It’s not unheard of for superheroes to take the stage. The Dark Knight has been out on tour already to some success and Spider-Man has moved into profitability after early troubles with Turn Off The Dark. Marvel is looking to follow in Batman Live’s boot steps with Marvel Universe Live, a series of arena tours kicking off next year.
Marvel owners Disney have struck an agreement with Feld Entertainment, the company that has for years handled the Mouse House’s Disney On Ice shows. But don’t expect Thor to come out skating: this will be more a stunts and special effects extravaganza that takes full advantage of the characters' abilities. The companies are spending more than $10 million to make it happen, planning an 85-city tour across North America in 2014, followed by dates overseas.
Since it’s a live show and therefore not bound by film rights deals, it’ll be able to offer the one thing that the current Marvel movie universe cannot: a crossover between Spider-Man, the X-Men, Daredevil and those box office behemoths The Avengers.
That this is happening now should be no surprise. Disney has always explored multiple routes to use its characters and Disney on Ice has been a tradition for years. We enjoyed Batman Live for what it was, so can Marvel top the Dark Knight’s stage experience? And would you go and see it?