The Marvel theme-parks are heavily based on Marvel Comics' adaptation, the Marvel Cinematic Universe albeit set in its different universe. This article is to distinguish which MCU properties have what level of continuity in the theme-parks.
Iron Man Experience: Features reference to plot of film on timeline. However, Tony Stark was kidnapped in South Asia as he was in the comics, not the middle-east as he was in the film.
Stark Factory: The SHIELD meeting room has various references to the film's plot and characters.
Red Skull remains an active villain in the 21st century in park continuity, as opposed to in the films.
The references to Marvel and Howard Stark at Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar may be in tribute to Lucasfilm Ltd. alumnus Joe Johnston who directed Captain America: The First Avenger and The Rocketeer (1991), both of which are alluded to at the bar.
Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT!: Artifacts from film appear within the Collector's possession.
Innoventions: Dr. Jane Foster's Asgard exhibit referenced the events of the film.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Partly
Innoventions: The Captain America display was made to tie into the events of this film.
StarkExpo: The attraction depiction of Arnim Zola is inspired by Zola in this film.
Unlike in the movies, SHIELD remains active in the parks following the events of the story. The movie's main-antagonist Alexander Pierce is also referenced as remaining active at SHIELD.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Yes
Various references to events of the story in Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT! and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, the latter of which is set shortly after the events of the film.
Groot appears as an adult during Cosmic Rewind, when he should be in his growing baby form, but appears as a baby in Awesome Remix Live and Mission: BREAKOUT!.
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Yes
The parks' racist and white-washed adaptation of Scarlet Witch originates from this Joss Whedon movie.
Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT!: An Ultron sentry appears in the queue, with a description referencing his film iteration.
Shawarma Palace: Newspapers reference Ultron's crimes in Sokovia.
Iron Man references Ultron in the Iron Man Experience.
Loki's Sceptre makes later appearances in the parks while it was destroyed in this film to create Vision.
Ant-Man
Yes
Implied as movie is origin story to Ant-Man and Wasp, featuring entities referenced alongside them in both the movies and the parks.
Captain America: Civil War
Presumably no
There are no references to the film and the Avengers are portrayed as being intact, rather than divided off and partially outlawed as they were in the film and the parks lack vilification of Tony Stark.
The circumstances of Black Panther and Spider-Man joining forces with the Avengers or Black Panther becoming king are unknown.
The comic-book version of Civil War is referenced in Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure where one of the buildings is identified as having previously been used by Geffen-Meyer Chemicals, a shell business which Stark used to attack Captain America's allies.
Doctor Strange
Yes
Origin story elements of film are implied along Masters of the Mystic Arts original to the movie, and the film's depiction of entities like Dormammu or artifacts in Mission: BREAKOUT!
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Yes
Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Live!: Baby Groot appears, and the Guardians leave to fight the Sovereign whom originate from this film.
Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT!: Baby Groot and Mantis' membership in the Guardians are referenced.
In the attractions, Bill Foster is still a member of Pym Tech, ally to the superheroes and is the superhero, "Giant Man" like he is in the comics, while in the movies he was a villain who went on the run by the end of the movie.
Captain Marvel
Presumably yes
Implied as movie is origin story to Captain Marvel, who frequently appears in the parks.
Hollywood Land: Had area themed around the movie's story.
Training Centre: References the heroic version of Talos specific to the MCU.
Avengers: Endgame
No
Infinity War never happened and characters who died in Endgame are still alive.
One issue of The Daily Bugle featured a front-page story featured reference to the Avengers headquarters from the film being destroyed.
Despite characters who died/retired in Avengers: Endgame still being active in the parks, it is shown that Sam Wilson does succeed Steve Rogers in becoming Captain America.
New Asgard has been referenced multiple times, though it is unclear if Asgard is destroyed or not.
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Presumably yes
Avengers Assemble: Flight Force: Mysterio's henchman William Ginter Riva is in the Avengers, "DO NOT CONTACT" database.
Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure: Post-card from St. Mark's Basilica references plot of movie.
Movie's plot is complicated by Iron Man still being alive in park continuity.
The Daily Bugle and J. Jonah Jameson are comic-accurate in the parks, rather than being an alt-right news network as in the film.
Black Widow
Presumably yes
Avengers Stunt Show: Live portrayals of Black Widow and Taskmaster are modelled after appearances in film.
Ten Rings' history is likely different in parks due to Tony Stark having been abducted in Asia as he was in the comics, rather than the middle-east as he was in the films.
Doctor Strange: Mysteries of the MysticArts: Parks feature film depiction of Scarlet Witch and America Chavez.
America Chavez was referenced as a WEB member prior to her appearance in the MCU.
Thor: Love and Thunder
Presumably yes/partially
Dr. Jane Foster's iteration of Thor appears in the parks with the shattered hammer. However she appears to be alive for more time than her MCU counterpart does.
The character Shuri appeared in the park in her Black Panther outfit from the movie as a promotional tie-in, along with M'Baku wearing his outfit from the film.
It is presently unknown if T'Challa is dead in park continuity or not. Shuri's appearances mourning at the campus seemingly implied him to be, though he may still make infrequent appearances around the parks.
Namor and his kingdom were alluded to in Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT! years before appearing in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Ironheart was likewise referenced in Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure and Avengers Assemble: Flight Force.
Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania
Presumably Yes
The characters Kang the Conqueror and Stature made live appearances in the parks based their appearances in the film.
PYM Test Kitchen: This restaurant temporarily sold cauldrons of Veb's ooze.
Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure: The SSR parking-spots for Peggy Carter, Howard Stark and Edwin Jarvis are all located outside of this attraction.
Daredevil
Hollywood Land: The Daily Bugle contains references to Nelson and Murdock Attorneys at Law including stories about their, "Big Win", and shock at the release of series villain, Wilson "The Kingpin" Fisk. The 15th Precinct which Hollywood's Marvel area revolved around originates from the Daredevil series.
The use of the New York Bulletin featured throughout the attractions was popularized by the Daredevil Netflix show.
Luke Cage
Hollywood Land: Luke Cage's arrest was mentioned in the Daily Bugle.
WandaVision
Backlot Premiere Shop: This shop featured a WandaVision photo-op, including Wanda's fake house and the director's chair of Agatha Harkness.
Doctor Strange: Mysteries of the Mystic Arts: Westview is featured on the Cabinet of Caballero's dimensional map.
Sam Wilson's appearance as Captain America in the parks is based off of this series. Disney California Adventure had multiple promotions for it as well.
Loki
Time Variance Authority officers and variant depictions of Loki from the show have made live-appearances at Avengers Campus.
Moon Knight has made live appearances at the campus.
Ms. Marvel
The show's depiction of Ms. Marvel appears as a live-character at Avengers Campus.
Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure: Kamala Khan's friend Bruno Carrelli is a member of the Worldwide Engineering Brigade.
Bruno was referenced in Web Slingers years before the controversial Ms. Marvel was released and was based off of his comic-counterpart.
She-Hulk: Attorney At Law
Hollywood Land: A bench promoting She-Hulk is in Hollywood land.
Secret Invasion
The Secret Invasion version of Nick Fury appeared in DCA.
Other films and series[]
Films outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Image
Title
Connection
Notes
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Meet Spider-Man: This meet 'n' greet was done in promotion for the Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Big Hero 6
Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure: There is a stuffed-animal of Baymax in WEB's Gear Grabber though it is unclear if this indicates characters from the film exist within continuity, or that the fictional franchise does.
The Disney film Big Hero 6 is actually based on a Marvel Comics property.
A flight-board in Disney Springs mentions an airline connection between the town and the film's fictional setting of San Fransokyo, a location also represented in Disney California Adventure.[2]
A Bug's Life
Meet 'n' Greets: Ant-Man and the Wasp can sometimes be seen with a miniaturized Flik's Fun Fair, the setting for A Bug's Land.
PYM Test Kitchen: In this restaurant are a giant bottle of ketchup and mustard, enhanced in size by Pym Particles. The bottles are labelled as coming from Bountiful Valley Farms and have art of the farm's mural. The giant Christmas-lights of this restaurant are repurposed from the gates of A Bug's Land.[3]
Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure: A Bug's Land is also referenced in Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure where the honorary bug glasses of It's Tough to Be a Bug appear in WEB's Gear Grabber, and a vehicle called HEIMLICH appearing in the utilidoors.
The references to A Bug's Life in Avengers Campus tribute how it was predicated by A Bug's Land in Disney California Adventure.
Cars
Avengers Campus: The Scrap Yard detailed on a map of the Stark Industrial Complex references the Cars themed attraction Mater's Junkyard Jamboree. The attraction Mater's Junkyard Jamboree is visible on the part of the land outlined by the map.
The Cars franchise is also referenced in Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar where there is a scrapped part of a plane bearing the symbol for the Jolly Wrenches from the film Planes (2013).
An in-universe version of Cars Land located in Southern California is referenced in advertisements for the attraction Red Car Trolley.[4]
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle!: After turning riders small, Scott Lang loudly announces to Wasp, "Honey, I shrunk the kids".
Avengers: Quantum Encounter: When Scott Lang accidentally shrinks the Disney Wish, Wasp tells him, "Honey, your shrunk the ship".
Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur
Hollywood Land: This show's depiction of Moon Girl made live-appearances at the Marvel meet 'n' greet near a mural of Devil Dinosaur.
Moon Girl has been referenced in various Marvel attractions including Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure and Avengers Assemble: Flight Force.
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar: This bar is themed around the Indiana Jones films, centring around Raiders of the Lost Ark character Jock Lindsey. Within it, the keys of one, "Howard S." (Howard Stark) are visible in the lost & found, while a scrapped plane labelled The Iron Fireman appears on a shelf in this bar with the word, "Fire" blotted out so it reads, "Iron Man".[5]
The references to Marvel and Howard Stark at Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar may be in tribute to Lucasfilm Ltd. alumnus Joe Johnston who directed Captain America: The First Avenger and The Rocketeer (1991), both of which are alluded to at the bar.
Indiana Jones also has lore connections to The American Adventure and the Skipper Canteen which have their own connection to the Marvel attractions.
Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse
Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure: Into the Spider-Verse is referenced in the queue for this attraction via protagonist Miles Morales' locker. The art style of the locker is made to reference the film's aesthetics and artwork which Miles creates in the film. The spaceman floating upwards on the locker references Miles falling upwards on the film's poster and in its iconic, "Leap of faith" scene while the arrows around the spaceman's head reference how spider-senses are visualized in the film. Spider-Verse related character Gwen Stacy is also referenced as a member of the Worldwide Engineering Brigade.
Into the SpiderVerse is not owned nor developed by Disney, rather being a successful SONY production.
One of the primary criticisms of Peter Parker in the MCU (inspiring the depiction featured in the parks) has been that he appropriates many personality traits and story beats from Miles Morales.
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas
Oogie Boogie Bash: Agatha Harkness references the film's main antagonist Oogie Boogie as being responsible for her and zombie Captain America's appearances at the campus.
The Nightmare Before Christmas is tied into the story of the Haunted Mansion, an attraction also referenced in Mission: BREAKOUT! via the Hellhound.
Toy Story
Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT!: For 2024's Pixar Fest, the Collector's collection included a frozen miniature Pizza Planet truck identified as a "Terrestrial Sustainment Conveyor". Another with a darker palette, lightning paint and "E = MC2" painted on its side appeared in the Collector's office, tributing the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.[6]
Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure: The toy aliens from this film appear within the Gear Grabber, referencing the Claw machine from the film. One of Harley Keener's proposed potato-gun names is, "Spud Lightyear" in reference to Toy Story deuteragonist Buzz Lightyear. For Pixar Fest, in 2024, a miniature Pizza Planet truck made into a Spider-Bot appeared in the pre-show.
The Hong Kong Disneyland attraction Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle! replaced Tomorrowland attraction Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters.
The Tomorrowland Chamber of Commerce includes Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.