Fans of the weirder side of DC rejoice! Doom Patrol season 2 is happening, and those who enjoy the show will have options when it comes to how they want to watch in the future. The announcement of the series renewal was made at San Diego Comic-Con during the DC Universe panel. While the show will remain a part of the DC streaming service, it was revealed, surprisingly, that the series will also be part of the recently announced WarnerMedia streaming service, HBO Max.
Executive producer Jeremy Carver and Crazy Jane actress Diane Guerrero were on hand at SDCC to deliver the news to fans that the DC Comics adaptation has been renewed for a second season, which was made possible via a deal with HBO Max. Season 2 will arrive in 2020, but no specific release date was provided at this time. The new episodes will debut simultaneously on DC Universe and HBO Max. Additionally, at the launch of HBO Max, all 15 episodes of Doom Patrol season one will be available as well.
This is fascinating and surprising for a few reasons. DC Universe is a niche service that caters to hardcore comic book/superhero fans. And at $7.99 per month (or $74.99 annually), it's going to have a tough time competing in a marketplace that will soon include Disney+, which will run just $6.99 per month. Not to mention Netflix, Amazon and other boutique services like Shudder and The Criterion Collection. Hence, WarnerMedia, DC's parent company, is making a larger streaming play with HBO Max, which will be wide-ranging. If they're testing the crossover waters with Doom Patrol season 2, one has to wonder, if that goes well, if they'll just fold all of DC Universe into HBO Max at some point in order to streamline things.
In other DC Universe news, Titans season 2 got a September 6 premiere date. The studio also showed off the first trailer for the animated Harley Quinn series and Young Justice: Outsiders got an official renewal. Sorry, Swamp Thing fans. There was no surprise renewal on that end, despite the fact that the show had earned a great deal of critical praise, and fans seemed to be responding to it. That aside, while the future of the DC Universe streaming service may seem a little bit uncertain, in some ways, it's clear the company has no intention of slowing down the programming slate they put together for it, even if those shows eventually have to find a new home.
Doom Patrol is executive produced by ArrowVerse architect and mega-producer Greg Berlanti. The series stars Matt Bomer as Negative Man, Brendan Fraser as Robotman, April Bowlby as Elasti-Woman, Diane Guerrero as Crazy Jane, Joivan Wade as Cyborg and Timothy Dalton as Dr. Niles Caulder, aka The Chief. To catch up on season 1 before season 2 arrives next year, head on over to DC Universe.