Dead Boy Detectives: New HBO Series Recasting The Three Leads: Exclusive

The Illuminerdi can exclusively reveal new details about the Dead Boy Detectives series coming to HBO Max, including the fact that they are recasting the three leads.

HBO Max is continuing to build out their impressive rolodex of DC content beyond Titans and Doom Patrol with Peacemaker, which debuts in January, The Batman spin-offs, and Dead Boy Detectives.

Doom Patrol introduced a version of the Dead Boy Detectives played by Ty Tennant (Edwin Paine), Sebastian Croft (Charles Rowland), and Crystal Palace (Madalyn Horcher) their third, living, compatriot. The trio helped Larry and Dorothy retrieve the rest of the Doom Patrol from the underworld before Dorothy joined the trio of supernatural detectives on their adventures.

Variety broke the news in September that a Dead Boy Detectives pilot had been ordered for HBO Max. This announcement came before the third season of Doom Patrol debuted on the streaming service and introduced the characters. Many fans assumed the new series would be connected to Doom Patrol after the characters debuted in the series. Dead Boy Detectives will follow the ghosts of two teenage boys who decide to open a supernatural detective agency on Earth instead of pass into the afterlife.

CHARACTER DETAILS ABOUT THE THREE LEADS BEING RECAST IN DEAD BOY DETECTIVES

According to our sources the new Dead Boy Detectives series will not see the return of the actors who played the characters in Doom Patrol, instead recasting the roles of Edwin Paine, Charles Rowland, and Crystal Palace. This also seems to be an indicator that this new series may not be a direct spin-off from Doom Patrol.

Dead Boy Detectives is looking to cast a white British man 18 or older, to play 16 years old to portray Edwin Paine. Edwin is described as British, crisp, stiff, conventional with a dry wit and sarcastic humor. Edwin has been dead since 1916 and has an air of affluence about him.

Although he comes off as closed off with a snobbish attitude, deep beneath the surface is a good heart. Edwin represses his feelings especially when it comes to his best friend Charles. Edwin was mistakenly stuck in Hell for 80 years due to an administrative oversight. Because of this Edwin has seen unimaginable horrors which gives him a nonchalance about violence and horror.

We have also learned that Dead Boy Detectives is interested in Joshua Colley to play Edwin Paine.

Dead Boy Detectives is looking to cast a British, POC actor 18 or older, to play 16 years old to portray Charles Rowland. Charles balances Edwin as the sporty upbeat, charming, and friendly in contrast to Edwin’s more fatalistic, sarcastic, “indoor cat.” Charles may seem cheerful on the surface, but it hides the cracks just beneath the surface which break though in outbursts of rage.

These cracks stem from the fact that Charles never grieved or dealt with the pain of his death choosing to instead push it down and smile. Charles is also struggling with his crush on close friend Crystal and the fact that they could never be together due to the fact that he’s a ghost.

It looks like Dead Boy Detectives is interested in Jayden Revri to play Charles Rowland.

Dead Boy Detectives is also looking to cast an American bi-racial woman 18 or older, to play 17 years old to portray Crystal Palace. Crystal is cool and snarky with a talent for computers. Crystal has quite a bit of pent up frustration and a temper to match. Crystal also happens to be a psychic medium. Crystal befriended Charles and Edwin after they saved her from possession by a demon named David a few years ago.

After the traumatic experience of being possessed by David, Crystal finds it difficult to trust with her only friends being Charles and Edwin. Crystal is determined to find David and retrieve the memories he stole from her. Recently Crystal has developed feelings for Charles which have confused her about the line between the living and the dead.

Dead Boy Detectives is interested in Chase Sui Wonders to play Crystal Palace.

The characters seem to share similarities with the versions that were introduced in Doom Patrol, so it will be interesting to see how these characters develop and grow throughout the new series. The Dead Boy Detectives debuted in The Sandman #25 in 1991 and were created by writer Neil Gaiman as well as artists Matt Wagner and Malcolm Jones III. The Dead Boy Detectives series, like Doom Patrol, is a chance to explore the weird and supernatural aspects of the DC universe which is sure to make this series an especially wild ride. The new HBO Max series is scheduled to begin filming in Vancouver later this year.

What do you think about Dead Boy Detectives recasting these three lead roles? What are your thoughts about the character descriptions? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or on our social media and check back with The Illuminerdi for more HBO Max, DC, and Dead Boy Detectives news.

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