DC's animated slate looks strong in the coming years as the franchise enters a new chapter in James Gunn and Peter Safran's DCU while also acknowledging the existence of Elseworld projects.
Although DC's live-action universe is still trying to find its footing despite numerous attempts, the franchise's animated world is staying strong.
DC's shared animated universe ended with 2020's Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, but the "Tomorrowverse" began a new world that started with 2020's Superman: Man of Tomorrow and will next be explored in the R-rated Justice League: Warworld later this year.
Warner Bros. Unveils DC's New Animated Slate
At this year's Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed seven new DC animated shows for 2023 and beyond.
Here is the full list of animated projects that will arrive under the DC banner.
1.) Beast Boy: Lone Wolf
In June 2023, Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios, and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe announced, via Variety, that Beast Boy: Lone Wolf will begin production soon, marking the first time that a DC title will be made outside of the United Kingdom.
The series will reportedly feature the standalone adventures of Gar, aka Beast Boy, one of the main characters in Teen Titans Go! from Cartoon Network. This upcoming standalone show will consist of 10 shorts and is directed by Rhys Byfield.
Hanna-Barbera Vice President Sarah Fell announced the series' production as having "just started." Official concept art that was unveiled at Annecy indicates that the standalone show will depart from the wacky take on the character from Teen Titans Go! and lean toward more action.
Beast Boy: Lone Wolf is confirmed to air on Cartoon Network, but it has no release date yet.
2.) Batman: Caped Crusader
In May 2021, Polygon unveiled that Batman: Caped Crusader is in development under producers J.J. Abrams, The Batman director Matt Reeves, and Bruce Timm. The animated series was described as a "reimagining" of the Batman mythos.
After initially being set to air on Cartoon Network and HBO Max during its original announcement, Amazon picked up the Batman show with a two-season order in March 2023.
The news came after HBO Max's decision to drop the series in August 2022 due to cost-cutting purposes.
Batman: Caped Crusader has no official release date yet.
3.) My Adventures with Superman
In April 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery officially released the first footage of My Adventures with Superman, showcasing sneak peeks at the new iteration of the Man of Steel.
The upcoming animated show from Adult Swim will explore Clark Kent's younger days as he tries to find the right balance between becoming Superman and a reporter from Daily Planet. Jack Quaid voices the Man of Steel while Alice Lee and Ishmel Sahid portray Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, respectively.
My Adventures with Superman is set to premiere on Friday, July 6 on Adult Swim and on Max on the next day, July 7.
4.) Creature Commandos (DCU)
In January 2023, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn announced the inclusion of Creature Commandos in the DCU's Chapter 1.
Gunn confirmed then that the upcoming animated series is already in production, with him serving as the writer of every episode. The show currently has seven episodes.
Creature Commandos' cast includes Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein, Indira Varma as the Bride, Alan Tudyk as Dr. Phosphorous, Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana Rostovic, Sean Gunn as GI Robot and Weasel, Zoe Chao as Nina Mazursky, and Steve Agee as John Economos.
The exact plot details of the show are still being kept under wraps, but a past rumor in April 2023 claimed that Dinosaur Island will be an important setting in the series.
Creature Commandos is also confirmed to have an R rating, with Sean Gunn teasing that the plot's high level of violence dished out on Nazis.
Creature Commandos is set to premiere on Max sometime in 2024.
5.) Bat-Family
In April 2023, the Batman movie, Merry Little Batman, was confirmed to premiere on Amazon Prime Video.
The movie will explore the adventures of a young Damian Wayne as he transforms into "Little Batman" to defend Gotham City from villains who are trying to ruin the holidays.
Alongside that announcement, a spin-off series set titled Bat-Family was confirmed to be in the works. This show will "navigate the fun and frustrations of life as a superfamily," and it will feature Batman, Alfred, and Damian Wayne.
Bat-Family and Merry Little Batman have no release dates yet.
6.) Harley Quinn Season 4
After a stellar first three seasons, Harley Quinn is back for Season 4.
Max (formerly HBO Max) renewed Harley Quinn for a fourth season in August 2022.
It is unknown how Season 4 will be different from its predecessors, but Harley Quinn writers Patrick Schumacker and Justin Halpern revealed future crossover hopes with other DC characters like Power Girl, Red Hood, and Black Canary.
Warner Bros. Discovery recently confirmed that Harley Quinn Season 4 will premiere on Max sometime this summer.
7.) Kite-Man: Hell Yeah!
Noonan's served as the original title of the Harley Quinn spin-off show for quite some time. Noonan's is actually a tribute to the bar in which Harley and her crew were seen on numerous occasions during the show's first three seasons.
However, two days ago, Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed that the series' new title will be Kite Man: Hell Yeah!, with the show set to revolve around the titular villain as he teams up with other DC foes like Bane and Lex Luthor.
In April 2022, Variety confirmed that Kite Man will have 10 episodes during its debut season.
Kite Man: Hell Yeah! has no release date yet.
