DC Pauses Development on Four Shows Following Supergirl Struggles

Peter Safran recently insisted that the studio remains confident in its long-term strategy.

Entertainment Weekly reports that DC Studios has paused active development on the television series “Waller” and “Paradise Lost”. The suspension does not mean cancellation, as both projects remain in the studio’s plans, but HBO has pushed them to the back burner.

Both series were announced in January 2023 as part of the first chapter of the new DC cinematic universe. They were introduced alongside “Creature Commandos”, the second season of “Peacemaker”, “Lanterns”, and “Booster Gold”. The latter is also undergoing a creative team shakeup but currently remains in development.

Viola Davis was set to reprise her role as Amanda Waller, and the story planned to involve other characters from “Peacemaker”. The script was being developed by Christal Henry and “Doom Patrol” creator Jeremy Carver.

“Paradise Lost” was intended to explore the Amazons of Themyscira prior to the events of “Wonder Woman”. James Gunn compared the series to “Game of Thrones” and promised political intrigue on the female-populated island. Initial reports regarding the project’s cancellation surfaced back in February, yet in April the co-head of DC Studios asserted that “Paradise Lost” was in a stage of “extremely active development”. Now, work on the series appears to have stalled after all.

It was previously reported that HBO Max rejected pitches for standalone series centered on Poison Ivy and Catwoman. Consequently, four female-led projects have either lost priority or failed to secure greenlights within a short span of time.

These developments look particularly interesting against the backdrop of the box office failure of “Supergirl”. DC Studios co-head Peter Safran recently acknowledged that the film fell short of financial expectations, but he assured that the studio has no intention of altering its chosen course:

Sources do not directly link these decisions to the box office performance of “Supergirl”. However, this sequence of events may point to heightened caution from Warner Bros. and HBO when evaluating female-led projects. The fate of the standalone “Wonder Woman” film, which is being scripted by “Supergirl” writer Ana Nogueira, remains an open question.