It’s no secret that Warner Bros. has been canceling a lot of DC Universe (DCU) shows lately. Fans have been disappointed to see highly-anticipated projects like Man of Steel 2 and Wonder Woman 3 axed. But it seems that the cancellations aren’t over yet.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has canceled a unique Justice League spin-off project led by J.J. Abrams. The title was initially set to focus on the obscure DC character Madame Xanadu as Abrams looked to give the Justice League Dark their true introduction to this era of on-screen superheroes.
However, as new DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran took over the franchise, a number of shows and movies that were previously in development under the old regime were axed. This included the Justice League Dark project.
The entry was in development over the past couple of years, meant to be an “Avengers-style show” within the DC Universe. But reportedly, there were concerns over the show’s potential budget, although there have been no concrete details regarding why it was canceled.
While J.J. Abrams’ Justice League Dark is most likely a simple casualty of the change in management for WBD, it’s certainly a disappointment to see that Abrams won’t have the chance to bring the super-powered team to life. This would have been yet another new property that fans haven’t seen before on-screen and one more frustrating development after seeing other already-established programming meet an end as well.
For now, all one can do is wait to see if the team joins the fray at a later date, which would most likely be in the Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters DC slate that will kick off on HBO Max and in theaters in 2025. But with darker entries like Swamp Thing and even Creature Commandos already confirmed for development, Gunn and Safran may take a chance to look at what this team could do with the right direction.
It’s unfortunate to see another DCU project fall victim to the ongoing restructuring at Warner Bros. Discovery. Hopefully, fans can still look forward to new and exciting superhero stories from DC Studios in the future.
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