DC Studios’ Lanterns premieres this weekend, August 16 on HBO and Max. However, fans of DC properties might have to wait a while before more shows find their way to the screen. According to a new report in The Ankler, DC Studios has officially axed development of its Peacemaker spinoff Waller and its Themyscira-set Paradise Lost. We previously reported Booster Gold was gone too, but The Ankler says that show is still in the cards, just looking for a new writer. Also, evidently, two other pitches—both Batman-universe—also didn’t move forward. Yowzer.
Nerdist reached out to DC Studios for comment but did not receive a response at time of publication.
Waller and Paradise Lost were both Chapter 1 announcements in James Gunn’s infamous “Gods and Monsters” docket. The former would have focused on Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller after the fallout of Peacemaker season one. The latter was to be a massive Game of Thrones-style fantasy epic about Wonder Woman’s homeland prior to her birth. Development of both seemingly stagnated as the burgeoning months of the DCU commenced.
Booster Gold has been in development just as long, with writer David Jenkins attached. However, Jenkins recently took to Threads to say his involvement in the project was no more. The Ankler says the show remains in development, however, with James Gunn, Peter Safran, and HBO’s Casey Bloys looking for a new writer.
The final bit of news from the piece is going to be a gut punch to some fans. Evidently, Gunn, Safran, and Bloys also heard pitches for Poison Ivy and Catwoman series, but neither got the greenlight. Presumably (and this is just me speculating) having too many Bat-villain projects going on before we get a DCU Batman would be weird and awkward.
Whatever the reason, that’s two more DC projects that won’t happen. As of right now, we still have the Mister Miracle animated series and the bizarre Jimmy Olsen/Gorilla Grodd series. On the movie side, Gunn decided to axe The Authority, while James Mangold’s proposed Swamp Thing movie still remains a “who knows?” Clayface hits theaters in September while Man of Tomorrow will premiere next year.
The future of the DCU may, indeed, depend entirely on the outcome of the Paramount antitrust lawsuit. As it stands, only four of the original Chapter 1 projects—Creature Commandos, Superman, Supergirl, and Lanterns—made it to completion.
Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.