TAGGED AS: DC Comics, streaming, Superheroes, television, TV
UPDATE: The Penguin series trailer and information.
Warner Bros. Pictures’ plans for the DC Comics characters always seem in a state of flux — projects are announced and forgotten, release dates shift constantly, and any attempt to maintain a consistent universe seemingly falls by the wayside. DC’s previous small-screen Multiverse, on the other hand, appeared on firmer ground with long-running shows like Smallville and The CW’s The Flash, surprise successes like HBO Max’s Doom Patrol and Peacemaker, and beloved animated programs including Young Justice and Harley Quinn.
But that sense of solidity may be changing. In summer 2022, DC’s new corporate parent, Warner Bros. Discovery, announced to investors a 10-year plan for the characters, with a heavy emphasis on theatrical features. The company’s long hunt for a mastermind (à la Marvel’s Kevin Feige) to take control of a brand reset for film and TV finally ended when James Gunn and Peter Safran assumed their duties as co-CEOs and chairmen at the newly formed DC Studios on November 1, 2022. Meanwhile, the sale of The CW television network to Nexstar Media Group seemingly ended the longstanding foothold for DC on broadcast TV.
Of course, the DC superheroes always bounce back from any crisis, so there is always hope to be found. But it is worthwhile to take stock of the series based on the characters currently airing and in development in light of WBD’s and DC Studios new plans. Will your favorites survive a seeming Zero Hour to become Legends in a new (52) environment? And what of the studio’s “Chapter One” roadmap to integrate some TV shows into the new DC Cinematic Universe (DCU)?Let’s take a look at what we know about the various DC TV series for more insight.
My Adventures with Superman
Status: Currently airing its second season on Max.
What We Know: This animated series focuses on Clark Kent (Jack Quaid) as he builds his Superman persona, gets accustomed to Metropolis, and starts a relationship with Lois Lane (Alice Lee). Also along for the adventure: Jimmy Olsen (Ishmel Sahid). Creative staff include executive producer Sam Register, co-EPs Jake Wyatt (Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus) and Brendan Clogher (Voltron: Legendary Defender), and co-producer Josie Campbell (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power). Despite a seemingly delay in airing the first season, it debuted to critical acclaim and enough encouraging metrics that Max committed to the currently-airing second season, which concludes its 10-episode run on July 21.
Kite Man: Hell Yeah!
Status: Set for a 10-episode debut season starting July 18 on Max
What We Know: Originally titled Noonan’s, the project is a Harley Quinn spinoff focusing on Kite Man (Matt Oberg) as he and Golden Glider return to a life of crime after purchasing the bar for villains and other assorted ne’er-do-wells. Despite headwinds from WBD and the 2023 strikes, it survived the rigors of production to debut on Max this summer with a two-episode premiere, followed by weekly drops of the remaining eight episodes.
Batman: Caped Crusader
Status: Debuts August 1 on Prime Video
What We Know: Revealed in 2021, Caped Crusader is an animated series from the mind of Batman: The Animated Series Bruce Timm, The Batman’s Matt Reeves, and J.J. Abrams, with head writer Ed Brubaker and co-executive producer James Tucker adding spins of their own. While it will share some visual similarities with Batman: TAS, the program’s stated goal is to “once again reinvent Batman and his iconic rogue’s gallery with sophisticated storytelling, nuanced characters and intense action sequences all set in a visually striking world.” In August 2022, HBO Max cancelled the series with Warner Animation Group intending to shop it around to other outlets. The program subsequently found a new home on Amazon’s Prime Video. Two years later, the series will debut all ten episodes on August 1. In June, Amazon released a trailer (above).
Status: Premieres September 8, 2024 on Max
What We Know: Announced shortly after the success of The Batman feature film, the series will star Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot as he continues to climb the Gotham’s criminal underworld. And although that premise offers a chance for the series to be a prequel, it will take place in the gulf between The Batman and its eventual feature film sequel. Matt Reeves and Lauren LeFranc are the executive producer with LeFranc serving as showrunner. In early October 2022, Craig Zobel signed on as an episode director and executive producer. And at the end of the month, Cristin Milioti was cast as mobster scion Sofia Falcone, who will no doubt challenge Cobblepot’s climb to the top of Gotham’s criminal underworld. Other members of the cast include Rhenzy Feliz, Michael Kelly, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Clancy Brown, and Deirdre O’Connell. The 8-episode program began production that February and, according to DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran, it will be considered an Elseworlds project. Across early 2024, Max began to tease the show with various clips and previews, culminating in an announcement of the series’ debut in September.
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Superman & Lois
(Photo by Nino Muñoz/The CW)
Status: Returning to The CW on October 17 for a 10-episode final season.
What We Know: While it entered its third season as a strong performer for the network, Superman & Lois would soon find its lease on life cut short as the network announced its fourth year would be its last. But thanks to the 2023 strikes, that 10-episode order moved to The CW’s Fall 2024 lineup. Stars Tyler Hoechlin, Elizabeth Tulloch, Alex Garfin, and Michael Bishop return as the Kents, but the rest of the cast were let go prior to Season 4 beginning production. Some may still appear as guests, but in their place: Michael Cudlitz as Lex Luthor. Additionally Yvonne Chapman will recur as Amanda McCoy with Douglas Smith also appearing from time to time as Jimmy Olsen. Presumably, the season will pick up from Clark’s fight with Doomsday; some online are even suggesting the season may adapt 1992’s “The Death of Superman” comic book storyline.
Creature Commandos
Status: Reportedly set for a December 2024 launch on Max
What We Know: The first of the Chapter One television projects set inside the DCU, this seven-episode animated series will focus on Amanda Waller’s latest black ops team: a group of “monstrous prisoners” forced to work together. Gunn wrote all the episodes of the first season, which features the voices of Steve Agee as Peacemaker‘s John Economos; Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr.; Maria Bakalova as new character Princess Ilana Rostovic; Indira Varma as the Bride of Frankenstein; David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein; Zoë Chao as Mazursky; Alan Tudyk as Dr. Phosphorus; Anya Chalotra as Wonder Woman villain Circe; and Sean Gunn as both G.I. Robot and The Suicide Squad‘s Weasel. A reel of footage was screened at the 2024 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, but has not appeared elsewhere. The program is expected to launch this December as the first proper DCU project.
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Peacemaker
(Photo by HBO Max)
Status: In production
What We Know: The success of Peacemaker on HBO Max means its planned second season will go forward. No plot details have emerged, but it is easy to imagine Chris (John Cena) seeking to get the band back together for any number of reasons. It is also possible Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) might want to exact some revenge on the task force. And with Gunn now the co-CEO and co-chair of DC Studios, the possibility of Peacemaker continuing beyond the second season increases exponentially. In the interim, though, he admitted to journalists in January 2023 that his duties as DC Studios’ co-CEO means he hasn’t had a chance to write the program’s sophomore outing. A year or so later, production began with Gunn projected to direct a few episodes. Elsewhere, he clarified that the second season will be in continuity with Superman and the other DCU projects. It will also take place after the events of the film.
Related: What Peacemaker Season 2 Could Hold
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The Sandman
(Photo by Netflix)
Status: In production
What We Know: Although the series was welcomed by fans, critics, and viewers when it debuted in August of 2022, its future was unknown for a distressingly long time as the Warner Bros. Television production required a green light from Netflix to continue. Thankfully, word finally broke of its renewal in early November of that year. As previously reported, co-creator Neil Gaiman said on several occasions that season 2 was mapped out during the writing of season 1. Based on the structure of that debut season, the program will likely move on to the next major Sandman comic book story, “Season of Mists,” which sees Lucifer (Gwendoline Christie in the television series) making a momentous choice and Morpheus (Tom Sturridge) dealing with the fallout. Gaiman’s statement about the renewal strengthens our guess about the subject matter. “It’s time to get back to work,” he wrote. “There’s a family meal ahead, after all. And Lucifer is waiting for Morpheus to return to Hell…” Additionally, paparazzi shots of the set made it clear one shorter story, “The Song of Orpheus” will make its way to screens in the upcoming season. Production was disrupted during the 2023 Screen Actors Guild strike, but resumed that November and is still currently underway. In May, Netflix revealed the actors playing the rest of Morpheus family: Adrian Lester as Destiny, Esmé Creed-Miles as Delirium, and Barry Sloane as a sibling known only (for now) as “The Prodigal” — although, fans of the comics will know this Endless’s name.
Related: The Sandman Season 2: What’s Next for the Dream Team
Arkham Asylum
(Photo by Lia Toby/Getty Images)
Status: In development
What We Know: Growing out of Reeves (pictured) and Max’s plan to develop a series centered on the Gotham City Police Department, the Arkham Asylum series will instead focus on the family known for running the infamous mental institution. In October 2022, The Staircase’s Antonio Campos signed on to serve as executive producer and showrunner. Like Penguin, the series will be an Elseworlds program outside of the DCU if it ever ends up being produced.
Related: Everything We Know About HBO Max’s The Batman Spinoff Series
Lanterns
(Photo by Amy Sussman/FilmMagic)
Status: A go at HBO
What We Know: Announced at a HBO Max preview day in 2019, Green Lantern was said to be most ambitious comics-to-screen adaptation ever attempted by Berlanti Productions (the company behind the Arrowverse, Titans, and Doom Patrol), but those ambitions clearly changed in late 2022. Originally set to star Jeremy Irvine and Finn Wittrock (pictured) as Green Lanterns Alan Scott and Guy Gardner, respectively, word broke in October 2022 indicating the program will now focus on Green Lantern John Stewart. Irvine and Wittrock were released from their contracts and the previously announced showrunner, Seth Grahame-Smith, exited the series. Berlanti and other executives at his company remained involved, but none of the other previous creative staff stayed on. In fact, it was unclear who was developing the John Stewart version of the series.
That lack of clarity made a little more sense in January 2023, when Gunn revealed the Berlanti Green Lantern series has been shelved in favor of a DC Studios concept called Lanterns. The “event” program will focus on Stewart, a new recruit, and Silver Age GL Hal Jordan as they investigate a “dark mystery” in American’s heartland that may or may not be related to the overall Chapter One storyline. According to Gunn, the Berlanti project was a space opera while Lanterns will be set primarily on Earth. On June 25, 2024, HBO greenlit the series with Ozark‘s Chris Mundy serving as showrunner and executive producer. Watchmen‘s Damon Lindelof and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow‘s Tom King will write alongside Mundy in addition to being executive producers on the 8-episode event.
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Harley Quinn
Status: Renewed for a fifth season on Max
What We Know: Harley (Kaley Cuoco), Ivy (Lake Bell), and the others will return for at least one more batch of episodes. Although, Harley Quinn‘s continued success might see it renewed several more times as it sits at a comfortable intersection of corporate needs and fan-pleasing fun.
Waller
Status: In development
What We Know: Viola Davis is set to star in a Chapter One live action series focusing on her morally flexible Suicide Squad character. Watchmen‘s Christal Henry and Doom Patrol‘s Jeremy Carver are writing the program with unspecified members of the Peacemaker cast set to reprise their roles.
Paradise Lost
Status: In development
What We Know: This Chapter One live action series will focus on the genesis of Themyscira — Wonder Woman’s birthplace — and the political intrigue as its all-women society takes shape.
Booster Gold
Status: In development
What We Know: Based on the popular DC Comics character, this Chapter One series focuses on a going-no-where man from the future who uses everyday technology in his era to become a superhero in ours. Will it lead to riches and brand deals or will Booster become a genuine hero with a Justice League membership?
Wonder Woman Animated Series
Status: Rumored (sort of)
What We Know: In March of 2023, Gunn responded to a comment on Twitter stating he is trying to set up a Wonder Woman animated series. It is unclear if the project will part of the DCU or an “Elseworlds,” but Diana definitely deserves the Batman: The Animated Series treatment. While we would normally leave a rumored project off the list, Gunn’s comments suggest it may be something series.
