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This weekend, the new DC Studios TV series Lanterns finally premieres, hoping to give the DC Universe franchise the rebound it needs after Supergirl bombed at the box office earlier this summer. To date, James Gunn and Peter Safran have been taking full advantage of the TV medium as they build out their shared universe. Lanterns is already the DCU’s third TV project to debut, arriving after Peacemaker Season 2 and Creature Commandos. Like Marvel and Star Wars before it, the expectation was that the DCU would continue to lean on TV shows to flesh out corners of the DCU, but there’s some bad news on that front.
According to The Ankler, both Waller and Paradise Lost, two projects that were announced during the initial “Gods and Monsters” slate reveal that took place in early 2023, have been cancelled. Those shows are no longer in development; however, the Booster Gold series remains in the works and is on the hunt for a new creative team.
What Waller and ParadiseLost Cancellations Mean for the DCU
This development will surely come as a disappointment to DC fans, especially after Gunn spent time spotlighting both Waller and Paradise Lost in the aforementioned “Gods and Monsters” video. Both series had potential to be something special in the realm of comic book adaptations; the former would have given Oscar winner Viola Davis an opportunity to headline a project as Amanda Waller, after the actress made a memorable impression portraying the role in the two Suicide Squad films. Paradise Lost was billed as a political thriller set in Wonder Woman’s homeworld of Themyscira. If executed properly, it could have been DC’s riff on Game of Thrones, immersing audiences in a grand fantasy world. It’s a shame that neither will ultimately see the light of day.
It’ll be interesting to see if additional details behind these cancellations come out at a later time. Right now, the most logical explanation for DC pulling the plug is that the scripts never rounded into shape. Since becoming co-head of DC Studios, James Gunn has maintained that no film or TV series will start production until the scripts are complete and he’s happy with the way things stand. Earlier this year, Paradise Lost seemed to be taking important steps forward, with Gunn saying the show was in “extreme development” and writers being listed on the Writers Guild of America website. Evidently, over the past couple of months, Paradise Lost hit a snag that proved too great to overcome.
As frustrating as it is to learn that Paradise Lost is dead, an argument can be made that it’s actually good news for Wonder Woman. The fact that DC Studios is no longer moving forward on Paradise Lost would indicate that they’re instead going to focus more on the new Wonder Woman movie that’s currently in development, using that as the gateway to introduce viewers to the DCU’s version of Themyscira. That strategy would make a great deal of sense; as part of DC’s famed Trinity, Wonder Woman will undoubtedly be a key figure in the DCU moving forward. Familiarizing viewers with the new Themyscira through her eyes before going off and doing a spinoff TV series is smart. Ideally, audiences will gain an appreciation and fondness for Themyscira in the Wonder Woman movie, sparking interest in learning more about the land in other DCU projects. There’s no telling if Wonder Woman is being fast-tracked, but it would appear the movie is taking priority over a TV series.
The DCU still has new TV projects on the way, including the Jimmy Olsen/Gorilla Grodd show that’s rounding out its cast. However, we’ve seen other major franchises like Marvel and Star Wars intentionally scale back output on streaming services, a sign of how much that particular landscape has changed since the beginning of the decade. With the peak streaming era arguably over, studios don’t see much value in continuing to pour money and resources into new streaming shows (see: Disney cancelling Marvel’s Wonder Man). Perhaps DC and Warner Bros. are following a similar playbook, being selective about the TV shows they green light.
Every DCU Film & TV Show That’s Already Been Canceled
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