Justice League Dark is about to make magic happen in your home.
The Justice League Dark is a division of the Justice League who handle the paranormal and supernatural threats that the normal Justice League can’t. The members most synonymous with the team are Zatanna, Swamp Thing, Constantine, and Deadman – although the team has had many members since its inception in 2011.
The first volume was part of The New 52 reboot of DC Comics, and it proved to be a breakout hit. The series ran for 40 issues and caught the eye of beloved director Guillermo Del Toro. He began developing a film adaptation in 2012, although that project was ultimately abandoned by Warner Brothers.
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Even on the small screen, live action plans for the Justice League Dark seemed doomed to fail. The short-lived Constantine series, led by Matt Ryan, was going to eventually feature the team – but the series was unfortunately cancelled before that could happen. Additionally, the Swamp Thing TV series on streaming service DC Universe had plans for a 3-season arc that would have led to the Justice League Dark team and potentially a spinoff series. But Swamp Thing was tragically cancelled after airing only a single episode.
A Fresh Start For Justice League Dark
Despite its troubles with live action adaptations in the past, Justice League Dark wasn’t finished. In January, Deadline reported that Warner Brothers was developing Justice League Dark films and TV shows – although it wasn’t yet clear it was for their upcoming streaming service, HBO Max. Then earlier this April, The Hollywood Reporter announced that J.J. Abrams has three shows heading straight to series on HBO Max, one of which is based on Justice League Dark.
It’s interesting to note that, unlike Overlook and Duster (the other two shows that Abrams is executive producing), this DC series is the only one without an official title. This DC series is also uniquely described as a “major” show, signifying the importance of this series to WarnerMedia. If the Deadline reports about the franchise seeing both film and TV adaptations prove to be true, then this series will be the beginning of something genuinely groundbreaking for DC fans.
Very little information about the series is available at this time, though that hasn’t stopped fan speculation. We don’t know which characters will be a part of the team or where this series will take place in the multiverse. Will it be a part of the interconnected Arrowverse or will it exist on its own like Krypton and Gotham? Will it join together with Strange Adventures and Green Lantern in a new universe that only features the adventures of the HBO Max DC characters?
Only time will reveal the answers to those mysteries. Regardless of the specifics, this announcement is an extremely exciting development for fans of DC’s supernatural stories.
Which members of the team should this show utilize? Should Matt Ryan’s Constantine leave Legends of Tomorrow for a new adventure with Justice League Dark? Are you excited for HBO Max’s upcoming DC content? Let us know in the comments below or on our social media.
