Justice League: Battle for Metropolis is about to make its long-awaited debut at Six Flags Over Texas, with the attraction offering a one-of-a-kind interactive DC Universe experience.

Also the first 4D interactive motion-based dark ride to open in North America, the new Justice League attraction allows guests to team up with the likes of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and The Flash to battle Lex Luthor and The Joker in their bid to destroy the city of Metropolis.

Dark ride and animatronic manufacturing company Sally Corporation is behind the new development, in charge of the overall experience, story, scenery and animatronics. Wyatt Design Group worked on set design and storyboards, while Lexington Design and Fabrication assisted with scenic elements. Pure Imagination created the 3D graphics and animated film, and Alterface supplied the ride’s interactive elements such as gameplay.



“Our system is based on infrared shooting and camera detection,” said Alterface’s Guillaume Gallant, speaking to AM2. “It allows the screens and physical scenery to be entirely free from distracting and unpleasant target boxes. It makes the whole thing a more 'natural' and seamless experience.”

Both DC and Warner Bros have worked closely with Sally on the ride’s development, having final approval on everything to assure the ride is as true to the iconic DC Universe as possible.

"[Warner Bros and DC] take great pride in their brands and have great trust in us to deliver them," said a spokesperson for Six Flags speaking to AM2. "They are a very engaged and hands-on partner in the truest since of the word. We work closely with them on every aspect – from ride conception to execution – including initial concepts, design, naming, brand theming, retail… really the overall experience."

Riders will engage in an immersive battle complete with 4D effects such as fire, cannon blasts and explosions. Throughout the ride there are 600 virtual targets, including animatronics such as the Joker animatronic – first displayed at IAAPA 2014. The ride seats up to six passengers in moving vehicles, with each visitor armed with a stun blaster. Included as part of the experience is the world’s first ever virtual loop on a dark ride. The attraction uses 17 HD screens, including five interactive 3D screens during the 3 minute and 20 second experience.

"Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC Entertainment is a longtime partner, and we always welcome future opportunities to build upon that partnership," said the spokesperson. "They have announced an incredible slate of superhero movies in the upcoming years so it gives us a lot of opportunities to consider for future attractions."