Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: DC TV

  • Lanterns

    Lanterns

    Premiere: Spring/Summer 2026

    Described by Peter Safran as a “terrestrial-based investigation story” that’s “much more True Detective” than space opera, Lanterns will be a Max streaming series that focuses on DC’s two most iconic Green Lanterns: Hal Jordan and John Stewart. As for what the Lanterns are investigating, according to Safran it’s an “ancient horror” found on Earth that “plays a really big role leading us into the main story” of Gods and Monsters.

    In September 2024, casting for the series got underway when Emmy-award-winning actor Kyle Chandler landed the role of Hal Jordan. Shortly after that, Aaron Pierre landed the role of series co-lead John Stewart.

    Cast

    • Aaron Pierre as John Stewart
    • Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan
    • Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro
    • Garrett Dilahunt as William Macon
    • Kelly MacDonald as Sheriff Kerry
    • Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe
  • GEEKED WEEK: ‘The Sandman’ Eyeing August Release

    GEEKED WEEK: ‘The Sandman’ Eyeing August Release

    Netflix Geeked Week has kicked off once again with the streamer bringing some of its biggest original series to the week-long event. Perhaps the streamer’s biggest release that’s set to debut this year is the adaption of The Sandman, the critically acclaimed and beloved graphic novel by author Neil Gaiman. Geeked Week has brought with it the release date for the series, coming sooner than you think.

    Netflix has revealed that the adaption will be hitting the service on August 5th, just a little under two months away. The first season is set to adapt the first chapter in the store of Morpheus, the lord of dreams, titled Preludes and Nocturnes, with Gaiman revealing we can expect a little bit more to this story as well.

    The series was written by Allan Heinberg who will serve as an executive producer alongside Gaiman and David Goyer. The premiere of the series was co-written by Gaiman, Goyer, and Heinberg. Many fans were uneasy about the news of an adaption, but learning that Neil Gaiman is heavily involved in the series hopefully has eased a lot of minds.

    The series will star Tom Sturridge as the titular character alongside Gwendoline Christie, Kirby-Howell Baptise, Jenna Coleman, Mason Alexander Park, Boyd Holbrook, Charles Dance, Patton Oswalt, Vivienne Acheampong, Kyo Ra, and Stephen Fry.

  • Marvel Studios Kevin Feige Almost Went to DC After Ike Perlmutter Dispute

    Marvel Studios Kevin Feige Almost Went to DC After Ike Perlmutter Dispute

    Here’s an interesting surprise it looks like the conflict between Kevin Feige, the CEO of Marvel Studios, and Ike Perlmutter, the CEO and Chairman of Marvel, almost led to the MCU producer joining Warner Bros.’ DC department. In a new piece by Puck, they reveal he entered discussions around the mid-2010 as he was facing some issues with Perlmutter, which were quite famously documented. This may have also led to a promotion in 2015 to work with Alan Horn. He would eventually become Marvel Entertainment’s Chief Creative Officer as well while supervising Marvel Studios.

    The Marvel Cinematic Universe definitely wouldn’t be what it is today if it weren’t for Feige’s leading hand, and he’s quite a passionate person about telling these stories. Disney may have faced quite the challenge if he decided to leave, as there aren’t many in the industry that could’ve taken over the vision that was set out. He’s famous for planning in advance where their franchise is heading, and his imprint is definitely on these projects.

    Of course, it’s always strange to think about what could’ve been, and DC may have been very different if he did indeed take over the project. There have been many reports on Ike Perlmutter‘s infamous frugality that has led to many issues. He also established the creative council that led the original projects and strongly restricted what Feige could do, especially when it came to embracing more diverse characters. If you’ve ever wondered why it took so long for a Black Widow film to get going, he’s the one that wouldn’t even let them release toys based on the character.

    Source: Puck via The Direct

  • Seth Green to Replace Jim Gaffigan as Thunderbolt in ‘Stargirl’ Season 3

    Seth Green to Replace Jim Gaffigan as Thunderbolt in ‘Stargirl’ Season 3

    Here’s a sad surprise, it looks like Seth Green is taking over as the voice of Thunderbolt in the third season of CW’s Stargirl series from Jim Gaffigan. TVLine has broken the news that the wish-granting genie will have a new voice actor, but no reason is given on why exactly he was recast. He only voiced the character in a few scenes of the second season and it may be that he has a larger role going into the third.

    Jakeem (Alkoya Brunson) is the wielder of the mysterious pink pen that Thunderbolt exists in. He helped the team of unlikely heroes and a reestablished Justice Society of America to take down the threat that was Eclipso. Green is no stranger to voice acting, as he has been a long-time member of the Family Guy voice cast, and worked on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H and Guardians of the Galaxy series.

    It’s sad to see Gaffigan leave the production, as he’s always a great addition to any project but with the role potentially growing, it could be that he had other projects lined up and just couldn’t return. Still, Green is a great get for the series, and given the supernatural origin of the genie, they could play around with the fact that he has a new voice every season as a fun running gag.

    Source: TVLine

  • J.J. Abrams’ DC Projects Future Uncertain Due to Warner Bros. Discovery’s Restructure

    J.J. Abrams’ DC Projects Future Uncertain Due to Warner Bros. Discovery’s Restructure

    In 2019, J.J. Abrams signed an overall deal with HBO Max that cost the streaming service $250 million. Since then, Abrams’ Bad Robot has yet to actually produce anything under the said deal, which is leading Warner Bros. Discovery to question what the holdup is.

    Ever since Discovery completed its acquisition of WarnerMedia from AT&T in April, WBD CEO David Zaslav has been going over projects in various stages of development to try and determine whether or not they are worth continuing. One project that has already received the axe is the recently announced Wonder Twins film. The project was originally announced in February, then the project cast its leads in April, only for the film to be halted in early May. Unfortunately, Wonder Twins looks to be only the start of Zaslav’s changes. It’s expected that the newly merged studio will continue to crack down on projects in development – potentially even those being developed through Abrams’ overall deal.

    One of many projects announced as part of Abrams’ overall deal was Demimonde, a science fiction drama set to star Watchmen alum Danielle Deadwyler. The project was expected to consist of 10 episodes, but it might now be on the bubble with Bad Robot reportedly eyeing a budget north of $200 million for the series. As if that isn’t bad enough, Abrams is also developing HBO Max’s DC Comics-based Justice League Dark franchise, which will include shows like Constantine and Madame X. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it is possible to even those projects could come under scrutiny from Zaslav.

    Part of the frustration is said to be that Abrams has “laid claim” to numerous DC characters but has yet to see a project through to fruition. While Warners has seen scripts for Constantine and the pilot of Madame X, the lack of movement could result in action from Zaslav as the streaming service is said to be dealing with a pipeline issue. As it stands, there is reportedly no delivery plan for any of the projects being developed under Abrams’ Bad Robot banner.

    It is of note that, along with producing a new Star Trek movie for Paramount, Abrams was just announced to be producing a Speed Racer series for Apple TV+ through his Bad Robot banner. That project is actually being produced as part of his overall deal with Warner Bros. Television, which is also producing the project.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • DC’s HBO Max Future Uncertain, ‘Batgirl’ Likely Heading to Theatrical Release

    DC’s HBO Max Future Uncertain, ‘Batgirl’ Likely Heading to Theatrical Release

    The Wonder Twins have met an early demise as the new leadership at Warner Bros. Discovery is looking to shake things up and set the DC Extended Universe on a clearer path. It seems the twins may have just been the first of many causalities going by a recent statement.

    The new leadership, led by David Zaslav, is reportedly placing a mandate that states all DC films should be set as theatrical releases as their first goal. This decision stems from the budgets many of these films have with Zaslav using Wonder Twins‘ $75 million as an example. They don’t see that kind of investment viable with a good return with a release on HBO Max. This would mean that a film like Batgirl, which is still set to release on HBO Max could instead see a shift from the streamer to a wide theatrical release.

    The Hollywood Reporter also states that sources have told them that a lot of things that are being developed by Warner Bros. are likely going to be scrapped and never see the light of day. It seems the Green Lantern series may be in danger as it’s hit multiple delays in production and could exceed the budget granted to projects on the streamer. The bright side could see the film finally get some steam behind it and the long-awaited return of a character like Hal Jordan could become a possibility.

    It may be a while before we know exactly what is happening with the DC Extended Universe and many of the other projects in development. While things may seem uncertain it could lead to a much smoother March forward for the franchise.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Geeked Week Trailer Offers First Look at ‘The Sandman’s Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer in Action

    Geeked Week Trailer Offers First Look at ‘The Sandman’s Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer in Action

    A new trailer has arrived teasing early June’s Geeked Week, which will be a special event hosted by Netflix to talk about all their upcoming projects. We’ve gotten teases that we’ll get some news on the live-action One Piece series by then, though a trailer seems very unlikely given they only recently wrapped work on two episodes, and more information on the new The Sandman adaptation. With a new trailer released to celebrate the occasion, Netflix also included quite a few sequences including our first look at Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer in action. Luckily, Fandom pulled the small set of footage showing off Christie’s charming take on Lucifer.

    It’s amazing to see how they’ve adapted Lucifer’s design to live-action and we’ll see what role she’ll have in the story, especially with not knowing how exactly they may tackle the adaptation. The graphic novel’s original creator Neil Gaiman is heavily involved and the footage shown seems like it’s staying true to his vision in many ways. It’s an exciting prospect to finally get a live-action adaptation after many pitches seemingly failed over the years. So, we’ll see what the future has in store for us once we get another full trailer during Geeked Week.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Gotham Knight’s Ordered to Series by The CW

    ‘Gotham Knight’s Ordered to Series by The CW

    It seemed like the CW was cleaning up, as they’ve started canceling one project after another. Yet, it seems that they still have a few projects in the development pipeline they’ve decided to pick up some of their new pilots. Among them is the new DC series Gotham Knights, which mainly shares the name and premise of the upcoming Warner Bros. Montréal game.

    The series joins Walker: Independence and The Winchesters for the 2022-23 season, which are both prequel series from CW’s line-up. Gotham Knights is an original concept that explores Bruce Wayne’s offspring after his father dies and is forced to work with the children of Batman’s villains.

    While many expected the sale of existing projects was due to the upcoming Warner Bros. Discovery sale that has been rumored for some time. It seems that Nexstar is currently in the lead to purchase the broadcast network, but that makes it unclear what would happen to its intellectual properties that technically belong to WArner Bros.

    They’ve recently been busy canceling various projects, which included their Charmed remake, Batwoman, and even last season’s newest DC addition, Naomi. The latter was quite the surprise for many, as many saw it as a new start to their DC CW slate after various Arrowverse mainstays were leaving. It’s unclear what may happen to Gotham Knights in case a sale does end up happening, but it’s great to see them moving forward.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Naomi’ Not Returning for a Second Season on the CW

    ‘Naomi’ Not Returning for a Second Season on the CW

    The CW has canceled a slew of shows including the DC Comics adaptation Naomi.

    After finishing its first season just two days ago, the CW has confirmed Naomi will not be returning for a second season. The news, while unfortunate, shouldn’t be too surprising. Despite having Ava DuVernay behind the project and plenty of critical acclaim, the series failed to find an audience like most of the network’s shows.

    This marks the latest DC Comics television series to get the ax following the cancellations of Legends of Tomorrow and Batwoman. Currently, renewal decisions have yet to be made for The Flash, which is rumored to end after Season 9, Stargirl, and Riverdale. Superman & Lois has already been renewed for a third season. A new DC Show, titled Gotham Knights, has filmed a pilot for the network; a decision regarding that title has not yet been made either although it is expected to be ordered to series.

    While the CW has been notorious for its low ratings, it was recently announced that the network might soon be going up for sale. In the past, The CW benefited greatly from its Netflix deal, which was thought to bring in a fair amount of revenue while in place. Unfortunately, after that deal was not renewed with Warner Bros. looking to use its own streaming service instead, the CW shows suffered. It is currently thought that Nexstar is the frontrunner to purchase the CW, although it is unlikely a deal will be made in time for the network’s upfronts presentation next week.

    Source: THR

  • How DC’s TV Series May Change With the Warner Bros. Discovery Merger

    How DC’s TV Series May Change With the Warner Bros. Discovery Merger

    When it comes to the DC Extended Universe, it would be fair to say it is in a bit of a predicament. Since the merger, Discovery is looking to revisit the DC slate in hopes of crafting a unified DCEU within one universe, akin to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While most of DC’s previously announced films look to be relatively safe, with the exception of Wonder Twins, the same can’t be said for DC’s television shows. With that in mind, we look at the current state of DC TV and try to guess how the merger will impact the remaining series.

    The Arrowverse

    When it comes to the Arrowverse, what shows remain are far from safe, especially as the CW was recently revealed to never have been profitable. The chances of many of the beloved superhero shows surviving are even more limited if the CW does go up for sale.

    The CW has already said goodbye to series like Arrow, Supergirl, Black Lightning and will now say farewell to Legends of Tomorrow and Batwoman. This leaves only Superman and Lois, Stargirl, Naomi and The Flash, which already looks to be reaching the finish line with its upcoming ninth season.

    Superman and Lois, Stargirl, and Naomi are series that do not find themselves very involved with the overall universe unlike the rest of the Arrowverse. While Stargirl has yet to be renewed for a fourth season ahead of Season 3’s debut, Superman and Lois is already set to return for a third season. This, of course, could result in the series potentially ending after Season 3, or it could meet a similar fate to Wonder Twins and be axed before things get moving on production. The upcoming debut of the Justice Society in the DCEU could also spell bad news for Stargirl, whose whole thing is the JSA, and with the strange rules surrounding the use of certain characters in other mediums, the series could meet its end. Naomi is another detached series that could continue onward, but is currently airing its first season and has yet to score a renewal for season 2.

    Many will notice that over the past few years, the CW has attempted to get multiple new Arrowverse series like Green Arrow and The Canaries, Painkiller, and Wonder Girl off the ground but to no avail. Gotham Knights is the only one that’s actually been able to film a pilot that was not a spinoff from another pre-existing show, but even that has yet to even secure a series order. Justice U, the David Ramsey-led series that would see him reprise the role of Jon Diggle and train new superheroes has also yet to film a pilot, which means it could also see the chopping block.

    HBO Max

    HBO Max has become the adoptive home of multiple DCTV series like Doom Patrol, Titans, and Harley Quinn. While a show like Green Lantern could very much still happen, especially as casting has been announced, shows like Strange Adventures and Superhero High appear to be dead in the water. We’ve heard nothing on either of them since they were announced, which seems to suggest they’ll be meeting the chopping block.

    The harder question here is the fate of Doom Patrol and Titans. Both series have been running for multiple seasons now and feel like they could come to an end very soon. With Warner Brothers Discovery looking to consolidate and unify its DC Universe, these shows definitely feel like they could indeed be canceled as casualties of war.

    Projects that will most likely be safe are those pertaining to Justice League Dark and what Matt Reeves has in the works like The Penguin. Shows like Constantine and Madame X are products of a deal between J.J. Abrams production company and Warner Bros Discovery, they feel like safe bets due to the fact they could contribute to the unified DC the new leadership wants and that they all lead into a big Defenders-like crossover event.

    Peacemaker will most likely be fine, as it seems highly unlikely that the series will be canceled following its success and how great James Gunn has been for the DC brand since releasing The Suicide Squad. While a series like Michael B. Jordans‘ Val-Zod series seems likely to be canned as it would take place in another universe and just does not seem like it would be a priority for the new leadership moving forward. And animated series like Young Justice and Harley Quinn will most likely remain unaffected due to these series being a completely separate entity from the other live-action series. 

    The TV side of things feels like it is going to see much more of a shakeup as the overhaul moves forward at DC Entertainment and Warner Bros Discovery. The new leadership would be smart to evaluate each project and look for the aspects that work and see if they can’t integrate some of these characters into their prime universe.