DC Universe, the one-stop shop for DC Comics, and the movies and TV shows based on them, may have been launched by Warner Bros and DC Entertainment this year, but in 2019 it’s really going to start to expand and give subscribers their money’s worth.
DC Universe rolled out domestically back in September with the release of news program DC Daily, covering news related to DC Comics. The streaming service’s first major splash, though, came a month later with the release of Titans, a live-action take on the popular superhero group Teen Titans.
Despite some growing pains, Titans has been met with a generally positive response from both critics and fans, and now DC Universe is about to get a whole lot bigger. With multiple TV shows, both animated and live-action, announced for 2019 and beyond, there’s a lot for DC fans to look forward to and sign up for coming soon to DC Universe.
- This Page: Young Justice: Outsiders, Harley Quinn, and Doom Patrol Page 2: Star Girl, Swamp Thing, and Metropolis
Young Justice: Outsiders
An outlier among DC Universe’s original shows, in that this is a continuation of the Cartoon Network series - then simply titled Young Justice - which ran for 46 episodes from 2010-2013 before being canceled. The animated series has gained a cult following though, and is being brought back in a way not dissimilar to Disney Plus’ revival of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Young Justice centers on a group of young superheroes known as The Team, who serve as counterparts to the adult Justice League. Season 3 will focus on The Team battling against metahuman trafficking, which follows on from the events of Season 2. The Team will consist of Aqualad (Khary Payton), Oracle (Alyson Stoner), Blue Beetle (Eric Lopez), Kid Flash (Jason Marsden), and Wonder Girl (Mae Whitman). This year, however, will also feature the superhero team The Outsiders, made up of: Nightwing (Jesse McCartney), Superboy, Superman (both Nolan North), Tigress (Stephanie Lemelin), Halo (Zehra Fazal), and Geo-Force (Troy Baker).
Other DC characters set to feature include Black Canary (Vanessa Marshall), Lex Luthor (Mark Rolston), and Deathstroke (Fred Tatasciore). Young Justice: Outsiders will debut January 4, 2019.
Harley Quinn
DC have big plans for Harley Quinn on the movie side, including 2020’s Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn), but that’s not stopping them launching a new animated series for the character too. Set to be an adult animation, Harley Quinn will follow the character after she breaks up with the Joker. In her solo adventure she’ll be helped by Poison Ivy and others as she attempts to become a member of the Legion of Doom.
The Big Bang Theory’s Kaley Cuoco will provide the voice of Harley, with Alan Tudyk lending his vocal talents to the Joker. Lake Bell will voice Poison Ivy, Diedrich Bader is on as Batman, and the impressive voice cast includes J.B. Smoove, Jason Alexander, Giancarlo Esposito, Jim Rash, and Tony Hale in unknown roles. The series comes from writers Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, and Dean Lorey.
Harley Quinn will debut mid-October 2019.
Doom Patrol
Doom Patrol have already been introduced in the DC Universe, with Titans’ fourth episode named after the team and revealing three of its key players. That backdoor pilot leads to the full Doom Patrol series, which will center on the titular band of superpowered misfits, whose gifts cause them alienation and misery. Here, they’re given a mission by Cyborg (Joivan Wade) that they can’t refuse and is set to change their lives completely.
Doom Patrol will see April Bowlby, Brendan Fraser, and Matt Bomer all reprising their roles from Titans, as Elasti-Woman, Robotman, and Negative Man respectively. The team will be rounded out by Mr. Nobody (Alan Tudyk in another DC Universe series) and Crazy Jane (Diane Guerrero). Timothy Dalton, meanwhile, will play the leader of Doom Patrol: Niles Caulder, aka The Chief.
Jeremy Carver, best known for his work on The CW’s Supernatural, will serve as executive producer and showrunner. Doom Patrol is slated to be released in February 2019.
Page 2: Star Girl, Swamp Thing, and Metropolis
Stargirl
Based on the character created by Geoff Johns and Lee Moder, Stargirl will tell the story of Courtney Whitmore. Whitmore moves from L.A. to the Midwest, where she discovers the superhero gear of the Star-Spangled Kid among her stepfather’s possessions. Initially adopting his identity, she later becomes Stargirl after being given Starman’s cosmic staff.
Stargirl will focus on Whitmore as she becomes the titular superhero and attempts to reform the Justice Society of America and stop the villains from the past. Brec Bassinger will play Stargirl, with Joel McHale signed on to feature as Star-Spangled Kid, and Henry Thomas recently cast as Doctor Mid-Nite, one of the founding members of the JSA.
Stargirl is scheduled to release in August 2019.
Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing has come close to making the leap to live-action before - the character would have been part of Guillermo del Toro’s Justice League Dark - but now he’s going to headline his own DC Universe series.
Swamp Thing will see Abby Arcane (Crystal Reed), a CDC doctor, return to her home in Louisana to investigate a life-threatening swamp-borne virus. She strikes up a friendship with scientist Alec Holland, who then sadly dies - or at least, that’s what people think. Arcane discovers the true secrets of the swamp, and what that means for Holland, who is transformed into Swamp Thing and must fight to hold on to his humanity and protect his home.
Andy Bean will play Holland, while Derek Mears is set to portray Swamp Thing. The cast is rounded out by Maria Sten, Jeryl Prescott, Virginia Madsen, Will Patton, Henderson Wade, and Kevin Durand. Swamp Thing is set to debut May 2019.
Metropolis
DC Universe is taking the Gotham approach with Metropolis, focusing on the eponymous city before the arrival of its most famous inhabitant. There may not be a Superman when Metropolis launches, but there will be some familiar faces for DC fans, including Lex Luthor and Lois Lane. The show actually comes from Gotham producers John Stephens and Danny Cannon, although it’ll have a markedly different tone.
Whereas in Gotham the focus is on gangs and street-level crime, here the onus will be on showcasing a truly vibrant and brilliant City of Tomorrow. Lane and Luthor, meanwhile, will be investigating the world of fringe science and looking to expose Metropolis’ dark, twisted secrets.
Metropolis was one of the first shows confirmed for DC Universe, but production hit a snag when it was announced back in May that the series was being redeveloped. Despite having an initial 13-episode order, it’s unclear what’s happening with it at the moment. No casting or release information has yet been revealed.
