A few days ago, the hashtag “Sell Snyderverse to Netflix” was trending on Twitter. The main aim of the hashtag was to encourage Warner Bros. Discovery and the co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn, to collaborate with the mega streaming service, Netflix, to continue the storylines of the movies set in the fan-dubbed DC “Snyderverse.” James Gunn caught wind of it and poured cold water on the entire campaign by calling it the wackiest thing he had seen.
Furthermore, he tweeted that Netflix nor Zack Snyder had expressed any interest in continuing the storylines of those movies. However, he said that DC Studios had talked with the streaming service about other stuff. This part piqued everyone’s interest. So what projects could DC Studios be collaborating with Netflix on? Let us decode it.
What Are The DC Projects Currently On Netflix?
During the press meeting for the DCU slate release, James Gunn and Peter Safran said they could sell DC projects outside of their streaming service, HBO Max. So they will figure out if certain kinds of shows will be better suited somewhere else. Safran specifically said that they liked the idea of having DC shows on other streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon. The CEOs think that it will help broaden the audience for DC shows.
So with James Gunn confirming that they have already begun talks with Netflix, one has to wonder what DC projects could get added to the already sizable Netflix library. Thankfully, the DC Studios CEOs won’t have to start over from the scratch since there are shows that are already on Netflix. In fact, there are more than ten shows inspired by DC Comics on the streaming service.
For one, the entire set of shows that comprised DC’s “Arrowverse” franchise on the CW is there. This includes “Arrow,” “The Flash,” “Supergirl,” “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,” and “Black Lightning.” In fact, these shows became popular after being on Netflix. Other DC shows include “Gotham,” “iZombie,” “Lucifer,” “The Sandman,” and “Sweet Tooth.” Apart from live-action shows, there are also a couple of kids’ animated shows, namely, “DC Superhero Girls” and “Teen Titans Go!”
What Future Projects Can End Up On Netflix?
Netflix has about 231 million subscribers globally, while HBO Max has approximately 76.8 million. So licensing shows to Netflix will certainly help DC get more eyeballs on their shows. As for what shows can find themselves on the premiere streaming service, that could be anything. However, since shows like “Lucifer” and “Sandman” have done well at Netflix, the streaming giant could want to bring on board more supernatural DC shows.
After all, The Hollywood Reporter said that “Lucifer” notched up more than 18 billion viewing minutes, while as per Variety, “Sandman” has gathered more than 1.4 billion viewing minutes. So after looking at these numbers, Netflix might look to get the rights to the characters under DC’s Vertigo label, from where “Lucifer” and “Sandman” also originate. Under this comic label, there are characters like Orbiter, Sgt. Rock, and more. However, for now, it’s possible that Netflix might be looking to develop spin-offs of various characters in “Sandman.”
Fans especially want to see a spin-off of the character Johanna Constantine, who appeared in the show and was the subject of fan appreciation thanks to her quips and dry humor. Whether that ultimately happens or not is anyone’s guess, but that’s definitely a possibility. But the major question is: Will Netflix want a share of the major superheroes that DC Comics is mainly known for? Quite possibly. After all, even though each year multiple articles are written about superhero movie fatigue, those same films continue to rake in millions of dollars.
The MCU has received plenty of criticism for its Phase 4 slate of projects, yet people flock to watch their films in theaters and shows on Disney+. Disney even declared that a huge chunk of people subscribed to their Disney+ streaming service to watch Marvel projects. As such, Netflix will want to cash in on that. After all, even though Netflix tried to start its own superhero franchise with the “Jupiter’s Legacy” show, it failed. So they will be on the lookout to get projects of big-name DC characters.
But will James Gunn and Peter Safran allow Netflix to make projects based on their star characters like Superman and Batman? Probably not in the early years when they are building their film universe. After all, HBO Max and Netflix are rivals, and sending projects featuring their most famous characters to the latter will surely hamper the former’s ability to retain subscribers. Not to mention, fans of the DCU might find it difficult to follow the overarching storyline of the franchise if different projects land on different streaming services.
However, there’s a way out. James Gunn and Peter Safran have announced that they are developing the “Elseworlds” label of projects that will be separate from the mainline DCU films. Movies like “The Batman” and “The Joker” already fall under them. Also, the upcoming Black Superman film by Ta-Nehisi Coates will be made under it. So movies and shows under “Elseworlds” could be shopped around to various streaming services without fear of HBO Max losing subscribers. There’s even a rumor that a Batman animated show will get streamed on Netflix. However, which shows and films will ultimately find their home on Netflix will be fascinating to witness.