WarnerMedia today made official what everyone already knew was coming: DC Universe will no longer host original scripted content, with all of its currently running shows moving over to HBO Max. Over the past few months, DCU shows have been steadily moving over to WarnerMedia’s streaming platform as the company looks to streamline its streaming options and reduce confusion for customers. Additionally, this announcement came coupled with the news that the absolutely fantastic Harley Quinn cartoon has been renewed for a third season.
HBO Max will now be the only place to find Young Justice seasons 1-4, Titans seasons 1-3, and Doom Patrol seasons 1-3. It will also play home to the first season of Stargirl, which will have its second season now air exclusively on CW, most likely landing on HBO Max sometime after. This doesn’t quite bring all of WarnerMedia’s DC properties home, as most of the Arrowverse shows are tied up in contracts with Netflix and CW that the company is waiting to see end.
What does this mean for the DCU? The platform will remain as DC’s digital comics subscription service, rebranding to DC Universe Infinite on Jan. 21 domestically and moving globally during the summer of 2021. It will provide much of the same access that DCU already does, with 24,000 comic books at launch, “including digital-first comics, exclusive access to DC fan events, and recently released comics six months after the physical versions hit store shelves.”
Here’s the stinger: The prices aren’t changing. DC Universe Infinite will still cost $7.99 a month or $74.99 a year. WarnerMedia is tossing current subscribers and those that preorder the new platform a bone, however. Annual subscribers will receive a special voucher redeemable at the DC Shop for $25, while monthly subscribers will receive $10.
Harley Quinn, along with the other DCU shows, are a major boon for HBO Max as they have received strong reviews, have a built-in fanbase, and are well-received in the fan community. It also allows DC to put these franchises a bit more front and center instead of housing them on an also-ran platform. Whether or not fans will jump over to HBO Max to continue to stream the shows remains to be seen, especially since they’ll now have to pay for two subscriptions if they want to keep up the digital comics portion of DCU.
