Well, we all knew it was coming, but it appears to be official. DC Universe will continue to provide digital comics and a platform for fans to interact, but its original TV projects are moving over to HBO Max. HBO Max already offers the animated ‘Harley Quinn’ and live-action ‘Doom Patrol’, but according to Jim Lee, DC Comics’ sole publisher after the departure of Dan DiDio earlier this year, it sounds as though the remainder of DC Universe’s original continent will also shift over. That includes the live-action ‘Titans’ and animated ‘Young Justice’. Just weeks ago, DC Universe quietly stopped offering annual memberships.
‘Stargirl’, meanwhile, was moved over to The CW, where it has performed strongly. It was already announced that Season 2 would only be released via The CW and not DC Universe. The CW is also airing ‘Swamp Thing’ a live-action series that only lasted for one shortened season, and there have been faint rumbling that a second season could be in the cards if it performs well.
Here is what Lee said (via The Hollywood Reporter):
“The original content that is on DCU is migrating to HBO Max. Truthfully, that’s the best platform for that content. The amount of content you get, not just DC , but generally from WarnerMedia, is huge and it’s the best value proposition, if I’m allowed to use that marketing term. We feel that is the place for that.
“In regards to the community and experience that DCU created, and all the backlist content, something like 20.000 to 25,000 different titles, and the way it connected with fans 24-7, there is always going to be a need for that. So we’re excited to transform it and we’ll have more news on what that will look like. It’s definitely not going away.”
HBO Max already has several DC Comics-based originals in the works: a show based on ‘Green Lantern’, with Greg Berlanti involved; ‘Strange Adventures’, also from Berlanti, a sci-fi anthology featuring Adam Strange; ‘DC Super Hero High’, being developed by Elizabeth Banks; a Gotham City PD series that spins-out of Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’; and ‘Justice League Dark’ from J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions. HBO Max will also offer Zack Snyder’s cut of ‘Justice League’, along with the majority of Warner Brothers’ recent DC movies. ‘Batwoman’, which aired on The CW, is the first Arrowverse series to go to HBO Max instead of Netflix.
As Lee mentioned, HBO Max will carry a slew of programming from all across the WarnerMedia empire, including some high-profile originals, but since it launched in May, its most-watched show has been ‘Friends’.
I guess if superheroes and sci-fi aren’t your thing, HBO Max can be there for youuuuuu with other stuff.
