Warner Bros. turns historic Stage 5 into Superman attraction

Warner Bros. has turned Stage 5, one of its oldest soundstages, into a Superman walk-through built around motion capture, 3D glasses and a story drawn from James Gunn’s 2025 film. The attraction, Superman Experience: Defenders Unite, opened on Superman Day, April 18, 2026, inside the Warner Bros. Studios backlot in Burbank, California.

The choice of Stage 5 gives the new experience a direct line to the studio’s past. Built in 1926, the soundstage has been associated with Now, Voyager, This Is the Army, Mildred Pierce and Calamity Jane. It is the same space where John Wayne once worked and where the cast of Friends was known to gather on couches, a reminder that the building has long been part of Warner Bros.’ on-screen mythology.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood says the full studio lot spans 110 acres, and Warner Bros. Studio Operations says it includes 29 sound stages. That scale helps explain why the company is using Stage 5 for more than a set piece. The studio is recasting a working production space as a ticketed attraction, one that sits at the intersection of heritage, brand loyalty and theme-park style entertainment.

The experience lasts about one hour and is open to guests 5 and older. Warner Bros. sells it both as a stand-alone ticket and as a bundle with the studio tour. The bundle is listed at $99 for adults and $79 for children, down from $118 and $97. The stand-alone add-on is priced at $39 for adults and $29 for children ages 5 to 10.

Inside, the attraction uses next-generation motion capture technology, active 3D glasses and high-definition audio to place visitors inside a Superman storyline. The route includes the Fortress of Solitude, Krypto and an encounter with Darkseid, tying the physical space to the mythology of the franchise. Warner Bros. has also paired the experience with an exclusive comic, Superman: Defenders Unite, written by Josh Trujillo with cover art by Bernard Chang.

The project reflects a broader shift in Hollywood’s business model. Stage 5 once served traditional film production; now it is being used to sell immersion, not just screens. For Warner Bros., the value of a legacy brand increasingly lies in whether audiences will buy a visit to the world as well as a ticket to the movie.