James Gunn’s DC Universe faces another round of cancellations
The planned DC Universe television slate has been reduced again, with Waller and Paradise Lost reportedly no longer moving forward. The update follows last month’s news that Booster Gold writer David Jenkins had departed, although that project may still be seeking a new creative team.
The cancellations were reported by The Ankler. They add to the uncertainty around a television line-up announced by DC Studios leaders James Gunn and Peter Safran in 2023.
What happened to Waller and Paradise Lost?
Waller was intended as a spin-off from The Suicide Squad, with Viola Davis expected to return as Amanda Waller. Davis has played the character across projects from both the previous DC film universe and Gunn and Safran’s newer continuity. Her most recent appearance was in Creature Commandos, the animated series that launched the new universe.
Paradise Lost was designed as a drama set on Themyscira, the island home of Wonder Woman. DC Studios described the proposed series as a story about the island’s origins and its political intrigue among an all-women society.
With these two projects removed, three of the five DCU television series announced in 2023 have now been cancelled. The status of Booster Gold is less definite: Jenkins is no longer attached, but reports indicate that DC Studios is looking for another creative team rather than abandoning the series outright.
A difficult start for the new DCU
The changes arrive as the DCU attempts to establish itself with audiences. Superman was positively received, but earned slightly more than $600 million at the box office. That total was less than half the amount Spider-Man: Brand New Day had made in a matter of weeks.
Supergirl performed less strongly with critics and audiences, finishing with a reported $126 million box office gross. Both Superman and Supergirl are scheduled to appear next in Man of Tomorrow in 2027, a film that will also introduce Brainiac.
More DC projects remain in development
The next DCU film due in cinemas is Clayface, described as a deliberately gruesome project. A sequel to Superman is also in development, alongside a Batman film connected to the DCU.
That Batman project should not be confused with the separate film from Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson. Reeves and Pattinson’s version exists outside the DCU, leaving DC with two distinct Batman plans in progress.
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What the cancellations mean
The loss of Waller and Paradise Lost does not eliminate the DCU’s remaining film and television plans, but it does show how heavily the original 2023 slate has been revised. Lanterns remains part of the line-up and is due to premiere on Sunday, while the future of Booster Gold depends on whether a replacement creative team can be assembled.
That narrower slate may give DC Studios more room to concentrate on its active projects. For Australian collectors looking to build a compact superhero-themed games room, RETROCADE also offers compact bartop arcades, virtual pinball machines and arcade light guns.
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