Every Upcoming DC TV Show Explained
Warning! This article contains spoilers for the ongoing series mentioned.The DC Universe has a promising lineup of shows coming up for release in the near future, tackling a wide variety of continuities and heroes on sustainable series. With the recent releases of Creature Commandos as well as HBO's The Penguin making waves as the first follow-up project to be set in the same continuity as Matt Reeves' The Batman, television has really expanded the horizons for the types of stories DC can tell with its adaptations.
Looking for DC's upcoming movie slate? Check out our list of Every Upcoming DC Movie in 2025 and Beyond.
While the upcoming movies of the DCU, the company's latest attempt at a cinematic universe, kick off this summer with Superman, the company is gearing up for some potent TV releases in 2025 and beyond. Some of these will be long-awaited follow-up seasons to already popular shows, building upon pre-existing fanbases. Others will launch brand-new stories using DC's wealth of fascinating heroes and villains, marking a new chapter in the DC universe's storytelling.
Peacemaker Season 2
Expected To Release In August 2025
Peacemaker
- Release Date
- January 13, 2022
- Network
- HBO Max, Max
- Showrunner
- James Gunn
- Directors
- James Gunn, Brad Anderson, Rosemary Rodriguez
- Writers
- James Gunn
Cast
Christopher Smith / Peacemaker
Leota Adebayo
Peacemaker is a television series expanding on the character from the film The Suicide Squad. Released in 2022, it follows the titular character, a determined anti-hero who upholds peace through extreme measures, as he confronts personal and external challenges in the aftermath of his previous mission.
- Seasons
- 2
John Cena's Peacemaker is one of the few movie characters to earn his own spin-off series despite being both relatively obscure and an utterly despicable excuse for a superhero. Despite all odds, Peacemaker won over plenty of new fans after its premiere on HBO Max in 2022. Three years later, Peacemaker season 2 will be released in August 2025, just a month after Superman kicks off the DCU's slate of upcoming movies.
Ending on a very comprehensive conclusion, it'll be interesting to see where James Gunn plans on taking Cena's gun-toting vigilante next. Considering Peacemaker's murky status as a part of the now-defunct DCEU, which continuity the series serves (if any) will also need to be called into question, which James Gunn has said will be addressed in the upcoming season.
Batman: Caped Crusader Season 2
No Release Date Yet
Your comment has not been saved
Batman: Caped Crusader
- Release Date
- August 1, 2024
- Franchise(s)
- Batman
Cast
Hamish Linklater
Wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne, transformed by tragedy, takes on the mantle of Batman to combat the rampant corruption and crime in Gotham City. His vigilante actions attract both allies within the GCPD and City Hall and deadly adversaries, leading to unforeseen consequences. The series delves into the noir roots of Batman, exploring the psychological depths of Gotham's inhabitants.
- Seasons
- 1
The latest animated incarnation of Batman to join an expansive roster of different shows, Batman: Caped Crusader has already made a big impression on Amazon Prime. Re-imagining Batman as a period noir drama, Batman: Caped Crusaderseason 1 took The Dark Knight back to his roots in the late 40s and early 50s while still retaining his modern-day girmdark storytelling preferences. The series was penned by Bruce Timm of Batman: The Animated Series fame, aimed at an adult audience this time around.
Season 1 ended on a mysterious note, just beginning to tease the introduction of a 1940s Joker. Sadly, Timm has only confirmed that the next season for the well-received show has only just begun development (via The Wrap), meaning that season 2 is still likely fairly far away. Still, the fact that the more niche Batman concept has been approved for a second series is a major cause for celebration.
Waller
No Release Date Yet
One figure has been a consistent throughline in multiple DCU movies and TV shows, none other than Amanda Waller of The Suicide Squad fame. Viola Davis' brilliant take on the Task Force X organizer and shady government operative was one of the few holdovers to survive the critically panned 2016 film Suicide Squad, and has since gone on to feature in many other DC projects. Davis' Waller appeared in Peacemaker and pulls the strings in animated form in Creature Commandos as well.
Waller (DCU)
Cast
Steve Agee
Waller follows Amanda Waller, the covert government operative known for assembling and leading the infamous Suicide Squad. Set within the DC Universe, the series delves into her manipulative tactics, complex moral decisions, and interactions with both allies and adversaries as she navigates the treacherous world of espionage and superhuman intrigue. Viola Davis reprises her role, bringing depth to this enigmatic character.
- Seasons
- 1
- Creator(s)
- Jeremy Carver, Christal Henry
It's only fitting that the upcoming series Waller will finally allow the popular background character to get the spotlight with a dedicated series all to her own. The live-action show will allegedly feature Waller teaming up with key characters from Peacemaker, though exact names have yet to be confirmed. There's no telling where producers Watchmen writer Crystal Henry and Doom Patrol showrunner Jeremy Carver will take DC's morally bankrupt powerhouse in her own dedicated project.
Lanterns
No Release Date Yet
Green Lantern has been trapped in unfortunate circumstances when it comes to TV and movie representation outside of the animated arena. Ever since Ryan Reynold's disastrous Green Lantern flopped in 2011, producers have been hesitant to champion the character. It's likely that this hesitance contributed to a Green Lantern show being trapped in development limbo for years at HBO, postulated by Arrowverse producer and scribe Greg Berlanti.
Lanterns
Cast
Aaron Pierre
Kyle Chandler
Kelly Macdonald
Lanterns: John Stewart and Hal Jordan, intergalactic law enforcers, unite in this series to investigate a murder mystery set in the American heartland, intertwining their efforts in the defense of Earth.
- Seasons
- 1
- Creator(s)
- Tom King, Chris Mundy
Now, a whole new concept for a Green Lantern show, titled Lanterns, is set to premiere on HBO some time in the future. Leaning into the character's concept as a sort of space cop, Lanterns will be a crime procedural in the style of True Detective, featuring both the Hal Jordan and John Stewart incarnations of the construct-wielding hero. The series is in the capable hands of Ozark executive producer Chris Mundy, who will serve as showrunner. No release date has been announced yet, but Lanterns is ramping up production.
Paradise Lost
No Release Date Yet
Paradise Lost (DC)
- Franchise(s)
- DC Extended Universe
Paradise Lost (DC) is a TV series set in the DC Universe that focuses on the political intrigue and dark secrets of Themyscira, the home of Wonder Woman. It delves into the society of the Amazonian warriors and explores themes of power and betrayal long before the arrival of Diana Prince. It highlights the complex and often ruthless nature of the all-female island nation.
- Seasons
- 1
- Creator(s)
- James Gunn, Peter Safran
- Main Genre
- Action
Not to be confused with the literary classic or the 2020 drama series, Paradise Lost aims to be a particularly unique entry into the burgeoning DCU. Capitalizing on the renewed popularity of Wonder Woman following Gal Gadot's interpretation in the DCEU, Paradise Lost was once going to be Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins' third solo Wonder Woman film before being retooled into a TV series. James Gunn has confirmed Paradise Lost's development, though he's taken great care to specify that the series is technically not yet greenlit.
Paradise Lost aims to be a prequel set in Wonder Woman's home country of Themyscira, following the lives of the Amazonian warrior women who live there. The series will allegedly be highly inspired by Game of Thrones, utilizing similar medieval drama to fuel its runtime. While this series might be one of the furthest out of DC's entire upcoming TV slate, it has the potential to bring a previously-unseen perspective into Wonder Woman's origins.
Booster Gold
No Release Date Yet
Booster Gold
- Franchise(s)
- DC Universe
Booster Gold follows Michael Jon Carter, a washed-up athlete from the 25th century who travels back in time to become a superhero using advanced technology. Equipped with futuristic gadgets, Carter rebrands himself as Booster Gold and seeks fame and fortune while confronting various challenges. The series blends elements of science fiction and comedy, exploring themes of heroism and redemption.
- Seasons
- 1
After his longtime superhero partner, Ted Kord's Blue Beetle, was given some love in the 2023 film of the same name, it's only fitting that Booster Gold finally gets some love from the new DCU. Booster Gold is known as an egotistical time-traveling character who uses the technology of his time to become a superhero in the present day. While Booster Gold did show up in 2022's Legends of Tomorrow among the Arrowverse's cast, he's yet to ever get top-billing on a dedicated live-action project.
It seems an upcoming Booster Gold solo series will be doing just that, following the underrated hero into the DCU. Details are still scarce as of yet, with little to report about the show being known at the time of writing besides its tentative existence. Rumors earlier in 2024 have circulated speculating that the show has already been cast, but hard confirmation of anything beyond a simple title remains elusive.
Bat-Family
No Release Date Yet
Bat-Family
The series follows Batman, Alfred, and Damian Wayne, alongside new additions to Wayne Manor, as they navigate the dynamics of superhero life as a family. This show explores the interplay of familial bonds against the backdrop of their crime-fighting adventures.
- Seasons
- 1
- Main Genre
- Animation
Another animated Batman series coming to Amazon Prime, Bat-Family will, as the name implies, sit in stark contrast to Batman: Caped Crusader as a family-friendly take on The Dark Knight. More specifically, the series will be focusing on Batman's son, Damian Wayne, who is known in the comics for being the latest Robin and a difficult estranged presence in Bruce's life. Here, Damian will allegedly be taking up the idolized cape and cowl of his father under the title of "Little Batman".
Another animated Batman series coming to Amazon Prime, Bat-Family will, as the name implies, sit in stark contrast to Batman: Caped Crusader as a family-friendly take on The Dark Knight.
Bat-Family will be a follow-up series to the 2023 Amazon Prime holiday movie Merry Little Batman, a family-friendly Christmas-themed story about Bruce Wayne and Damian's relationship. The film sees Batman eliminate crime in Gotham once and for all in preparation for his son's arrival, only for the ambitious tyke to become desperate to fight villainy himself anyway. The movie presented a charming version of the Batman mythos with a uniquely exaggerated art style that will be thrilling to see return in a dedicated series.
Which DC TV Shows Are Part Of The New Canon?
Only Some Shows Are Part Of James Gunn's Official Universe
After the DCU rebooted the DCEU, and carried over a few dangling threads like Peacemaker, it was unclear exactly how it would fit into the new continuity. James Gunn has tried to explain it several times, but his most recent comments seem to clear things up pretty well, stating that the only pure canon show going forward for the DCU is Creature Commandos, with most of Peacemaker season 1 being canon as well, except for the Justice League cameo.
Upcoming DC TV Shows and Continuity | |
|---|---|
Show | Continuity |
Peacemaker Season Two | DCU |
Caped Crusader Season Two | Stand-Alone |
Waller | DCU |
Lanterns | DCU |
Paradise Lost | DCU |
Booster Gold | DCU |
Bat-Family | Stand-Alone with Merry Little Batman |
Canon might have seemed confusing initially when the DCU was announced, but looking at the overall picture, it feels quite simple. Most new shows will be within the DCU and all the elseworld projects are distinctly different from those, clearing up any confusion about that. With James Gunn definitively saying what is the start of pure canon for the DCU, the upcoming slate of shows can hit the ground running.
- Created by
- Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson
- First Film
- Man of Steel
- First TV Show
- Peacemaker
- Cast
- Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Cara Delevingne, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Zachary Levi, Dwayne Johnson, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett, Rosie Perez, Ella Jay Basco, Ali Wong, Ewan McGregor, Idris Elba, John Cena, Michael Keaton, George Clooney, Xolo Mariduena
- Movie(s)
- Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, Justice League, Aquaman, Shazam!, Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman 1984, Zack Snyder's Justice League, The Suicide Squad, Black Adam, Shazam! The Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, Superman, The Brave and the Bold
- Character(s)
- Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, Cyborg, Harley Quinn, The Joker, Shazam, Darkseid, Amanda Waller, Lex Luthor, Doomsday, Deadshot, Deathstroke, Black Canary, Black Adam
The DC Universe is one of the biggest comic book franchises and often competes with Marvel. DC Comics started as National Allied Publications, founded by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1935. Since then, the franchise has exploded with thousands of comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games. 2013 marked the beginning of the most recent iteration of the superheroes, with Zack Snyder introducing Henry Cavill as Superman. After several movies with mixed reviews, DC underwent a soft reboot under the helm of James Gunn and Peter Safran.
Your comment has not been saved