Universal to close Spider-Man ride in Japan

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man are about to come to an end. Well, in Japan, at least.

In the latest development in the ongoing drama over the theme park rights to Marvel characters, Universal Studios Japan announced today that it will close its Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man ride permanently on January 22, 2024. A former co-winner of our Theme Park Insider Award as the world's best attraction and a current top-five pick on our Best Attractions list, Spidey has been thrill fans in Osaka since January 23, 2004.

With Universal losing the Marvel rights in Japan, that clears the way for the Avengers and other Marvel characters to make their debut at the Tokyo Disney Resort. They won't be part of the big Fantasy Springs expansion that is expected to open in early 2024 at Tokyo DisneySea, but it's hard to see Disney waiting much longer to bring Marvel to Tokyo in some form, whether that be by building an Avengers Campus or through at least some form of attraction retheme. ...continue reading