Adelaide
November 2-3, 2024
Adelaide Showground
The DC comic book universe has always had a strong presence on the small screen; the ever expanding Arrowverse (kicked off by Supa-Star Stephen Amell as the bow wielding vigilante Green Arrow) is currently moving into its seventh year on the CW network and is looking to expand even further with a Ruby Rose helmed Batwoman series currently in the pipeline.
Meanwhile, over on the Marvel side of the fence, a far more grounded and adult-orientated approach to Daredevil on Netflix gave audiences a glimpse of what a comic book series could be without the constraints imposed by the demands of network television. Whilst Marvel’s days on the streaming giant are now seemingly limited — with Daredevil, Iron Fist and Luke Cage all getting the axe and question marks hanging over the heads of Jessica Jones and The Punisher — DC has stepped into the streaming TV gap earlier this month with a truly remarkable iteration of their Teen Titans franchise.
If, like many others, you’ve already binged your way through DC’s Titans on Netflix, good news is headed your way. Over in the US, DC and Warner Bros. have recently launched their own DC Universe Streaming service, and have a swathe of original content planned following on from the success of their inaugural series Titans. Whilst access to the new DC streaming platform is currently limited to US audiences, we can keep our fingers and toes crossed that Netflix may continue to pick up these series for international audiences.
So what’s next in store for DC in the streaming sphere? Well, strap in, here is what we all have to look forward to in the coming months.
DOOM PATROL
Plans for the DC Universe’s second streaming series Doom Patrol were clearly well underway early on, and the fourth episode of Titans has already given us a good look at the team which would come to take the slot directly following on from Dick Grayson and crew. Charting the adventures of DC’s most unlikely band of outcasts, Robotman, Negative Man, Elasti-Girl and Crazy Jane, all led by scientist Dr. Niles Caulder, Doom Patrol is part super-hero team, part support group for an unlikely team of unfortunate souls who have all suffered horrific accidents which have them scarred and traumatised, as well as provided them with superhero abilities.
With an impressive cast, including the likes of Brendan Fraser (Robotman), Alan Tudyk (Mr. Nobody) and Timothy Dalton (Dr. Caulder), Doom Patrol is currently slated to begin streaming in the US in mid-February.
SWAMP THING
Fresh off the success of the big screen, Aquaman director James Wan is continuing his relationship with DC by stepping in as an executive producer on a Swamp Thing series currently aiming for a horror feel. Gary Dauberman, the screenwriter who has worked on horror hits The Nun, Annabelle, and the recent Stephen King It adaptations, has co-written Swamp Thing’s pilot episode and in a recent interview with Slashfilm had indicated that they have ‘set out to make it as scary as possible’.
Confirmed cast members include ’80s film star Jennifer Beals, Derek Mears (Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th reboot) as Swamp Thing and Andy Bean (It: Chapter 2) as Swamp Thing’s alter ego Alec Holland.
STARGIRL
Greg Berlanti, mastermind of the Arrowverse, is teaming up with DC legend Geoff Johns to bring John’s own Stargirl to the screen, in the last of the four original live-action series currently slated for release on the DC Universe Streaming platform. A character close to Geoff John’s own heart, Stargirl’s alter ego, Courtney Whitmore, is based on his own late sister Courtney who tragically died in an aviation disaster in 1996.
Whilst details are scant at this point in time, it is known that actress Brec Bassinger, mostly known for her role in Nickelodeon’s School of Rock series, has been cast in the titular role alongside Luke Wilson who is taking on the role of Whitmore’s step-father Pat Duggan aka STRIPE.
HARLEY QUINN: THE ANIMATED SERIES
Whilst not a live-action series, DC Universe plans to cap off a massive 2019 slate by launching an adult, 26 episode, animated series featuring none other than DC’s favourite psychotic bombshell, Harley Quinn. It was originally thought DC would be approaching Margot Robbie, the big screen Harley, to voice the character, but instead those honours have fallen to The Big Bang Theory’s Kaley Cuoco.
Lead image: Diane Guerrero as Crazy Jane in Doom Patrol.
