NEW YORK (AP) – Marvel Entertainment, which muscled into pop culture with comic books, TV cartoons and movies, is gambling on attracting new fans as it tackles 3-D – but forget the silly glasses.
A new live arena show called “Marvel Universe Live!” – a first for the comic franchise – has begun an 85-city tour over the next two years, flooding stages with a dizzying array of actors and upping the technological ante for theatrical events.
“We pushed ourselves so much on this project to do things that have never been done before,” said producer Juliette Feld, who is a Feld Entertainment executive vice president. “This show is actually more like an action movie than anything else.”
Captain America, Thor, The Hulk, Black Widow, Wolverine, Nick Fury, Spider-Man, Storm, Green Goblin and Red Skull are among the heroes and villains that constantly battle during the two-hour show.
The show leverages many of the elements that Feld Entertainment has pioneered, including its motocross show Nuclear Cowboyz and monster truck spectacular Monster Jam, and even Disney on Ice and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus.