Adding Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. to the Marvel Cinematic Universe makes it even harder to recall what S.H.I.E.L.D. stood for.
Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.) is a name that sounds like it was created by the government if it hadn’t been plagiarized.
The scientific combat support network for the Avengers is called S.T.A.T.I.O.N., or Scientific Training And Tactical Intelligence Operative Network. It will be based in Burnaby for a brief period of time, where fans can walk from room to room and prepare to join the S.T.A.T.I.O.N. team.
Presented by NEON and Paquin Entertainment, who brought such hit exhibits as Beyond Van Gogh and Beyond King Tut to Canada, Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. takes new recruits through the history, science, engineering, genetics and more around everyone’s fave heroes in an exhibit that blends the “Beyond” style immersive show with a more-traditional-cool-stuff-and-things-to-do fan experience.
Paquin Entertainment executive producer/promoter Justin Paquin says it’s an exciting mix.
“Paquin’s involvement with exhibitions and attractions began with both Beyond Van Gogh and the Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N., and the Marvel one was originally going to be the first to launch,” said Paquin. “It opened for exactly three days in March of 2020 in Toronto, so it’s almost forgotten, and didn’t officially open until the summer of 2021. By that time, we had Van Gogh exhibits touring all over Canada and the U.S.”
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Created by Victory Hill Exhibitions, a subsidiary of Cityneon Holdings, Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. opened in 2016 at Treasure Island in Las Vegas.
The company is also behind another popular cinematic franchise turned into a fan experience titled the Hunger Games: The Exhibition, located at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino.
“Since launching seven years ago, the Marvel exhibit has toured the world and set up a permanent location in Las Vegas,” said Paquin. “I expect with the way that the Marvel cinematic universe has continued to grow over the past decade, that demand for all things Marvel will continue to grow. The chance to get up-close to the movie props and more is something sure to attract fans.”
The self-guided tour through everything from movie prop rooms to stops along the way to try everything from lifting Mjolnir, a.k.a. Thor’s hammer, to checking out the Hulk’s massive prosthetic hands typically takes somewhere from 60 to 90 minutes to move through. All ticket-holders are encouraged to arrive well in advance of their scheduled entry to be ready to roam through. Naturally, there will be some areas more interesting to some than others and the Black Widow and Hawkeye won’t be around to manage traffic flow.
