs. However, the real nostalgia comes from the ride queue. The queue takes you through the Daily Bugle offices, which contain tons of references to Spider-Man’s old status quo. Mary Jane is Peter Parker’s wife, J. Jonah Jameson is publisher, and the offices are filled with typewriters, darkrooms, and bulky computers. Even the ride's exterior uses the '90s font that Spider-Man comic covers used during that era.

MCU what? What’s a Spider-Verse?

A boy poses with a Captain America character actor — Image credit: Popverse

During a recent trip to Universal Islands of Adventure, I got the sense that something was missing. It was summer 2023 and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was lighting up the box office. I realized that the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man contained no references to Miles Morales. Intellectually, I’ve been aware of this fact for years, but it wasn’t until last summer when the implications of this truly registered.

Miles Morales is probably the biggest addition to the Spider-Man mythos since the introduction of the symbiotes. He’s starred in an Oscar award-winning movie, he’s been a playable character in multiple video games, and he’s become a household name. In fact, to an entire generation of kids, Miles Morales is Spider-Man, not Peter Parker. Yet there is no trace of him on the Spider-Man ride.

You can find Miles Morales merchandise in the gift shop, but the attraction contains no references to the character. Considering how big of a character Miles is, his absence feels strange. Don’t get me wrong, I still adore the Spider-Man ride. However, his absence is another reminder that Marvel Super Hero Island is a time capsule. As a Spider-Man fan, my feelings are mixed. I simultaneously love the nostalgia but miss Miles.

Toddler outside Universal's Spider-Man ride — Image credit: Popverse

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is also absent from Marvel Super Hero Island. You can find MCU branded merchandise in the gift shops, but the attractions themselves lean into the comics rather than the movies. As much as I love the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this is refreshing. The MCU has dominated so much of Marvel’s branding across licensed media, so it’s nice to get a break from that.

I was talking about this with another Popverse contributor, and she brought up an interesting observation. “Universal Studios is the last place where you can see the pre-MCU Marvel Universe,” she said. For some people, a Marvel Universe without the MCU is unthinkable, but it exists, and it’s in Orlando, Florida.

Across the country in Anaheim, Disney has their own Marvel themed area in Disney California Adventure Park. The area is called Avengers Campus, and it’s modeled after the MCU. The character actors are in MCU costumes, and the rides contain video appearances from MCU actors like Chris Pratt and Tom Holland. There is no sign of the comic books, just the MCU. When you walk around Orlando’s Marvel Super Hero Island, you see large colorful comic book murals. When you walk around Avengers Campus, there is far less color, but plenty of film logos.

Marvel Super Hero Island gives you the experience of stepping inside a comic book, while Avengers Campus gives you the experience of corporate synergy.

Why time hasn’t touched Marvel Super Hero Island

Iceman mural at Marvel Superhero Island — Image credit: Popverse

Marvel Super Hero Island is a place where the ‘90s never ended, and you could thank Disney and lawyers.

Universal Studios began developing Islands of Adventure in the ‘90s, long before Disney purchased Marvel Entertainment. When Universal and Marvel signed their licensing deal in 1994, the comic company was in serious financial trouble. In fact, Marvel would be forced to declare bankruptcy in 1996. As a result, Universal Studios walked away with a pretty good deal.

The Universal/Marvel contract states that Islands of Adventure can keep operating Marvel Super Hero Island in perpetuity. In other words, Universal gets to keep the Marvel-themed area for as long as it wants. However, there are loopholes. Universal could lose the rights if they stop paying licensing or if they mishandle the characters. For example, if Universal portrayed Spider-Man as a drug dealer, then Marvel could argue to revoke the license.

MODOK mural at Marvel Superhero Island — Image credit: Popverse

Disney purchased Marvel Entertainment in 2009, and the Universal contract has been a thorn in their sides ever since. The legalese in the contract prevents Disney from using the name Marvel on any of their rides or themed areas. That’s why Disney California Adventure Park’s themed area is called Avengers Campus. The contract also prevents Disney’s Florida theme parks from using any of the characters featured in Marvel Super Hero Island. This clause extends to spin-off characters.

For example, Marvel Super Hero Island has a Storm-themed ride called Storm Force Acceleration. As a result, Disney can’t use any of the X-Men at their Florida parks, even if they aren’t featured at Universal. That’s why Orlando’s Epcot theme park has the Guardians of the Galaxy, while Universal Studios has…well…everybody else. There is more flexibility outside of Florida, since Universal’s Hollywood theme park doesn’t have a Marvel themed area. This has allowed Disney’s Avengers Campus to include more Marvel characters.

This contract also has the unintended effect of making Marvel Super Hero Island into a ‘90s time capsule. Universal Studios has the option to add new attractions to Marvel Super Hero Island, but Marvel would have to approve them. This is unlikely to happen since Disney doesn’t want to give Universal any advantages in the Orlando theme park arena. Don’t expect an Iron Man roller coaster or a Thor dark ride any time soon, because Marvel won’t approve it.

Universal can keep their existing rides and refurbish them. This has kept Marvel Super Hero Island in its ‘90s limbo. The original attractions aren’t going anywhere, and they can’t make any major editions without Disney’s approval. Hypothetically, if Marvel decided to let Disney add a new ride, I doubt that Universal would lean into the MCU. Why would Universal Studios build a ride that promotes a film owned by their rival studio?

When you think about it, Marvel Super Hero Island is like a kid caught between bickering divorced parents. Disney won’t let Universal add new attractions to the land, and Universal will keep the land in perpetuity, preventing Disney from adding Marvel characters to their Orlando theme parks. It’s legal theme park warfare, and the result is a fun ‘90s time capsule that fans can visit whenever they want.

Time marches on for the Incredible Hulk

Two children pose in front of the new Hulk statue — Image credit: Popverse

As much as I enjoy the ‘90s nostalgia, I have to acknowledge that it may not be here forever. As each ride gets refurbished, they lose a little of their ‘90s aesthetic. I’ve already mentioned the Spider-Man ride, which replaced their ‘90s era Doc Ock with an Alfred Molina lookalike. However, the biggest example is the Incredible Hulk Coaster, which has lost almost all its ‘90s branding. When the ride opened in 1999, it had a large Andy Kubert illustrated character mural in front of it. Today, that bright comic book image has been replaced by a Hulk statue. The Kubert drawing had the proportions of a comic book character, while the statue looks like an MCU film action figure. I’ll admit that I’m biased, but the statue feels like it has less personality. I miss the Kubert mural.

When the ride was refurbished in 2016, a new storyline was added. The original storyline had guests assisting Dr. Bruce Banner in an experiment meant to permanently cure him of his Hulk problem. The post-2016 version has guests participating in a military experiment where they become Hulks. The animated ride queue videos from the ‘90s have been replaced with a CGI animated video of guests undergoing Hulk transformations. One guest is a smug teenage boy wearing Beats headphones and taking a selfie with his smartphone. The ‘90’s are clearly over.

How long before Spider-Man undergoes a similar transformation? While Spidey’s ride has been refurbished, it’s largely the same experience as it was in 1999. It might be too costly to give it a huge makeover like the Hulk had, but time marches on. How long before more of the Kubert murals are removed and replaced with statues? Will the ‘90s era logos disappear? Perhaps the Incredible Hulk Coaster was the canary in the coalmine for the ‘90s aesthetic.

For now, the rest of Marvel Super Hero Island is still stuck in the ‘90s, and that’s the way I like it.

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Joshua Lapin-Bertone: Joshua is a pop culture writer specializing in comic book media. His work has appeared on the official DC Comics website, the DC Universe subscription service, HBO Max promotional videos, the Batman Universe fansite, and more. In between traveling around the country to cover various comic conventions, Joshua resides in Florida where he binges superhero television and reads obscure comics from yesteryear.