A New “Marvel Universe LIVE!” Hits the Stands

A new and expanded set of heroes and villains from the Marvel universe are taking the floor at arenas around the country in the latest installment of Marvel Universe LIVE!. We were invited to attend the new show at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and were ready to be thrilled since the entire family enjoyed the first episode.

This time around, the extended Avengers (including Spider-Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Iron Man and the Wasp) join forces with the Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, Iron Fist and Black Panther to recover the powerful Wand of Watoomb before it falls into Loki’s hands. An army of Chitauri soldiers are supporting Loki in his plan to conquer Asgard along with Nebula, Yondu and his Ravagers to deliver the wand.

Much like the first Marvel Universe LIVE! (you can read a review of that show here: Having a Blast at Marvel Universe LIVE!), the floor show is enhanced with lasers, pyrotechnics and smoke effects along with substantial sound effects – some of these are quite loud and might be startling for children (my nine-year-old daughter spent the first 15 minutes with fingers in her ears). The huge background to the arena floor is animated with projected images that set location and play into the action.

The performers accomplish incredible acrobatic feats and choreographed battles, all in full costume. Especially fantastic are the oversized costumes, including Groot and some of the Collector’s aliens; wearing these massive costumes with internal stilts the actors are still able to move gracefully and interact with other characters on stage.

There are plenty of opportunities to see Marvel Universe LIVE! in cities around the country over the next year, visit www.marveluniverselive.com/tickets to see the schedule of upcoming locations.

Disclosure: Feld Entertainment provided passes to the show; opinions expressed are my own.