Disneyland Paris will be home to the world’s second Avengers Campus, a theme park dedicated to recruiting and training the next generation of Marvel superheroes.
To be launched as part of the 30th anniversary celebration of Disneyland Paris, the Marvel Cinematic Universe–themed park will open on July 20, a full year after the first Avengers Campus was inaugurated in Disneyland in California.
The announcement for the opening of the new campus was made by none other than Tony Stark himself. In a short CGI clip published on the official YouTube channel of Disneyland Paris, Stark is seen in his Iron Man suit, broadcasting a message through his AI assistant Friday.
“I know we’re going to interrupt a lot of cat videos, but this is important,” he says in the clip.
“After all we’ve been through, I realise that the world needs more heroes, and guess what? I’m working on a campus for training the next generation of heroes right here, in Paris I mean. Let’s face it, I can’t be everywhere at once.”
The Marvel Avengers Campus will be located in Walt Disney Studios Park, the second of two themed parks in Disneyland Paris. It will feature surprise live-action stunts and heroic encounters with superheroes such as Spider-Man, Black Widow, Black Panther, Thor and Loki as well as the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Sam Wilson as Captain America, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Okoye and the Dora Milaje from Wakanda will also make their first appearance at Disneyland Paris. The park will also house rides as well as themed restaurants and boutique stores.
The campus interweaves with the plot of Marvel films — albeit in an oblique way. Events on the campus take place in a timeline of the multiverse different from the main one seen in the films. This means the campus is set after The Blip, when victims of Thanos’s cataclysmic snap were resurrected after the Avengers defeated the alien warlord.
“We’re post-The Blip,” said Beth Clapperton, creative director of Walt Disney Imagineering in Paris. “So, we’ve come back.”
The films, however, will not be a subject of discussion at the campus. In fact, while you’re there, Clapperton said it’s better to forget them and just immerse yourself in a world inhabited by web-slingers and Asgardian gods.
“We’re never going to talk about Marvel or the films on the campus because you’re in the campus and those people are real. There's going to be a lot of action, a lot of activation. And that's what we know that our recruits want when they come into the campus. They want to feel part of what the Avengers and that superhero world can offer," she said.
What to expect
Entering Avengers Campus, guests will become recruits and train alongside Spider-Man, Iron Man or Captain Marvel in a new dedicated Training Centre.
New recruits of all ages will be able to encounter heroes throughout their visit. They will get the chance to train with Black Panther’s loyal protectors, the Dora Milaje, and learn from the warriors of Wakanda on what it’s like to be a member of the elite royal guard.
Also, a sleek new high-tech Avengers vehicle will roam the Campus throughout the day, dispatching the heroes in style. Meanwhile, up on the QuinPad, the gleaming Quinjet will also be the focal point of special missions.
Saving the world can also be fun as recruits will have a chance to try on their best dance moves during an interactive dance-off with Star-Lord and Gamora from the Guardians of the Galaxy.
In a Disneyland Paris exclusive, Stark’s Friday will welcome recruits to the campus, monitor it for threats and signal the arrivals and departures of Avengers.
The rides on campus
The Avengers Campus features two action-themed attractions, including the first Avengers Assemble: Flight Force. The high-octane roller coaster will have recruits team up with Captain Marvel and Iron Man, who will sport a brand-new Mark 80 armour exclusively designed for his missions at Avengers Campus.
Recruits will embark and fly up through space in a vehicle that Stark has equipped with a homing device, to lure the yet-to-be-revealed threat away from Earth.
Spider-Man Web Adventure, meanwhile, is an attraction where recruits will be given web-slinging superpowers.
Through specially designed, innovative technology that recognises body movements and gestures, recruits will reach out their hands and sling webs from their wrists, just like Spider-Man. The mission is to team up with Spidey and help capture the out-of-control Spider-Bots — Peter Parker’s robot sidekicks — before they wreak havoc on the campus.
Food options
You’ll notice a few familiar names when it’s time to take a break from the heroics and grab a bite.
Pym Kitchen is an innovation science lab where the food and drinks tell a story. Just as Ant-Man and the Wasp use “Pym Particles” to grow and shrink just about anything, Pym Technologies applies this science to the creation of shareable bites, inventive entrees and sweet treats as a buffet.
Recruits will be able to savour items at unusual scales, including gigantic shareable pretzel sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, vegetables, cakes and the tiniest, cutest versions of the food for those who wish to try everything.
Stark Factory is a quick-service restaurant where recruits refuelling will get to enjoy a cooking show experience with home-made pizzas fresh from the pizzaiolos’ oven, including vegetarian options, salads and a choice of fresh pasta.
Meanwhile, the Web — Worldwide Eating Brigade — food truck will be run by the Web workshop's inventors and serve a variety of Asian noodles and coconut balls. The Fan-tastic Food Truck, a favourite of Tony Stark’s, will be parked nearby, serving New York-style hot dogs.
Avengers Campus will also be home to the Super Diner, a small traditional American restaurant serving Reuben sandwiches — a signature North American recipe made with corned beef, cheese, sauerkraut, and a savoury dressing, grilled between slices of rye bread.
What's next?
A forthcoming MCU-theme park is currently being developed at Disneyland Hong Kong, which will replace a portion of the Tomorrowland segment of the park. Clapperton said she hopes to see the parks expand along with the MCU.
“I would love the Avengers Campus to grow as the Marvel Universe grows, you know, as we understand more and more about the different people that could be in the Avengers,” she said.
“The campus is on a different thread of the multiverse. And as we can see, the multiverse is opening up many different portals."
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
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Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
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