The head executive from HBO Max shared how excited he is to see DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran execute their plan for new TV shows in the DC Universe (DCU).
Gunn and Safran recently announced half a dozen series that will premiere on HBO Max in the coming years, most of which will be part of the new slate of projects going under the Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters category.
The first of these shows, Creature Commandos, is already in production, with Gunn and Safran already well underway in leaving their imprint on this superhero franchise.
Part of the strategy behind these shows, along with the rest of Chapter 1, is allowing DC to take characters like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman to "prop up other characters that people don’t know" in future outings.
HBO Max Boss Hypes New DC Slate
Speaking with Variety, Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO and HBO Max Content, discussed the upcoming slate of DC Universe entries coming under DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran.
Bloys noted that he'd spoken to both Gunn and Safran about the slate, hoping for all of the new TV shows to be great, expressing his faith in both executives:
"As I talked to James and Peter about it, we’re going to develop these things and hopefully they’re all great. If they’re not, we’ll have other options and we’ll see. But what’s most exciting is that they’ve got a plan. Anything that James is excited about in terms of DC, I’m good with. I just want to make sure for Max that they’re the best shows that we can do."
The following six DC shows are all the currently planned and announced by DC Studios:
- Creature Commandos - The DCU's first animated series will lead off the Chapter 1 slate, bringing together a number of classic monsters and characters fans have already seen such as Sean Gunn's Weasel.
- Waller - After four appearances across the DC Extended Universe, Viola Davis will finally get her own solo series centered on Amanda Waller after her most recent runs in Peacemaker and Black Adam.
- Paradise Lost - The origins of Wonder Woman's home island of Themyscira will be explored in this series, bringing a sense of political intrigue along with drama and action reminiscent of the legendary HBO series, Game of Thrones.
- Booster Gold - One of the goofiest characters in DC history will get his own solo series, which will feature a main character that embodies "imposter syndrome as a superhero," according to James Gunn.
- Lanterns - Hal Jordan and John Stewart will take the spotlight together in the first live-action Green Lantern-centric project in more than a decade, with the two investigating a mystery that's said to be a huge part of Chapter 1's overall story.
- The Penguin - The DCU's first Elseworlds show will feature Colin Farrell's Penguin as his solo story is expanded upon from his appearance in 2022's The Batman.
HBO Max Slate Helping New DCU Shine
Seeing the head honcho of HBO Max express such faith in Gunn and Safran is certainly a fantastic sign for the DCU, which will depend on HBO Max series to succeed along with its new theatrical movies.
This slate combines animated storytelling with classic live-action characters, giving the DC fandom new heroes and villains while also revisiting characters that have taken the spotlight over the last couple of years.
And although the DCU won't start until a couple of years from now, considerable hype is already building with Gunn and Safran simply announcing their plan for the franchise.
Only time will tell what else is added to this streaming slate over the coming years, but the shows that are already confirmed will get the story off to a fantastic start.
Creature Commandos is set to kick off Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters sometime in 2025.
