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‘Doom Patrol’ & ‘Titans’ canceled at HBO Max after 4 seasons - but James Gunn promises it's not his fault
New DC Studios co-chief James Gunn says the fateful decision ‘precedes’ his recent hiring.
The DC TV slate is getting thinner by the day. Both Doom Patrol and Titans have been canceled at HBO Max, with each DC-based series set to end for good when their current seasons are done.
Reported at the same time, news of each cancelation on Wednesday elicited a rapid followup tweet from James Gunn, the recently-hired co-CEO (alongside Peter Safran) of the rebranded DC Studios. Gunn clarified that the move to end both Doom Patrol and Titans was decided before he was elevated to the studio’s top position, while Deadline reported that each show is building toward planned ending episodes aimed at delivering series finales that won't close things out with any cliffhangers.
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“The decision to end the series precedes us,” Gunn shared on Twitter. “But I certainly wish the best for the talented group of creators, actors, and the rest of the crew that produced both shows.”
Both Titans and Doom Patrol originally debuted on the DC Universe platform before moving over to HBO Max after the streamer’s 2020 launch, with each show a combined creative effort between Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television. While the cancelations come just as Greg Berlanti-developed DC shows The Flash and Stargirl wind down at The CW, it’s by no means a signal that Berlanti’s partnership with Warner Bros. Television Group is done: The Arrowverse auteur, in fact, inked a giant overall TV production deal with Warner Bros. earlier this month (via Deadline); one that’ll keep him in the fold through 2027.
“While these will be the final seasons of Titans and Doom Patrol, we are very proud of these series and excited for fans to see their climactic endings,” an HBO Max spokesperson shared with Deadline, thanking key members of each show’s creative team. “...For four seasons, fans have fallen in love with the Titans and Doom Patrol, investing in their trials and tribulations, and in their legendary battles saving the world time and time again.”
Titans and Doom Patrol are each currently set to resume their fourth (and now final) seasons at the midway point, with each yet to air six more episodes that so far haven’t been given premiere dates. Critics and fans alike have given both series enduring warm receptions: Titans holds overall reviewer and audience ratings of 86 and 71 percent, respectively, at Rotten Tomatoes; while Doom Patrol averages even higher at 98 and 77 percent.
DC’s small-screen lineup is definitely going through a time of transformation, but the recent cancelations don’t seem to point to a future where live-action DC content is lacking. In some form or another, a Green Lantern series reportedly remains in development, while the Gunn-developed Peacemaker appears to still be on track for a second season. Farther ahead, there’s also Colin Farrell’s spinoff series from The Batman focusing on his Penguin character, while additional series announcement are likely still to come as new leaders Gunn and Safran strategize DC Studios’ shifting creative direction.
Looking for more TV action? Check out hits like Treadstone, Heroes and more streaming on Peacock.
