While it may have taken the big screen franchise a few years to find a level of consistency that kept both fans and critics happy, DC‘s constant stream of animated output has always proven to be a hugely popular and lucrative revenue source for Warner Bros. Whether it be family-friendly or more adult-orientated, the likes of the countless Justice League stories and Harley Quinn have been received very enthusiastically, with the animated corner of the DC universe arguably superior to the live-action movie series.
Unsurprisingly, the studio’s library of comic book properties looks set to be one of the major selling points of their freshly-launched streaming service HBO Max, and while the Snyder Cut of Justice League has been dominating the headlines, the likes of J.J. Abrams’ Justice League Dark and Matt Reeves’ cop-centric companion show for The Batman also look set to expand the universe even further.
However, animated content will continue to be a huge part of both DC and HBO Max’s future, and a new report has now hinted at the possibility of Zack Snyder and HBO Max continuing to work together in creating a shared animated universe based on his DCEU movies. As The Cultured Nerd explains:
If HBO Max is willing to place their faith in Snyder for a film that has created lots of controversy over the last few years, then surely they’d be willing to do the same for an animated universe, regardless of whether it consists of animated films and shows.
While there’s been countless rumors that the filmmaker would remain on board once he finishes his cut of Justice League, most people assumed he would continue exclusively in the realm of live-action. But that may not be the case, and with Aquaman director James Wan producing an animated miniseries starring the King of Atlantis, and Wonder Woman‘s Patty Jenkins teasing the Amazons of Themyscira receiving similar treatment, HBO Max could set a unique precedent in expanding their cinematic mythology in animated exclusives. This would both allow them to tell new and exciting stories without the budget concerns that come from making comic book blockbusters as well as giving fans another reason to subscribe.
