You know the old adage, “underpromise, overdeliver”? Well, I unfortunately think Avengers Campus is a really good example of doing the exact opposite. I was looking through concept art for this pretty new land, and was amazed at some of the big differences between what we saw then and what we see now. It’s not all bad news of course – some things truly look stunning in real life (and at D23 we heard more is coming!), but for now, let’s see how the art stacks up to the real thing.
First, the birds eye view. I obviously don’t have my own photo from this angle, but it’s interesting to me for two reasons. One, the density of the land. From this image, it seems like every square inch serves a purpose and they would truly make the most of the precious park real estate they had to work with. If you’ve ever been in Avengers Campus, you know this didn’t quite pan out. There is a LOT of open, cement space between buildings and attractions, and not much shade to be found. And two, the crowd flow. I actually think this piece is right on the money. The pathways are clear to both Hollywood Land and Cars Land, and the concept art nails the experience of traveling through the land.
Now for a few images that did deliver what they promised. Let’s start with the WEB Slingers building. In the concept art, we can see the Spider-Man animatronic, along with the whole side of the building glowing in the evening light.
In real life, the facade is fairly close (see a more exact angle than I have here). But in reality, as you approach the attraction entrance you can actually see a lot more of the exposed brick work than the concept art suggests. Otherwise, it’s quite a good likeness.
Another case of very close concept art is the imagery for the Pym Test Kitchen.
All that’s really missing from this vantage point is a wider view of the seating areas, which actually help a bit with Avenger Campus’ lack of plant life and greenery.
And coming back to WEB Slingers, I thought this art showing the lab was also decently close to the final product.
The real space isn’t quite this large, but the imagery absolutely captures the level of detail in the room. It feels like a “real” space that someone would actively be working in.
Unfortunately, this is where I think we shift into that “overpromise, underdeliver” territory. Let’s start with the Ancient Sanctum. This is my favorite space in Avengers Campus – I’m not going to bash it. But let’s look at this purely from a “what the art suggests” lens. The concept art gives the feeling of this truly overgrown ancient space, lined with threes, with the large hanging lanterns almost giving the feeling of floating and other-worldly orbs.
In reality, the Sanctum is not that other-worldly. The lanterns are quite small, and the big black wires hanging them (and lights) kind of ruin the floating effect (and don’t exactly help the feeling of being in ancient ruins). There are some vines and overgrown plants, but the space is mostly open and you’re never truly hidden from the rest of the land.
And finally, let’s look at the most iconic angle of the land: the Quinjet in front of the Collector’s Fortress. In the concept art, the fortress looms in the background, and the central courtyard is bustling with action, including heroes running on the rooftop.
In the final product, a lot just seems “off” from the concept. First, the collector’s fortress doesn’t match the land’s color scheme AT ALL. It’s a burnt orange instead of the glowing blue and purple shown in the art, and doesn’t fit with its surroundings in any way. Second, there’s far less greenery in the final, which makes the central courtyard feel like a lot more dead space. And third, heroes don’t run on the rooftop. They do periodically wave to guests below, but I’ve never seen an action sequence up there.
We all know concept art is not a photograph; it’s not meant to convey literal images. But I think its purpose is to convey the intention of the space – the “feeling” it gives off. Let’s use the Tomorrowland concept art as an example. Almost nothing came to precise fruition from that art. But you can see the consistent shapes throughout the land, open spaces consistently running throughout, and major attraction locations. All of that rings true to what came after.
I just think at the end of the day, the Avengers Campus art overhyped the end result and made it look like it was going to be much more impressive than it should have. In the art, it looks like a super-advanced place where superheroes train for the next fight. It has some sort of impressive intrigue, like you’re trespassing on something you don’t have security clearance to see. And in reality, it’s a lot of cement and square buildings. You’re sort of aware once again that you’re in an amusement park going from ride to ride vs. escaping into another world.
When you set expectations too high, you’re going to disappoint. Even just a little bit of cutting back in the art would have helped tremendously. I know that’s not an opinion everyone shares. But I’d love to know what you think – am I being too harsh on the Avengers Campus concept art?