With Season 4 set to showcase a brand new adventure for DC's ragtag group of misfits, cancellation concerns have led to fan discussions over whether Doom Patrol Season 5 will happen. And now, its showrunner has set the record straight.
Several DC shows have been canceled in the past few months, mainly Arrowverse shows like Batwoman and Legends of Tomorrow. Although many would think that Doom Patrol and Titans are safe from being axed, a previous report noted that HBO Max could potentially cancel both.
Titans showrunner Greg Walker was asked if the DC Comics series will be renewed, with him admitting that they are "in a wait and see mode" and pointed out how HBO Max has been "incredibly supportive of the show."
Now, Doom Patrol's showrunner has joined the conversation.
Doom Patrol Producer Responds to Cancellation Concerns
Speaking with SFX magazine, Doom Patrol showrunner and executive producer Jeremy Carver talked about the future of the series, particularly whether the show could continue for a Season 5.
During the interview, Carver seemed not prepared to put the show to rest, noting that it is still poised to continue "as long as [there is] a fresh and inventive story to tell:"
“As long as you have a fresh and inventive story to tell with your writers, and the actors are still into it, you have the ability to generate high-quality stories. We start to see that with this season as the Doom Patrol, thematically, are being asked to ask themselves, ‘Okay, we see we are going to die. We need to save ourselves… But at what cost?’"
Although this latest chapter (Season 4) could potentially end via a cancelation, Carver teased the possibility of it being reopened to introduce "new and greater adventures:"
“In answering that question, we start to see where potentially this particular chapter could end, to be reopened when and if necessary, in new and greater adventures.”
Rita Farr actress April Bowly also sat down with SFX to talk about the character's progress in Season 4.
When asked how Rita has blossomed since the first three seasons, Bowly pointed out that the DC hero has taken her role "more seriously as a team leader:"
"In season four, she is taking her role more seriously as a team leader. You will see that she takes it so seriously, she ends up driving the Doomies away from her. She gets replaced by Madame Rouge. She becomes so hurt, and she takes it so seriously, she withers and becomes old Rita again. She’s withdrawn, mopey, saggy and cranky. She holds it against the Doom Patrol. Then there’s a shift that happens mid-season and the family needs her again."
When asked how comfortable Rita is in her own skin by the end of Season 4, the actress shared that the character will be "at peace with herself" while also claiming that the next batch of episodes is "one of the special journeys" of the Doom Patrol leader:
"Out of all the Doomies, Rita really becomes the most at peace with herself at the end of this season. She has gone full circle. One of the themes this season is immortality. The Doomies are trying to get their immortality back. There is a process that Rita goes through of acceptance of herself, because she starts to age. Rita starts to feel her age, which is around 167. She becomes what you would hope someone who has lived a complete life would be, which is very understanding and wise and just wants everyone to become a family and support each other. She becomes solid in herself and happy, and not that insecure, vulnerable actress that she was at the beginning, but as a person who came into her own as a leader and as a woman. That is one of the special journeys of Rita this year."
Will HBO Max Make Doom Patrol Season 5?
Doom Patrol showrunner Jeremy Carver's latest comments could hint that the cast and crew are ready for both a possible cancelation and a continuation under the HBO Max banner.
This would seemingly align with the strategy of The CW's Stargirl where the show filmed two endings: a season finale and a series finale.
While it is unknown how Season 4 will end, Carver may have developed an ending that ties up loose ends while teasing a continuation that will not feel like a cliffhanger and could tee up a potential Doom Patrol Season 5.
Meanwhile, April Bowly's remarks about Rita Farr becoming the de facto leader of the Doom Patrol suggests that the character will be at the forefront in Season 4. The character has been sidelined for several seasons, and it's good to know that the show will finally allow her to be fleshed out even more in what potentially be its final season.
Doom Patrol Season 4 will stream its two-episode premiere on HBO Max on December 8.
