For all the ups-and-downs of DC on the big screen, the studio has a long and successful track record on TV. From the classic Batman and Wonder Woman shows in the '60 and '70s to Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Smallville in the '90s and '00s, the company's legendary superheroes have found a natural home on the small screen. And that's not to mention its animated output; many fans consider the '90s show Batman: The Animated Series one of the best-ever screen versions of the Dark Knight.
In 2012, a new series focused on the Green Arrow--simply titled Arrow--premiered on The CW. The success of this show helped inspire an entire connected universe, as it was joined by The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, and Batwoman. The so-called Arrow-verse even featured annual comic book-style "crossover events" where the characters teamed up. Then, the launch of DC Universe in 2018 saw the premiere of DC shows aimed at an older audience, such as Titans, Doom Patrol, Swamp Thing, and the animated Harley Quinn.
However, a lot has changed on the TV landscape in the last couple of years. With rivals Marvel on the verge of launching a series of shows connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe on Disney+, the focus of DC has shifted to parent company Warner's streaming platform HBO Max. Several new DC shows were announced in advance of the service's launch in May, and there have been others reported since then, including spin-offs of big upcoming DC movies.
Not every new DC series is being made for HBO Max of course--the Arrow-verse is still going strong, and animated shows made for younger viewers are more likely to end up on Cartoon Network. But there's no denying HBO Max is the focus. The service needs big shows to grow its subscriber base, and the iconic heroes of the DC universe are perfect for this. So here's every new upcoming DC show we know about so far--most of these don't have premiere dates yet, and many are still in development, but it is nevertheless an exciting time to be a DC fan. And once you've read this, check out our guide to all the DC movies on the way over the next few years.
1. Green Lantern
HBO Max
There have been various rumors of a new Green Lantern movie over the past few years, following 2011's terrible version starring Ryan Reynolds. However, it looks like we'll see the character making his return on the small screen instead. In October, it was reported that HBO Max had, erm, greenlit a 10-episode series that will be co-written and executive produced by Seth Grahame-Smith and Marc Guggenheim. Grahame-Smith produced the Lego Batman movie and was one of the many directors previously attached to the upcoming Flash movie, while Guggenheim co-wrote the previous Green Lantern film. Initial reports suggest that the show will focus on the adventures of a series of well-known Lanterns, including Guy Gardner, Jessica Cruz, and Simon Baz, as well as featuring classic DC characters such as Kilowog and Sinestro.
2. Gotham P.D. Show
HBO Max
This upcoming series was announced in July and will focus on the police department in Gotham City. It's a spin-off prequel from Matt Reeves' upcoming movie The Batman, which will star Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight and hits theaters in March 2022. The show will be produced by Reeves and written by Boardwalk Empire creator Terence Winter, and, according to HBO Max, will "explore some of the more compelling and complex characters in the city." During DC FanDome in August, Reeves revealed that the series will be set a year before the movie, during Batman's first 12 months in Gotham. "The idea is we go back to year one," he said. "Year one is the first appearance of this masked vigilante that starts to unsettle the city, and you start to see the story through the point of view of these corrupt cops and one in particular. The story is actually a battle for his soul."
3. Peacemaker
HBO Max
The Batman isn't the only upcoming DC movie getting a TV spin-off. Peacemaker will follow the exploits of the titular character from James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, which arrives in July 2021. John Cena plays Peacemaker, a character he describes as "a superhero/supervillain/and world's biggest douchebag." The show will be written by Gunn, and he'll helm several episodes, including the pilot. Several other cast members have been announced too, including Robert Patrick, Danielle Brooks, Steve Agee, Jennifer Holland, and Chris Conrad. Patrick and Brooks will appear in new roles, while Agee, Holland, and Conrad will play the DC characters John Economos, Emilia Harcourt, and The Vigilante respectively.
4. Justice League
HBO Max
Is Zack Snyder's new cut of the 2017 film Justice League a limited TV series? Or a very long movie? It seems the answer is both. Snyder left that film during production, and for years, fans have been demanding to see his vision for the film, as opposed to the one we got from replacement director Joss Whedon. In 2021 they will finally get the chance, when the new Justice League hits HBO Max. Snyder is preparing a new four-hour reworking that will combine unseen footage from 2017 with newly shot footage featuring the original cast members, including Ben Affleck as Batman and Ray Fisher as Cyborg. Snyder has stated that it will be released in four separate episodes, as well as as a single feature. In any form, it's one of next year's most anticipated DC titles.
5. DMZ
HBO Max
It's not all superhero shows heading to HBO Max. DMZ is an adaptation of Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli's Vertigo comic book, which ran between 2005 and 2012. It's a dark futuristic story, set during the new Civil War that has turned Manhattan into a demilitarized zone between two factions fighting for the future of America. Production on the pilot episode wrapped in March, shortly before work on shows and movies was shut down across Hollywood. The pilot is directed by Ava DuVernay (A Wrinkle in Time) from a script by showrunner Robert Patino (Westworld), and it stars Rosario Dawson and Benjamin Bratt. Dawson described the experience of shooting the episode as "one of the most phenomenal work experiences of my life," so hopefully the show will get a full series soon.
6. Batwheels
HBO Max/Cartoon Network
This animated show is aimed at pre-school viewers and will air on both Cartoon Network and HBO Max. Rather than focus on superheroes themselves, Batwheels will center on a team of heroic vehicles, which help the likes of Batman, Robin, and Batgirl fight crime and defend Gotham City. The Batwheels are Bam (The Batmobile), Bibi (The Batgirl Cycle), Red (The Redbird), Jett (The Batwing), and Buff (The Bat Truck), and DC states that the show will "thrill and entertain as well as demonstrate to kids the value of self-confidence, friendship and teamwork."
7. DC Superhero High
HBO Max
Charlie's Angels and Pitch Perfect 2 director Elizabeth Banks is set to produce this teen comedy series. It will follow a group of students attending a high school for gifted kids, who will one day become legendary DC Super Heroes, but right now have to navigate the pressures of school life. While it sounds like a live-action spin on the Cartoon Network's animated DC Super Hero Girls, Banks' gift for comedy as both a director and actor should make it stand apart from that series. There's been no news about the show since it was first announced in October 2019.
8. Aquaman: King of Atlantis
HBO Max
Aquaman is the most financially successful movie in the DC Universe so far, and unsurprisingly the studio is looking for ways to expand the franchise. As well as the direct sequel and a horror-themed spin-off titled The Trench, an animated show titled Aquaman: King of Atlantis is in the works. The three-episode mini series series was announced in January 2020, and will be produced by Aquaman director James Wan. The initial report in The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the show will focus on Aquaman as he "takes the throne of the underseas kingdom for the first time, and has to deal with a half-brother trying to take Atlantis for himself, surface dwellers causing problems under the sea, and ancient evils threatening danger perpetually."
9. Superman & Lois
The CW
While the vast majority of new DC shows are being developed for HBO Max, the CW's Arrow-verse continues to grow. Superman & Lois will see Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch reprise their roles as Clark Kent and Lois Lane from Supergirl and the Crisis On Infinite Earths crossover event. According to The CW, the show will see these iconic characters "deal with all the stress, pressures, and complexities that come with being working parents in today's society." The series also stars Jordan Elsass and Alexander Garfin as Clark and Lois's sons Jon and Jordan, plus Dylan Walsh as Samuel Lane and Emmanuelle Chriqui as Lana Lang. Production started in October, and the show is set to premiere on February 23, 2021.
10. Strange Adventures
HBO Max
Strange Adventures will be an anthology series based on the classic sci-fi/fantasy comic series which was first published in 1950 and was revived earlier this year. The show is to be produced by Greg Berlanti, who has worked on a wide variety of DC series, including Arrow, Supergirl, Titans, and Doom Patrol as well as the upcoming Green Lantern series. Berlanti has described Strange Adventures as "an anthology series of cautionary tales set in a world where superpowers exist."
11. Y: The Last Man
FX on Hulu
Unusually, this adaptation of Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra's classic post-apocalyptic Vertigo title Y: The Last Man isn't going to end up on a Warner-owned network or service at all. Instead it's being made for FX on Hulu, which is now part of Disney's entertainment empire. The show has been in development for many years, with a variety of writers and producers attached, but it has finally started production ahead of a 2021 premiere. Ben Schnetzer plays Yorick Brown, one of only two remaining male mammals (the other being Yorick's pet capuchin monkey) left alive on the planet. The cast also includes Diane Lane, Olivia Thirlby, and Ashley Romans, and the showrunner is playwright Eliza Clark.
12. Painkiller
The CW
The CW has previously used existing shows to introduce characters that go on to get their own series, such as Batwoman's first appearance in the 2018 crossover event Elseworlds. The seventh episode of Black Lightning Season 4 will be a so-called backdoor pilot for Painkiller, with reported plans to give the character his own series. Painkiller is a "super-enhanced killing machine" who attempts to put his dark past behind him by using his powers to fight crime. Of course, there's no guarantee a full series will follow, but it could make a welcome darker turn for the Arrow-verse if it does.
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