As WarnerBros is growing their HBO Max catalogue, so do their budgets for DC content grew. While The CW has and will continue to be the home and primary broadcasting network for DC TV shows, including the Arrowverse series, the mainline DC Universe shows and beyond are moving to the new streaming platform, starting with Top 5 DC Shows on HBO Max, releasing and upcoming!
Peacemaker
During the production of Suicide Squad 2, James Gunn found John Cena as Peacemaker so captivating and amazing that he pitched a Peacemaker show starring John Cena. And the good news, HBO liked the pitch so much that now a Peacemaker show is coming to HBO Max!
James Gunn will write and partially direct the series, and other secondary characters from Gunn’s Suicide Squad will be promoted to Peacemaker’s core cast such as Agee’s John Economos and Jennifer Holland’s Emilia Harcourt. Not only that, James Gunn has confirmed on Twitter that this show is not a prequel show. Yes, Peacemaker survived what happened in Suicide Squad 2. Not surprising considering it was heavily hinted at in the after-credits scene.
Peacemaker is scheduled to premiere on January 13, 2022, with characters like Vigilante, Auggie Smith, Judomaster, and more with eight episodes dropping in weekly on HBO Max (Raised by Wolves Season 3)
Green Lantern
Warner Bro’s first attempt at Green Lantern didn’t go particularly well, so to speak, HBO Max is giving the Arrowverse mastermind Greg Berlanti another opportunity to explore the Green Lantern Corps once again and maybe this time you aren’t going to be asked to forget it ever happened.
Berlanti is executive producing a Green Lantern show that he promised to be “our biggest DC show ever made” upon announcement at this year’s DC Fandome. And although the name Berlanti has not been associated with quality DC shows these days after Batgirl fiasco, . Seth Grahame-Smith was brought on board as showrunner/executive producer for the series to balance things out.
Green Lantern will span several decades and feature Sinestro as one of the confirmed characters. Besides the iconic DC villain holding the Yellow Lantern, Green Lantern is introducing Alan Scott, Guy Garner, Jessica Cruz, Simon Baz, and Kilowog.
Additionally, an original character named Bree Jarta, part-human/part-alien is set to join the cast. Jeremy Irvine and Finn Wittrock are attached to the cast as Alan and Guy, respectively after being established in The Arrowverse’s Crisis on Infinite Earths, This means that all HBO Max series, the DCCU and the Arrowverse are connected through the DC’s omniverse and Earth-12 newly formed multiverse.
While HBO Max initially announced to arrive in 2021, the pandemic has held back production significantly and there’s no new release date yet.
Harley Quinn
Originally debuted on DC’s streaming service before moving to a new home at HBO Max, Harley Quinn was a pleasant surprise for DC animated shows with its more in-depth and complex portrayal of the lover of the Crown Prince of Crime.
Well, former lovers. Harley Quinn series shares similarities to its film counterpart in that it’s a series that deals with Quinn’s messy break-up from Joker and her trying to undo the trauma Joker put him into. Well, in her own ways anyway.
This year’s DC Fandome has confirmed that the third season will be streaming exclusively on HBO Max and will retain the same cast, crew, and the morbid dark touches of humor that fans of the show have come to love with the series.
Gotham PD
While Matt Reeves’ upcoming The Batman has been confirmed to be set outside the DCEU and isolated from the cinematic/TV multiverse, HBO and Reeves have teamed up to expand the world of Reeves Batman to HBO Max.
Reeves is developing a spinoff series that will follow the Gotham City Police Department, with Terence Winter writing and executive producing. Looking at Gotham’s success, it is no surprise that HBO Max is giving commitment to more Gotham-based and Gotham-focused drama. Batman is not only the vibrant character in Gotham, but the city itself also has so many stories of corruption and villainy that seems to ripe to be expanded outside the Caped Crusader’s perspective.
This will mark the first time that Warner Bros are expanding the medium to tell stories across different platforms, and marks the first DC movies spin-off as a TV series. Although Gotham PD sets as the prequel to the film itself, don’t expect Gotham PD to land anytime before The Batman film is released.
And oh, Penguin is getting a spin-off show too!
Not only the city of Gotham from Reeve’s Batman is getting their own story, but one of the most iconic villains Oswald Cobblepot a.k.a The Penguin will have his own show on HBO Max! Starring Collin Farrel as The Penguin, the series will likely follow the villain’s rise to power, with Lauren LeFranc to lead as showrunner.
Since the series only just got announced with no further information attached to it, the plot, other casts and release date are still shrouded in mystery. So stay tuned right here at The Awesome One for more information!
