HBO Max's Latest DC Removal Was Caused by James Gunn's Disapproval: 'It's Meaningless'

Fans saw a few notable DC releases removed from an area on HBO Max, leading to questions about James Gunn’s involvement. Gunn is hard at work developing the early stages of the new DCU, which will bring classic heroes and characters who have not gotten the shine many feel they deserve. However, with HBO Max’s involvement in helping promote the new saga, questions are coming regarding what’s on the way.

HBO Max removed two episodes of animated DC programming from a category highlighting DC material. Over the last few years, HBO Max has served as the home for a massive slate of DC programming spanning decades of the comic book giant’s history. While programming usually does not stay on forever, recent comments from DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn impacted what is currently there.

As of writing, HBO Max features a "Characters Coming to the DCU" section to help celebrate Superman's streaming debut. This section includes the following episodes of specific DC shows, which feature characters like Clayface, Supergirl, and Lobo (all coming to the live-action DCU in the next couple of years):

• Batman: The Animated Series Season 1, Episode 5 
• Batman: The Animated Series Season 1, Episode 6 
• The Batman Season 1, Episode 13 
• Justice League Season 1, Episode 15
• Justice League Season 1, Episode 19
• Justice League Unlimited Season 3, Episode 10
• Young Justice Season 3, Episode 9

However, since the section went up, two episodes have been removed from this section: Titans Season 2, Episode 13 and Justice League Season 2, Episode 3. The Titans episode in question is titled "Nightwing," and the Justice League episode prominently features the classic Justice League villain Amazo.

Interestingly, this seemed to change after DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn acknowledged the section on X. He explained that he did not know how the material was put up on HBO Max but also noted that it is "meaningless:"

"I don’t know what that is supposed to be or who put that up on the platform, but its meaningless."

Gunn is in the midst of his first year of releases for his new DC Universe, over which he serves as the co-CEO of DC Studios with Peter Safran. The first two projects released were Creature Commandois Season 1 and Superman, and the franchise is currently in the middle of weekly episode releases for Season 2 of Peacemaker.

When Will Amazo & Nightwing Join the DCU?

While Gunn has laid out plans for close to a dozen projects being developed for the DCU, he is far from done adding to this growing universe. He has also offered a few comments on where certain teams and heroes stand in the DCU ahead of their imminent debuts.

For Nightwing, the Batman-associated hero may not join the fray until at least the release of The Brave and the Bold, which will be the first Batman-starring project in the DCU. Two different Robins are already lined up to be featured in this franchise, thanks to Damian Wayne in The Brave and the Bold and potentially Dick Grayson in Clayface. While one of them could end up being Nightwing eventually, that remains to be seen.

Gunn also confirmed that the Justice League does not exist in the DCU yet, with the Justice Gang from Superman serving as the main "team" unit for the time being. This means that their villains (including Amazo) are not likely to be seen anytime soon, especially with so much groundwork left to do in building the team. 

With so much left to develop in DC Studios' slate, Gunn and co. will surely provide updates on specific characters’ debuts when they are closer to becoming reality. However, with so much in development that will not be announced for the foreseeable future, it will also be a waiting game until Gunn feels ready to pull back the curtains further on his new franchise.