Universal Ride Is Down for the Count: Will the Rest of the Land Follow Suit?

Universal isn’t playing games anymore. Dr. Doom’s ride goes down. Is the rest of Marvel Super Hero Island next? Here’s what they’re not telling you.

Universal Land From 1999 Is on the Verge of Goodbye

You don’t need superhuman hearing to pick up on the signs—Universal Orlando Resort is moving fast, building bigger, and possibly preparing to bulldoze one of its original headliners: Marvel Super Hero Island. And while the company is staying suspiciously quiet, fans and insiders are picking up on the pattern: a major character’s ride just closed for “refurbishment,” but no one believes it’s business as usual.

Universal Orlando has scheduled Dr. Doom’s Fear Fall at Islands of Adventure for refurbishment and will be closed this week. – @insideuniversal on X

Universal Orlando has scheduled Dr. Doom's Fear Fall at Islands of Adventure for refurbishment and will be closed this week. @UniversalORL https://t.co/jBlhaLelY1

— Inside Universal (@insideuniversal) June 16, 2025

Dr. Doom’s Fearfall—the dramatic drop tower that’s been punishing spines since 1999—recently closed for maintenance. But what’s really raising eyebrows isn’t the downtime itself. It’s the timing. It’s the context. And it’s the creeping realization that this land, this contract, this entire Marvel partnership… might be skating on thin legal ice.

So what’s really going on?

The Long Shadow of Disney’s Marvel Deal

In case you forgot, Disney owns Marvel. And yet, for the last 15+ years, Universal has operated a land themed entirely to Marvel Comics. How? An ancient licensing agreement from before Disney’s acquisition allows Universal to keep running the characters—Spider-Man, Hulk, Dr. Doom, even the X-Men—so long as they keep the checks rolling in.

But that agreement is aging like milk in the Florida sun.

Disney doesn’t love that its billion-dollar IPs are being used to sell churros at a rival’s park, and fans have long speculated about how long this uneasy truce could last. Add to that Marvel’s upcoming Avengers: Doomsday film—set to bring Dr. Doom into the MCU spotlight—and the timing of Fearfall’s closure feels a little too on-the-nose.

Is Universal doing quiet damage control before Disney comes knocking?

Universal’s Other Cards: DC, Monsters, and More

Here’s the kicker: Universal doesn’t even need Marvel anymore. With a fourth gate (Epic Universe) opening in 2025, the company is stuffed to the gills with fresh IPs and options.

There’s long-standing chatter that DC Comics was actually Universal’s original pick for this space before Marvel swooped in back in the ’90s. Now, with Warner Bros Discovery making aggressive moves with DC branding—and Disney sharpening its claws—don’t be surprised if Universal is considering flipping the script. Imagine Gotham streets where Marvel ones used to be. The Bat-Signal over Hulk’s launch tunnel.

Or forget DC. Universal owns DreamWorks. Illumination. Classic Monsters. Heck, they could even create an original storyverse and skip the licensing headache altogether.

And that may be the smartest long play of all.

The Death of a Land in Slow Motion

Marvel Super Hero Island isn’t dead yet. Crowds still pack The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man daily. The Hulk coaster still roars across the skyline. But if Universal is planning a major rebrand, it would start exactly like this—with quiet closures, no comment from PR, and strategic distractions (Epic Universe, anyone?).

There’s no confirmed date. No public plan. But when has Universal ever telegraphed a punch? (They didn’t with Jaws. They didn’t with Shrek. They won’t with this.)

Dr. Doom might just be going down for maintenance. Or he might be taking the first step toward vanishing into the multiverse for good.

TL;DR: Universal Is Ready for What’s Next

• Dr. Doom’s Fearfall closed suddenly for refurbishment.

• Marvel Super Hero Island exists under an aging contract with Disney.

• Marvel is putting Dr. Doom front and center in a new MCU movie.

• Universal has better options—and more freedom—without Marvel.

• Nothing’s confirmed, but all signs point to change.

Keep your eyes open. The next time you ride with Spider-Man, it might just be your last.