HBO Max Still Figuring Out the Plan for DC Universe Shows

With the upcoming launch of WarnerMedia's HBO Max streaming service there have been a lot of questions generally in terms of programming and that includes decisions about DC Universe's slate of original programing. Soon after details about HBO Max were revealed, rumors began to circulate that DC Universe would shut down, leaving questions about the status of the service's original series. While some of those rumors were shut down when it was announced that Doom Patrol's second season would debut simultaneously on both DC Universe and HBO Max, fans have wondered about the rest of the DC Universe shows. As it would turn out, that hasn't been fully decided just yet.

At the HBO Max presentation at the Television Critics' Association press tour this week (via The Hollywood Reporter), HBO Max content chief Kevin Reilly explained that they're still working out how to handle the situation, but that he'd ideally like to see the two services in tandem, much as is the plan for Doom Patrol.

"We're working out what those mechanics are," Reilly said. "We have to figure out those two subscriptions, and we haven't worked out the mechanics of what that's going to look like."

At San Diego Comic-Con last summer, it was announced that Doom Patrol would return for a second season sometime in 2020 and that new episodes would launch at the same time on both DC Universe and HBO Max with all 15 episodes of Doom Patrol's first season available on HBO Max at launch. Since then, Titans has been renewed for a third season and the animated Harley Quinn has also debuted.

One series that does seem to be fairly settled is Stargirl. That series is set to debut on DC Universe this spring and it was announced in November that that series would have a situation similar to the Doom Patrol/HBO Max arrangement, with Stargirl debuting first on DC Universe and then be broadcast the following day on The CW.

It's also not just the DC Universe shows that remain a bit of a question mark when it comes to HBO Max. It was recently announced that Audience Network was shutting down as a home for original content, leaving series like Mr. Mercedes and Loudermilk in limbo. Reilly noted that they were still trying to sort that situation out as well.

"That's being sorted out right now," Reilly said. "They had some good shows there. We'll see what happens once they get through that process."

HBO Max will debut in May.