Disney Theme Parks Are Hiring Actors To Play 'The Eternals' And 'Shang-Chi' Characters

The summer of 2021 has been a good summer if you're a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, because the vast and sundry characters of the MCU have been basically unavoidable. Ready for new movies? Well, here comes Black Widow. Looking for them on the small screen? Loki is wrapping up its inaugural season next week. And over at the Disney theme parks, the unveiling of Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure has brought with it the arrival of plenty of never-before-seen in-person Marvel characters. And there's more on the way.

Perhaps most pressing, if you're a fan of Loki, you may already know that the God of Mischief has appeared at DCA in many forms so far (and that's just the actor portraying Tom Hiddleston's version, not the variants the show has depicted). The latest episode introduced us to a Loki President variant, and yes, you guessed it, as the Disney Parks Blog has highlighted, you can vote for Loki by meeting him in person at Avengers Campus.

But with Loki wrapping up soon, there's no sense of missing out on some other major Marvel characters at the parks. It may be hard to believe, but we're just two months away from the arrival of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in theaters (September 3!). That means that you may just encounter that new hero soon enough at Avengers Campus. Today's post teases the possibility that you never know who you'll meet, also hinting that come the fall, you might even encounter some of the The Eternals. (The chances of meeting Angelina Jolie or Kumail Nanjiani in person are low, but you'll get to meet another actor who looks mostly like them, which is close enough.)

Of course, these days, it's likely that you're going to see Natasha Romanoff in person, patrolling under the guise of being the Black Widow. (We'll leave aside what has to be an enormously wonky timeline that would allow characters like Loki President, Natasha Romanoff, and the Eternals to all hang out together, even briefly.) The point is simple: as the MCU continues to expand in this new phase beyond just theatrical releases, the Disney theme parks — specifically Disney California Adventure — are answering the call in their casting and costuming departments. Keep an eye out the next time you visit, because it really does seem like you might be shocked by whoever you meet.