Not every major DC Comics superhero has headlined their own animated television show, and even some of the biggest names in comics have been axed before their latest adventures hit the small screen. While DC is known for its great animated TV shows, most cartoons put out by Warner Bros. focus on Batman or, occasionally, Superman and the Justice League as a whole. Few other heroes are given such a dynamic spotlight to highlight their potential.
Of course, some have been given the chance. Green Lantern has the highly underrated “Green Lantern: The Animated Series” and even Harley Quinn and the Creature Commandos received their own self-titled animated programs in recent years. But when it comes to the best superhero cartoons, there are plenty of unrealized attempts that have been left off that list simply because they were cancelled before having the chance to shine.
Whether you’re rewatching “Batman: The Animated Series” for the 100th time or have recently embarked on “Young Justice,” here are some DC heroes whose cartoons never made it to the small screen. These picks may surprise you, as some of these characters still have highly successful shows, while others have never had the chance to prove themselves in solo cartoon form. Either way, it’s a shame we never saw these cancelled animated adventures.
The New Teen Titans
Folks who grew up in the early 2000s are no doubt intimately familiar with “Teen Titans.” The animated series ran several seasons before expanding with a made-for-TV feature and a sitcom-style comedy reboot. But back in the early ’80s, Hanna-Barbera was in the process of adapting “The New Teen Titans” comic book series based on a pitch by writer Marv Wolfman. The lineup would have included Wonder Girl, Cyborg, Changeling (Beast Boy), Kid Flash, Starfire, and Raven.
“The Teen Titans series would have been produced by Hanna-Barbera for ABC but was aced out in favor of the continuing search for a Smurf-like success story,” explained Darrell McNeil in an issue of Comic Scene magazine . Due to his commitments to “Super Friends,” Robin was to be excluded from the roster, and Terra was not set to appear either. While the series was in development, that’s as far as this cartoon ever got
However, the team did make an animated appearance a few years later in an anti-drug commercial that coincided with several comic books penned by Wolfman to dissuade younger viewers from drug use. Robin was replaced here as well with an original character called “Protector,” and the rest is history. While “The New Teen Titans” never made it to the small screen as a cartoon series, both Robin and Cyborg joined the roster of “The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians,” the final incarnation of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon.
Batman
Considering the many great Batman animated shows out there, it’s hard to believe that the Dark Knight might ever have one of his cartoons cancelled while in development — but even DC’s greatest icon isn’t immune to such disappointment. After “The Batman” concluded and before “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” took its place, producer James Tucker was involved with trying to bring one of the character’s most daring storylines to life in animation: “No Man’s Land.”
The famed ’90s comic arc has been the subject not just of several comic series, but also novels and even live-action media. Tucker worked with concept artist Coran Kizer Stone for five months before Warner Bros. Animation pulled the plug, believing that the series would have been “too dark.” Stone echoed this sentiment, calling the series “dark as hell” when sharing concept art from the project on De
Based on concept art alone, the series would have featured Batman, Nightwing, Robin, Batgirl, and Catwoman, among other DC favorites. Instead, Warner Bros. pursued “Batman: The Brave and the Bold,” which boasted a lighter, more kid-friendly tone. Despite the rejection, Tucker attempted to pitch “No Man’s Land” one last time, now as a 3D animated series. Evidently, the studio liked the aesthetic, because while they still rejected the gritty Batman adaptation, the next Bat-series to hit Cartoon Network, “Beware the Batman,” was a CGI animated production.
Superman
Back when Cartoon Network aired the DC Nation programming block, episodes of “Young Justice,” “Beware the Batman,” and “Green Lantern: The Animated Series” were bookended by several “DC Nation Shorts.” These highlighted both popular and lesser-known DC characters, giving creators an outlet to tackle them on the small screen. Although best known for his work on cartoons like “Samurai Jack” and “Star Wars: Clone Wars,” Genndy Tartakovsky was once tasked with spear-heading several of these shorts featuring the Man of Steel.
“Once upon a time, I was asked to do some Superman short cartoons,” he once explained on Instagram. “And, well, as sometimes these things go, it went away.” It’s most likely that Tartakovsky’s Superman cartoons were axed due to the cancellation of DC Nation itself in 2014. After Cartoon Network shuttered the programming block, there was no longer an outlet for these shorts to air.
“Genndy Tartakovsky, [production designer] Justin Thompson, and I were very excited to do our take on an animated Superman,” noted artist Scott Wills on his Blogspot page, “but unfortunately it was pulled from us just as we were starting.” What exactly Tartakovsky’s Superman cartoons would entail is unknown, though considering his track record, it would have been a delight. As for the Man of Steel himself, he wouldn’t get another solo animated series again for another decade with “My Adventures with Superman,” one of the best Superman animated shows.
Wonder Woman, Plastic Man, and Metamorpho
Despite being one of DC Comics’ three flagship superheroes, the Amazonian warrior Wonder Woman has surprisngly only ever appeared in team-focused animated programs. Sure, she got her own animated movie in 2009, but “Wonder Woman: The Animated Series” has never been in the cards — though it was at one point. According to an issue of “Back Issue” magazine scanned by The Aquaman Shrine, Wonder Woman was one of several heroes that Filmation was hoping to turn into animated stars.
Back in the 1960s, DC had partnered with Filmation to produce “The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure,” which highlighted not just the title heroes but several other DC characters. It was basically a precursor to “Super Friends.” To further expand the roster, Wonder Woman, Metamorpho, and Plastic Man were all reportedly slated for their own solo animated adventures, but these projects fell through the moment Batman became available. “The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure” was quickly retitled “The Batman/Superman Hour,” as Filmation switched gears in the wake of the popular Adam West “Batman” series.
While Aquaman got his own series, Wonder Woman, Plastic Man, and Metamorpho were pushed to the curb. By 1973, Wonder Woman officially teamed up with Superman, Batman, and Aquaman for Hanna-Barbera’s “Super Friends,” becoming a staple of that program’s entire decade-long run. Six years later, Plastic Man got his own Ruby-Spears animated series, “The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Hour,” though Wonder Woman and Metamorpho have yet to break out on their own.
Captain Marvel/Shazam!
Despite popular reinterpretations, Captain Marvel’s superhero name isn’t traditionally “Shazam!” That’s the name of the wizard who Billy Batson invokes whenever transforming into Captain Marvel — a DC character whose look was inspired by a sitcom star. Of course, modern audiences might know that had there been a Captain Marvel animated series that stuck with viewers the same way “Batman: The Animated Series” or “Superman: The Animated Series” did. Once upon a time, it almost happened.
DC artist Alex Ross and “Batman” scribe Paul Dini once pitched a Captain Marvel series to Warner Bros. The style would have been a unique combination of the classic Bruce Timm look popularized on “Batman: The Animated Series” with a “Powerpuff Girls”-esque cartoonish flavor. Cartoon Network was reportedly interested in the idea (perhaps as another installment of the DCAU after “Superman”), but eventually the pitch — which also featured characters Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel, Jr. — fell through.
Despite this, Ross, who grew up with the CBS “Shazam!” series from the ’70s, partnered with Dini soon after for a comic book celebration of the character in “Shazam!: Power of Hope.” While not their initial vision, they at least were able to collaborate on the character. Eventually, the “Big Red Cheese” broke into the DCAU in the “Justice League Unlimited” episode “Clash,” though his time on the program was short-lived. To this day, Captain Marvel/Shazam has never had an animated series of his own.
