DC Studios and HBO have reportedly abandoned two major DCU TV shows and rejected pitches for two Batman spin-offs, but there is good news for one show. James Gunn's DCU is about to release its third TV show after Creature Commandos Season 2 and Peacemaker Season 2, with Lanterns set to premiere on HBO on Sunday, August 16. Still, since Peacemaker wasn't part of the five-movie, five-show Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters slate that Gunn unveiled in January 2023, three of the five promised HBO Max series have remained in development limbo for almost four years: Booster Gold, Paradise Lost, and Waller.
According to an exclusive report from The Ankler, DC Studios has scrapped plans for two major HBO/HBO Max shows in James Gunn's DCU that were part of the original Chapter 1 slate. The studio has reportedly called it quits with Waller and Paradise Lost following Supergirl's recent box-office flop, which may have cost Warner Bros. and DC Studios north of $125 million.
Fans previously heard that Paradise Lost was "dead" at DC Studios from The InSneider earlier this year; a statement that was later rebuffed by Gunn. More recently, the DCU architect seemingly fought back against claims that the Wonder Woman spin-off was canceled, saying it was in "extreme development."
Waller was originally intended to bridge a gap between Peacemaker Seasons 1 and 2 with a story centered on Viola Davis' Amanda Waller. Many have theorized for years that the ARGUS chief's spin-off would never move forward, despite which Gunn has regularly claimed that Waller was still happening.
The Ankler reports that DC Studios is shifting its focus from streaming series to more theatrical films, which may explain the cuts to the DCU's TV slate. That same sentiment can be felt beyond DC Studios and across Hollywood, especially after Marvel Studios called it quits with its own hit Disney+ show, Wonder Man.
Even the ever-successful Batman and his rogues' gallery don't seem to be safe from DC Studios' TV cutbacks. The Ankler notes that The Penguin Season 2 is still in "limbo" and the studio rejected pitches for shows starring Catwoman and Poison Ivy, although it's unclear whether those concepts fell into James Gunn's DCU or Matt Reeves' The Batman universe.
With Lanterns gearing up to premiere imminently, Creature Commandos heading for Season 2, and Paradise Lost and Waller reportedly axed, Booster Gold stands as the only originally announced Chapter 1 show awaiting release. However, it hasn't exactly been smooth sailing for the superhero comedy either, as The Ankler reports that Booster Gold is now searching for a new writer.
That news is encouraging, as Our Flag Means Death creator David Jenkins just recently confirmed that his Booster Gold won't be moving forward, sparking fears that the show would be canceled. Jenkins was already the second to take a stab at Booster Gold after The Righteous Gemstones creator Danny McBride, and the search for a third signals a determination to make the show happen.
Why DC Studios Is Changing Its TV Strategy (And Is It a Good Thing?)
There are bound to be many contributing factors in DC Studios' shifting TV plans, not least of which is Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros., which won't be complete until mid-2027 at the earliest due to legal obstacles. The studio may be limited in which projects can be greenlit until then, perhaps even requiring a seal of approval from Paramount, as development still be ongoing after their takeover.
Beyond that, Gunn is likely learning lessons as he goes with DC Studios, and Supergirl's tragic $126.25 million box office may have been a wake-up call that not every character can headline a project. Simply put, there isn't enough demand for Amanda Waller to lead her own HBO show, and it's hard to see the need for a Paradise Lost prequel to a Wonder Woman movie that doesn't yet exist.
Ultimately, the fact that Paradise Lost and Waller are canceled isn't a surprise, and it was already believed that Booster Gold was looking for a new writer. The biggest shocker in The Ankler's report is that DC Studios and HBO turned down pitches for Catwoman and Poison Ivy shows, as Warner Bros. has never been one to reject a surplus in Batman-adjacent projects, especially in recent years.
It's interesting to see that, of all the projects on the table, Booster Gold is the only live-action series that DC Studios and HBO are eager to move forward with, aside from the Jimmy Olsen/Gorilla Grodd show, which will shoot later this year. The studio seems to be doubling down on more comedic affairs on the TV front; but do they have the highest potential, or is Gunn simply eager to hone in on his comedy bread and butter amid fears that he could exit with the Paramount acquisition?
One area where DC Studios shows no signs of slowing down is animation, as the studio just announced a plethora of animated TV projects at the Annecy Festival. As budgets balloon for expensive, movie-scaled live-action shows that may not be paying for themselves in streaming subscriber revenue, perhaps it is time to refocus on the more cost-effective realm of animation for superhero TV.
