Fans of the SnyderVerse have been calling on Warner Bros. to sell the rights of their beloved universe to Netflix, but as of yet, those hopes have been dashed. But, Now things have taken a slight turn as it has been confirmed that DC has sold one of its property to Netflix.
DC and HBO Max have had a tumultuous relationship over the past few years, with multiple DC series facing cancellations and restructurings due to conflicts with new management at DC Studios. The latest series to fall victim to this ongoing situation is Dead Boy Detectives, which has now been abandoned by HBO Max and picked up by Netflix.
Based on the comics by Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner, Dead Boy Detectives follows the ghosts of two dead children, Charles Rowland and Edwin Paine, as they team up with their living, psychic friend Crystal Palace to investigate supernatural crimes. The series was ordered for an eight-episode run on HBO Max in April 2022, but has now been abandoned due to conflicts with the plans of James Gunn and Peter Safran, who recently took over at DC Studios.
According to reports, Dead Boy Detectives began filming in November 2022, just a week after Gunn and Safran took over at DC. It is speculated that the series was too far along in development to be abruptly cancelled, so instead, it was mutually agreed to move the project to Netflix.
This move to Netflix is seen as a logical choice for the series, as it allows it to continue without being associated with the new DCU plans, which are being developed primarily for HBO Max. With The Sandman, which features the Dead Boy Detectives, already running on Netflix, the service is an ideal home for this indirect spin-off.
However, Dead Boy Detectives is not the first DC series to be cancelled or restructured due to conflicts with the new management at DC Studios. Other shows that have faced similar fates include Titans, Doom Patrol, and Pennyworth.
Despite these setbacks, DC Studios is moving forward with five new shows for HBO Max, including Creature Commandos, Waller, Lanterns, Paradise Lost, and Booster Gold. The studio is also reportedly shopping around Caped Crusader, a successor to Batman: The Animated Series, to other streaming services such as Hulu, Netflix, and Apple TV+.
While the ongoing conflicts between DC Studios and HBO Max have resulted in the cancellation of multiple series, the future of the DC Universe on streaming platforms remains bright. With new shows in development and the continued success of The Sandman, it seems likely that DC will continue to find success on streaming services for years to come.
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