HBO Max is getting ready to remove a handful of great DC superhero movies this October. Like many of its streaming brethren, HBO Max is constantly updating its catalog, adding and subtracting titles on a near-daily basis. This means that as titles like Superman, Weapons, and Eddington come to the service, various big-name movies and TV shows are removed.
HBO Max has revealed plans to remove eight fan-favorite DC superhero movies as part of its monthly content update. Each of these titles will be removed from the service on Friday, October 31. There can be any number of reasons behind these removals, whether it be a lack of viewership or streaming rights changing hands; thus, it is unclear why these eight DC titles will be taken off the streamer at the end of the month.
DC's HBO Max efforts continue despite these projects being removed from the service. Peacemaker Season 2 just came to an end on the platform, and James Gunn's beloved Superman is enjoying its first few weeks on the service after dropping on September 19.
Every DC Movie Leaving HBO Max in October
Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons
Added to the platform in anticipation of Superman's theatrical release, Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons has enjoyed several months on HBO Max.
The super-powered animated title follows Batman and Superman's sons Damian Wayne and Jonathan Kent (aka Robin and Superboy), as they are burdened with saving the world.
Originally released in 2022, Battle of the Super Sons marked the 50th DC Universe Animated Original Movie and was the first to be 100% CG-animated.
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
2009's Superman/Batman: Public Enemies tells an extraordinary team-up story between two of DC Comics' most important characters.
Based on the comic storyline of the same name, Public Enemies sees Batman and Superman joining forces to stop a meteorite on the path to strike Earth, while also thwarting the plans of now-U.S. president Lex Luthor.
It is technically only the sixth movie released as part of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies initiative and stars classic DC voice actors Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, and Clancy Brown.
Superman: Man of Tomorrow
Coincidentally sporting the same subtitle as James Gunn's upcoming Superman sequel, Superman: Man of Tomorrow will also be getting the boot as a part of this most recent DC content purge on HBO Max.
This animated DC epic, originally released in 2020, depicts Superman's first few years as a superhero, recounting his origins all the way through his first few battles as Metropolis' costumed protector.
Man of Tomorrow's voice cast is headlined by Star Trek star Zachary Quinto as the villainous Lex Luthor, with Glee actor Darren Criss playing the Man of Steel.
Superman: Red Son
Have you ever wondered what would have happened had Kal-El landed somewhere other than Smallville, Kansas? Well, Superman: Red Son answers exactly that question.
Based on Mark Millar's 2003 comic story of the same name, Red Son tells the tale of an alternate Earth where Superman lands in the Ukrainian wilderness while it was still under Soviet rule. As he grows, he is discovered by the Soviet Union and forced into service to protect Russian Premier Joseph Stalin.
At the time of release, Red Son earned generally positive reviews, garnering a solid 89% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Superman: Unbound
Unfortunately, Superman: Unbound has been included in this wave of removals at HBO Max, especially considering where the DCU's Superman story could be headed next.
Unbound adapts the Superman: Brainiac comic story for the silver screen. In it, the Man of Steel must join forces with his super-powered cousin, Supergirl, to take on the terrifying Brainiac, who is on a galactic conquest to capture cities for his personal collection of space-faring trinkets.
There have been rumors suggesting James Gunn may be about to introduce elements of the Unbound story into the DCU with the upcoming release of Man of Tomorrow in 2027.
The Death of Superman
When it comes to Superman stories, there are few as iconic as The Death of Superman.
This 2019 film brought the classic comic take to life on-screen in a gripping animated epic that recounted the events leading to and directly following the Man of Steel's death at the hands of the hulking Doomsday.
The Death of Superman storyline has had a massive influence on various Superman media throughout the years, including Zack Snyder's now-defunct DC Extended Universe (DCEU).
Reign of the Supermen
Reign of the Supermen directly follows the events set up in the Death of Superman film.
Following the Man of Steel's death, dozens of heroes come out of the woodwork claiming to be the caped Kryptonian reincarnate. Their powers are put to the test, however, as a new threat emerges, threatening not just their superhero pursuits but also the very fate of humanity.
Starring longtime Superman voice actor Jerry O'Connell in the lead role, Reign of the Supermen served as the second part of DC Animation's attempt to adapt the Death of Superman comic book story.
Shazam
The last, and only live-action superhero movie, on the list of HBO Max's October content purge is Zachary Levi's Shazam. Directed by horror movie icon David F. Sandberg, Shazam was a departure for the filmmaker, being a teenage superhero take on the classic 'child in an adult's body' formula set up by films like Big and 13 Going on 30.
The DCEU blockbuster followed teenage orphan Billy Batson as he was granted god-like superpowers, granting him the ability to transform into the fully formed adult superhero Shazam at a moment's notice.
The first Shazam film remains one of the more favorably regarded DCEU movies, ranking as the franchise's third-highest rated movie on Rotten Tomatoes (read about Shazam's potential DCU future here).
