‘Doom Patrol’ Series Coming to DC Universe Streaming Service

DC Universe, the streaming service from DC Entertainment, has ordered a 13-episode season of Doom Patrol, a new series spinning out of the network’s Titans.

Even in a crowded field of pickups and cancellations, Doom Patrol is likely to get noticed: not only is it a spinoff from a series that has not yet premiered, but it is yet another series from Greg Berlanti, the super-producer whose shingle currently has more shows on TV than anyone in history.

According to Warner Bros Television, the Doom Patrol series “is a re-imagining of one of DC’s most beloved group of outcast Super Heroes: Robotman, Negative Man, Elasti-Girl and Crazy Jane, led by modern-day mad scientist Dr. Niles Caulder (The Chief). The Doom Patrol‘s members each suffered horrible accidents that gave them superhuman abilities — but also left them scarred and disfigured. Traumatized and downtrodden, the team found purpose through The Chief, who brought them together to investigate the weirdest phenomena in existence — and to protect Earth from what they find. Part support group, part Super Hero team, the Doom Patrol is a band of super-powered freaks who fight for a world that wants nothing to do with them. Picking up after the events of Titans, Doom Patrol will find these reluctant heroes in a place they never expected to be, called to action by none other than Cyborg, who comes to them with a mission hard to refuse, but with a warning that is hard to ignore: their lives will never, ever be the same.”

Casting has not yet been officially announced, although it is likely safe to assume that the same actors who will play Doom Patrol on Titans will carry over. That would be Bruno Bichir as The Chief, Jake Michaels as Robotman, and April Bowlby as Elasti-Girl.

The one-hour drama comes from executive producers Greg Berlanti, Geoff Johns, Jeremy Carver, and Sarah Schechter . The pilot was written by Carver.

The original Doom Patrol was created by Arnold Drake, Bob Haney, and Bruno Premiani in 1963. “The World’s Strangest Heroes” originally consisted of The Chief, Robotman, Elasti-Girl, and Negative Man. Given their lack of cultural acceptance within the DC Universe, the strange-looking characters, and a mentor in a wheelchair, the team has often been compared to Marvel’s more successful X-Men franchise.

Doom Patrol has had its biggest commercial success in the comics when it was being treated as a strange, experimental playground for visionary creators. Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol was so crazy, trippy, and bold that reprints eventually moved from DC proper to the company’s Vertigo imprint. That run remains beloved decades later, with a recent run of reprints.

A couple of years ago, the title was relaunched as the flagship for DC’s Young Animal imprint; written by My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way, the title has received critical acclaim and enough commercial success to justify a major crossover with Justice League of America — “Milk Wars,” by Way and Justice League of America writer Steve Orlando alongside a murderer’s row of top art talent.

Titans will launch on the DC streaming service later this year, along with the animated series Young Justice: Outsiders, Swamp Thing, and more.