What to see in New York if you are a superhero fan

For fans of Superhero-themed sci-fi genre movies, New York is the right choice, with many locations you can visit where famous scenes from the Marvel and DC Comics movies of the Superhero saga were filmed.

Visiting New York by researching those locations with your dedicated fan itinerary can be a pleasant key to discovering New York in an alternative way.

Main superhero-themed New York locations

Final battles, rescues of innocents, scenes that leave you with bated breath, in these locations you can take a close look at the places where the scenes that featured in the tremendous colossal films of the saga were filmed, playing with your memory and your memories to immerse yourself in the context of the scenes from the films that have stuck with you.

What to expect from visiting these places? 

Before you decide to do this tour, you must know that it is an itinerary for true genre fans. The places and situations in question are mainly symbolic in recalling famous scenes from Superhero movies.

You will not find anything concrete on site that recalls such a movie or a character, except your memory as a fan and enthusiast that will make you feel closer and more involved, awakening memories and emotions. Just imagine contemplating the question: Incredible Hulk or Man of Steel? Your mind would inevitably drift to those epic movie scenes filmed in these iconic locations.

It is like visiting places significant to a particular band, singer (Elvis Presley’s house in Tennessee, for example), or any famous historical figure.

However, many of these places are must-see destinations regardless of the appeal of Superheroes, so they should still be part of your traditional New York itinerary.

1. Roosevelt Island Tramway 

The Roosevelt Island Tramway is New York’s cable car that connects Manhattan to Roosevelt Island. 

Suppose you decide to take the Roosevelt Island Tramway. In that case, you can see an incredible and distinctive view of Manhattan, the East River, the Queensboro Bridge, and the Long Island area.

The very ride on a cable car is when one of Spider-Man’s most spectacular rescues takes place: he manages to save his beloved Mary-Jane and all the passengers on the Roosevelt Island Tramway.

2. Grand Central Terminal 

Grand Central Terminal, an architectural gem worth visiting, is the most famous station in New York City.

Precisely because of its beautiful structure, it became the setting for many films, including I Am Legend Starring Will Smith, Revolutionary Road with Leonardo di Caprio, and Madagascar.

We also find it among the MCU filming locations of the Battle of New York in The Avengers (2012): in this movie, we see the Terminal destroyed by the siege that our heroes are fighting.

3. Chrysler Building 

The Chrysler Building is one of the most famous skyscrapers in New York City, declared a national monument of the United States. 

The Chrysler Building is not the tallest in the Big Apple, but it is undoubtedly one of the most iconic skyscrapers that have made history.

This art deco building has been the backdrop for several films, including Armageddon, The Fantastic 4, and Godzilla (where the skyscraper gets destroyed).

Iconic is the scene of Thor on the Chrysler spire, invoking lightning to aid him in the destruction of the Chitauri in The Avengers (2012).

4. 101 PARK AVE

101 Park Ave is a small square located in midtown Manhattan.

Scenes from several movies, such as Friends with Benefits, Person of Interest, and The Amazing Spider-man, have been filmed in this area.

This is the place where in The Avengers (2012), the quintet carrying Captain America, Hawkeye (Clint Burton), and Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) crashed.

5. Morgan Stanley Global Headquarters

Morgan Stanley is a financial building, a somewhat unusual place to shoot a Superhero movie.

Yet it was here that Captain America’s escape after his awakening was filmed in Captain America: The First Avenger.

When Steve Rogers awakens from his coma, he realizes something is wrong.

Therefore, he escapes from the fiction they had created for him, and the moment he manages to get out of the building (Morgan Stanley Building), he runs to nearby Times Square, where he will meet Nick Fury, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., for the first time.

6. Flushing Meadows Park. 

Flushing Meadows Park is a huge park in Queens, and its sculpture is the backdrop for many movies, including Men in Black. It is also where the Stark Expo in Iron Man 2 and the 1942 New York Expo in Captain America: The First Avengers occur.

7. Flatiron Building 

The Flatiron Building was built in the early 20th century; it is fascinating because of its distinctive “flatiron” shape, from which it gets its name flatiron.

The Flatiron Building is where the editorial office of the Daily Bugle, the newspaper Peter Parker works for in Spider-Man, is located.

Guided tour of superhero locations 

There is also the possibility of participating in a guided tour of Superhero Places with the same purpose of letting you discover some of New York’s symbolic Superhero-themed places but with the invaluable support of an expert tour guide, who can enrich a great deal with information, historical hints, and anecdotes what he will accompany you to see.

Recommended for enthusiasts but also for the curious, families with children (who doesn’t like Superheroes?!), and those who want to optimize time and organizational effort by being guided effectively.