Are Gunn, Safran Set to Make Streaming Secondary with DC Reset? Will Major Characters Appear on HBO Max?
Comic book fans everywhere are still recovering from the ambitious plans recently announced by James Gunn to effectively reset Warner Bros. Discovery’s DC Universe. Gunn and his DC Studios partner Peter Safran unleashed an ambitious slate of new movies and series now in development, including several shows intended for streaming.
But the plan as announced seems to include very few of DC’s marquee characters heading to HBO Max. Initially, it seems that HBO Max — and the service it is destined to become once it combines with discovery+ this spring — will play host to shows based on lesser-known superheroes instead.
Does that mean that WBD’s streaming arm is getting the short end of the stick regarding the new DC slate? Are streaming users really going to care about shows based on Booster Gold or Amanda Waller? What the heck IS a Booster Gold, anyway?
The answer to that question is complex. The fact that DCU shows sent to streaming will feature less well-known characters speaks more to Gunn and Safran’s faith in streaming to raise their profiles than it does about WBD’s opinions regarding the characters and platform themselves.
After all, WBD has used HBO Max as a home for more obscure DC characters before. Gunn’s “Peacemaker” series has been a hit with viewers and critics alike, registering a 94% average from reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes, and an 89% audience score. Despite its recent cancelation, “Doom Patrol” was also well-regarded in critical circles, and the creator of that series is already hard at work on a new DC project. Gunn, Safran, and the creators that they partner with will simply have to continue bringing this level of quality to future streaming efforts they want to be successful.
That’s precisely what the DC Studios execs plan to happen. The bar will be very high for all facets of the DCU going forward, and Gunn and Safran are reportedly putting a premium on screenplay writing for new series and movies. There will be less churning out content strictly for content’s sake, and more of an emphasis on quality with future DC projects.
The fact that DC intends to use streaming to show off less familiar characters also doesn’t necessarily mean the bigger characters won’t make surprise appearances from time to time. As part of the newly announced content slate, Gunn mentioned that he was casting roles for a new animated series based on the Creature Commandos with the idea that those actors could appear as live-action versions of their characters in later projects.
This suggests that DC sees crossover potential as very high for its characters. Heroes from certain shows might pop up in DC movies, and vice-versa; so don’t rule out streaming appearances for big-time favorites like Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman.
The blueprint presented for the future of DC content by Gunn and Safran is just that: a blueprint. Plans may (and probably will) change, but for now, it appears that the future of DC streaming content is in good hands. The biggest heroes in the DC Comics pantheon are still big theatrical draws, but that doesn’t mean that Max will be left out in the cold when it comes to hosting new DC TV shows.
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