Batman v Superman, Constantine, and Other DC Movies Leaving HBO Max

The DC section of the HBO Max app has been in constant flux since the service launched earlier this year, and in December, it will get another shakeup, with a number of fan-favorite movies leaving the streamer or other platforms. As Stargirl enters the fold, and HBO Max gears up for a year in which DC Universe will stop running original programming altogether, shipping those shows to HBO Max for safekeeping, the WarnerMedia app will lose films like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and the 2005 cult hit Constantine, which starred Keanu Reeves in the role of John Constantine, self-proclaimed nasty piece of work.

The monthly release from WarnerMedia listed all the comings and goings that will happen on HBO Max next month. As of December 31, Batman v Superman, Constantine, Batman Forever, Batman and Robin, and Jonah Hex will no longer be among the streamer's offerings.

It makes sense: HBO Max has not been the sole focus of WB's business in the way that, say, Disney+ has for Disney. Many of Warner's biggest hits are still being licensed out to other streaming platforms to generate revenue to help HBO Max with its massive launch costs. DC is one of Warner's biggest brands, and especially Batman as an individual brand tends to generate more revenue than almost anything else WB has. A bunch of movies with his name in the title, then, likely had long-term revolving deals in place before HBO Max, which Warners would have had to buy out of in order to keep them exclusively.

Of course, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a kind of special circumstance, given that the film is the immediate prequel to Zack Snyder's Justice League, the biggest event that HBO Max has yet announced. The four-part series/movie, which will allow Man of Steel and Batman v Superman director Zack Snyder to complete his vision for the Justice League film that he nominally directed, but in fact let partway through due to a family crisis, is expected along sometime in 2021.

The last time some of Snyder's DC films were set to leave HBO Max, the audience got a reprieve, which seems less likel to happen this time. More likely is that HBO Max will strike some kind of deal (if necessary) closer to the release of Zack Snyder's Justice League, so taht when that project comes to fruition, fans can watch all three of Snyder's DC Films movies in one sitting.

You have until December 31 to watch the movies on HBO Max without any question of what's next, so get to it if you're into it.