Warner Bros. Television and DC Entertainment are bringing their stable of superheroes to a whole new platform. It was announced today that executive producers Akiva Goldsman, Geoff Johns, Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter are teaming up for the all-new, live-action drama series Titans, which will debut in 2018, while Warner Bros. Animation’s Young Justice: Outsiders, the highly anticipated third season of the popular Young Justice series, is also ramping up for its first mission next year.
Both fan-driven series are in early stages of production and will air exclusively on a DC-branded, direct-to-consumer digital service in 2018. As the press release notes, the new digital service, operated by Warner Bros. Digital Networks Group, "will deliver an immersive experience designed just for DC fans." And as exciting as the news of a live-action Titans series and the return of Young Justice is, it's curious that they're both appearing on a standalone, nontraditional platform.
It's a smart move, if a slightly risky one. TNT passed on the Titans series early last year. The CW, which is currently a showcase for DC TV, alongside Fox's Gotham and NBC's almost certainly canceled new series Powerless, is pretty much crammed to the gills, schedule-wise. There's just not a lot of wiggle room for new shows at the moment, not when the current lineup is chugging along just fine. The press release also notes that Titans and Young Justice: Outsiders will air exclusively on their new, proprietary digital service, opting to eschew both traditional TV networks and popular streaming platforms like Netflix, which currently boasts the two seasons of Young Justice along with other popular animated DC Comics shows and The CW's live-action fare. Is WB/DC hoping to offer up a one-stop shop for their properties on their own, in-house platform?
It sure seems that way. And in 2018, Titans and Young Justice: Outsiders will offer a great test case to see if that model is a viable one. Rather than paying massive fees to subscribe to a general provider offering tons of options viewers don't necessarily want, they can choose instead to pay smaller amounts multiple times to providers that offer specific, niche content. We'll certainly be keeping an eye on the development of both of these shows as 2018 nears, but in the meantime, here's what we know so far:
'Young Justice: Outsiders'
In Young Justice: Outsiders, the teenage Super Heroes of the DC Universe come of age in an animated world of super-powers, Super-Villains and super secrets. In the highly anticipated new season, the team faces its greatest challenge yet as it takes on meta-human trafficking and the terrifying threat it creates for a society caught in the crossfire of a genetic arms race spanning the globe and the galaxy. Equally praised by critics and viewers for its impressive visuals and rich storytelling, Young Justice reached more than 25 million unique viewers in each of its two seasons on Cartoon Network. This passionate fan support set the stage for the new third season.
Sam Register (“Teen Titans Go!,” “Justice League Action”) is executive producer of Young Justice. Brandon Vietti (“Batman: Under the Red Hood,” “Superman Doomsday”) and Greg Weisman (“Star Wars Rebels,” “Gargoyles”) are producers of the series, produced by Warner Bros. Animation. Emmy Award-winner Phil Bourassa (“Young Justice,” “Justice League Dark,” “Teen Titans: The Judas Contract”) serves as the series’ art director.
'Titans'
Titans follows a group of young soon-to-be Super Heroes recruited from every corner of the DC Universe. In this action-packed series, Dick Grayson emerges from the shadows to become the leader of a fearless band of new heroes, including Starfire, Raven and many others. Titans is a dramatic, live-action adventure series that will explore and celebrate one of the most popular comic book teams ever.
Titans will be written by Akiva Goldsman (“Star Trek: Discovery,” “Underground”), Geoff Johns (President & Chief Creative Officer, DC Entertainment; “The Flash,” “Arrow”) and Greg Berlanti (“Arrow,” “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,” “The Flash,” “Supergirl”). Goldsman, Johns, Berlanti and Sarah Schechter (“Arrow,” “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,” “The Flash,” “Supergirl”) are executive producers of the series from Weed Road Pictures and Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.
