The Booster Gold TV series is dead — so which shows and movies are actually still in development at DC?

[#item_full_content] [[{“value”:”After the strong critical and solid box office success of Superman last year, expectations were high for James Gunn’s new-look DC universe. A lot has changed since then. Supergirl became a box office flop a few months ago, with a mixed reception from critics and fans (FWIW: I enjoyed it, and think it can still find some love on streaming).
Up next is the HBO Max series Lanterns, which looks strong and will hopefully get the hype train and momentum back on track. But to be clear, a hit streaming show isn’t a blockbuster movie. Sure, it’d be a feather in the cap — but a billion dollar hit in theaters would be a better one. There’s also the Clayface horror movie coming this fall, though it feels like more of a mid-budget play, which is a cool puzzle piece to add to the strategy (but works best when it’s counter-programming to box office hits).
Beyond that? The only DCU project on the calendar for 2027 at this point is Superman: Man of Tomorrow, which puts pretty much all the expectations on that one to be a bona fide hit. Adding Xolo Maridueña’s Blue Beetle to the ensemble is a great start, and we can probably expect to see more Green Lanterns, Supergirl and other DC heroes back in the mix.
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But all eyes will be on Man of Tomorrow to prove the new-look DC universe can produce hits. The Dark Knight won’t even be able to help, since Matt Reeves’ The Batman: Part II has been delayed (again, again, again) into 2028.
Which brings us to questions about the rest of the DCU slate — namely all the projects that were said to be in various stages of development, but have failed to actually move forward. Now, we can add another casualty to the list, and it’s one I was actually excited to see brought to life: Booster Gold.
Booster Gold had the potential to be a really fun, action-packed adventure series. The concept is basically: a snarky time traveller from the future comes back to the past (our present) to become a superhero with his future tech. It’s a great arc for a hero’s journey, with plenty of potential for humor along the way. A perfect complement to the Superman vibe.
Booster Gold series dead at HBO Max – so what’s left?
But alas. It was confirmed this week that the long-gestating Booster Gold TV project at HBO Max won’t be moving forward, leaving the active development slate (at least for what’s been publicly announced as in the works) pretty bare at this point.
Half of the film slate has already been delayed or axed, with The Authority, Swamp Thing and The Brave and the Bold (I believe the Batman one will happen eventually, but the delays for The Batman: Part II are pushing it way too far down the calendar) all stalled or cancelled. On the TV side, aside from the ret-conned Peacemaker: Season 2, only the animated Creature Commandos and Lanterns have actually made it through to the end — with Waller, Paradise Lost and now Booster Gold all stuck or axed.
Now to be clear, things happen behind the scenes and projects shuffle on and off a calendar. Clayface wasn’t even on the slate at the start, and is now one of the earlier projects to get a theatrical release. But looking ahead on the calendar, in general, things look pretty bare.
That said, I’m sure there are more projects (and some of the ones mentioned above!) in various stages of development and redevelopment deep in the skunk works at Warner Bros. HQ. A Jimmy Olsen spinoff from Superman is reportedly moving forward, and there are reports a Mister Terrific TV show is also in the works (would love to see that one!). But as far as announced projects? After Lanterns and Clayface this year, Man of Tomorrow is it for 2027 and beyond.
There are reports of at least a half-dozen projects rumored or in development, from a Teen Titans movie to a Bane/Deathstroke team-up and a Mister Miracle series. But who knows if those are just script pitches or what at this point.
Looking bigger picture, one has to wonder if the looming, stumbling corporate merger between Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. could be a factor in slowing green-lights for more projects, since no one can really predict what might happen when/if Paramount takes control of the studio. There have been reports that they’d likely keep riding with Gunn’s DCU since it’s still getting off the ground (and abandoning it would make for like the third reboot in less than a decade).
But have a couple of more Supergirl-style flops? Perspectives can change, real fast.
SDCC came and went a couple of weeks ago without any huge announcements for the next phase of DC’s slate. That doesn’t mean Gunn isn’t locked and loaded with a new look-ahead calendar to get us all excited next year, or next week. But for now, it’s a mystery box.
We’re left to wonder exactly what comes after Man of Tomorrow — and it begs the question — are they waiting to make sure the Superman sequel is a hit before pulling the trigger on doing a whole lot more in this version of the DC Universe? Only time will tell.
And sadly, they just cancelled the time traveling hero who could’ve told us.
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