It’s good and bad news for DC. While plenty of exciting new projects are headed to theaters and TV screens this year, it seems some of the most highly anticipated entries won’t find themselves canonically included in the DCEU/DCU. Netflix’s Dead Boy Detectives has finished principal photography, and Snyder fans are a little upset that the series has landed on Netflix, a direct rival of Warner Bros. Even if the series lands on Netflix’s notorious chopping block, fans have a consolation prize coming right behind. My Adventures with Superman, a new animated series coming to Adult Swim sometime this year, already has fans buzzing about its potential. Warner Bros has an incredibly strong track record with animation, so fans are pretty sure this one is going to be big. Meanwhile, James Gunn hasn’t even gotten his extended universe off the ground and people are already trying to convince him to team up with Marvel for the mother of all crossover events.
‘Dead Boy Detectives’ has finished principal photography
Back in 2021, Dead Boy Detectives — a comic series about two dead paranormal investigators — was slated as an HBO Max release. Bizarrely, even as HBO finished writing scripts and casting characters, the media giant opted to drop the project and released it to its rival company, Netflix. The Neil Gaiman-helmed comic has a dedicated fan following that has been pushing for the series to be included in the DCEU/DCU, but now those fans are fighting back fears that their beloved series won’t get the chance it deserves. The show has officially finished principal photography, so fans can at least take some solace knowing the project will actually reach the small screen. With the series already changing hands twice in its short lifespan — and Netflix’s propensity for canceling shows prematurely — their fears certainly aren’t unfounded. Netflix does have a bad track record of axing fantasy shows, but with the streaming service renewing both of their other DC-adjacent projects — Lucifer and Sandman — there is some hope that Dead Boy Detectives won’t be just another loose end for Netflix to tie up.
New ‘Superman’ series reminds us that WB has choice animated shows
A trailer just dropped for the newest addition to WB’s animated offerings. My Adventures with Superman follows a twenty-something Clark Kent as he navigates young adulthood with superpowers, a demanding job, and the stress of city living. The young Clark — played by the incredibly talented Jack Quaid — is joined by the intrepid reporter Lois Lane and the pair’s shy photographer friend, Jimmy Olsen. The series is helmed by showrunner Jake Wyatt (Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus) and sports an anime-esque art style and revamped character designs. The series is set to premiere later this year on Adult Swim and is adjacent to the DCEU/DCU, but like Joker and The Batman, it won’t be considered canon to the extended universe.
James Gunn would totally do an MCU/DCU crossover… If Disney would ever allow it
James Gunn has spoken about the possibility of a Marvel/DCU crossover event in the future and it seems the director would be willing to find a midground if his competitors are. While it seems fairly far-fetched considering the obvious rivalry between WB and Disney’s franchises, it wouldn’t be the first time the House of Mouse set aside some of its chance for revenue to really appeal to fans. Disney has made deals with Sony for the rights to use Spider-Man in the past, so we know the media giant has goodwill to spare, though their last team-up didn’t end quite so diplomatically as it began. Gunn made it clear, however, that his main focus at the moment is simply making sure that his DCU has solid legs to stand on. It’s a good stance to take. If the DCU flounders like its predecessor, there is no chance Marvel will extend a hand of friendship. But if Gunn’s visions really are groundbreaking and Marvel continues to produce subpar movies, there could actually be a crossover event for the ages.
