There’s nostalgia for the Batman movie era at Six Flags as we head toward a new DC Studios era with Superman, On a recent visit to Magic Mountain, I found myself reminiscing fondly about the stunt shows from the ’90s.
Both Batman Forever and Batman & Robin were draws as WB movie-inspired attractions for folks who didn’t want to only do roller coasters. The most vivid memory I have is Batman swinging into action and riding in the Batmobile for the explosive, stunt-heavy Magic Mountain version of the show. The Caped Crusader teamed up with Robin and Batgirl against Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy for super abridged versions of the film’s plot against perfectly dilapidated Gotham sets.
At Astroworld in Texas, an early version of the show took place in a water arena where the iconic DC duo took on the Riddler and Two-Face in a high-octane show with jet skis and a helicopter.
For a while, DC Entertainment seemed invested in being a worthy competitor to the outdoor staged experiences presented at Universal Studios Hollywood or even The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular at Walt Disney World. But then, more and more, all the coaster-centric parks began to only license DC iconography to slip on steel coasters, including Batman: The Ride, Riddler’s Revenge, and Superman: The Ride.
With little to no effort on theming, investment in places where you could immerse yourself in the world of these characters was nowhere to be found for years. Sure, there would be some slight attempts, like a meet and greet here or there timed to ride openings, but gone was the value placed in thematic storytelling to draw repeat visits. Only the memories and the Batmobile from the long-gone stunt shows remain for photo ops.
During Christopher Nolan’s Batman era, the thing that most reinvigorated DC and Warner Bros.’ interest in participatory entertainment was an ARG marketing campaign. The level of immersion with Animal Repair Shop’s The Dark Knight: Why So Serious? experience made the world a theme park. Fans who wanted to learn more about the second Nolan film were able to participate in flash Joker Mobs at places like San Diego Comic-Con or follow clues in other major cities to shopping centers or college campuses to collect artifacts from the yet-to-be-released film. Even in the digital world, the internet landscape was changed as Batman fans unlocked the first look at Heath Ledger’s Joker. It was a game changer and one that at least some major theme parks sought to bring into their offerings, except seemingly Six Flags.
In 2010 things changed in theme parks when Universal Studios opened the first major themed land based on a film franchise with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The irony being, of course, that Warner Bros. partnered with a competing theme park for this—all while having DC Comics just be stickers to slap on any given coaster. Wizarding World lit a fire that would go on to motivate the landscape to evolve quickly from just having attractions or shows touting a major IP. Now, the blueprint was set to make whole areas that take you into the world of your favorite fandom, paving the way for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Avengers Campus at Disney Parks and, most recently, Universal’s own Epic Universe.
Warner Bros. has had an international arm that’s put familiar properties in various theme parks around the world, notably in Spain and Australia with Warner Bros. Movie World parks. These were essentially original regional parks in major metropolitan cities that partnered with WB to rebrand into Movie World Parks. They very often get better production value for their properties with DC Comics, The Wizard of Oz, and The Looney Tunes at their amusement parks, while we get paint refreshes on existing coasters.
Before you surmise that “Wow, DC fans really got the short end here,” you might be surprised to learn that there is a fully realized DC Universe land: Warner Bros. World on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
The first from-the-ground-up WB theme park, it opened in 2018 and predates Galaxy’s Edge with multiple themed lands designed by the Thinkwell Group, a hub of park and immersive designers. Here you’ll find Gotham and Metropolis as two separate areas with attractions inspired by the worlds of Batman and Superman. There are meet and greets with multiple characters throughout, from heroes to villains; even the Looney Tunes get fully decked out in DC Comics gear too. The ads for this park are always making us feel like we’re truly missing out. The most we got around that time of its opening was a single dark ride in the form of Six Flags’ Justice League: Battle for Metropolis.
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