Warner Bros. (WB) has now provided a key update on what fans can expect from the company in regard to its DC Comics output on HBO Max and beyond.
Animation has always been a massive part of Warner Bros.’s DC Comics content. In fact, at one point and time, the company had its DCU on the animated front—though it eventually came to a close with 2020’s Justice League Dark: Apokolips War.
Then there are the company’s wildly popular animated TV shows, including hits such as The Batman Animated Series, Justice League, Teen Titans, and Batman Beyond. More recently, there have been fan-favorites Harley Quinn and Young Justice.
But after all of the regime changes at the studio, the future of this part of WB remains a mystery. Now, some new information shone a light on its next step.
The Future of Animation at Warner Bros.
In a new report from Deadline, the future of DC Comics animation at Warner Bros. was revealed.
According to Channing Dungey, the CEO of Warner Bros. Television Studios, the company is “exploring animated IP on different platforms.”
She broke the news at Content London, where she also noted Warner Bros. is "in the process of closing a big deal with Amazon featuring DC [Comics] branded content:"
“With animation we used to be about staying in-house but now we are doing it on different platforms... HBO Max is the first stop but we are in the process of closing a big deal with Amazon featuring DC branded content in animation.”
This seemingly indicates that the previously announced Caped Crusader animated Batman series could be well on its way to Amazon after being taken away from HBO Max.
How Will DC Animated Shows Continue?
After Batgirl was outright canned and a previous Aquaman animated series written out of existence for taxes, many parts of WB became a big question mark.
This marks one of the first major updates regarding the future of DC Comics’ animated future. Though, it doesn’t clear everything up.
While it’s great to hear how The Caped Crusader may finally have a new home, the fan-favorite Young Justice still has “no current commitment for a fifth season.” On the other side of the coin, however, Harley Quinn was already renewed for a fourth season on HBO Max.
New DCU co-boss James Gunn recently revealed on Twitter that there are, in fact, more animated DC Comics films and shows on the way—some will even connect to live-action projects. If successful, it would be something that not even Marvel Studios has achieved (not including What If…?, which is ever so slightly connected to the wider MCU).
It’s safe to assume that any DCU canon animated content will remain on HBO Max, while other forays could go to new homes such as Amazon.
