The first look at the DC Universe digital subscription service, featuring original shows like “Swamp Thing” and “Doom Patrol,” is here. Beta access will open in August, and the service will go live this fall.
The service will feature new live-action and animated original series, as well as classic DC series and movies and digital comic books. There will also be a component that allows users to create profiles and connect in forums.
The heart of DC Universe will be its original content, including the previously announced “Swamp Thing” and “Doom Patrol,” both developed by Warner Bros. Television and set for release next year. Animated series “Harley Quinn” and Season 3 of “Young Justice” will also arrive in 2019, and “Titans” will premiere later this year.
“DC Universe is so much more than a streaming service. It’s a welcoming place for everyone to immerse themselves in their own level of DC fandom, with the epic characters, stories, and experiences they have come to expect from DC,” said DC Entertainment chief creative officer and publisher Jim Lee. “We are investing in and creating original, high-quality shows including the new “Titans” series, and curating the most beloved nostalgic content, while at the same time elevating the comic reading experience to new heights. Nothing this robust has ever been offered to fans before.”
Some of that nostalgic content will include the four original “Superman” movies, the first two seasons of “Batman: The Animated Series,” the original “Wonder Woman” series, and a selection of animated movies including “Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox,” “Green Lantern: First Flight,” and “Wonder Woman.”
“Developing new ways for consumers to access some of our most popular and iconic brands and franchises as well as exclusive, new content whenever they want, on the devices they choose, is one of our studio’s top priorities,” said said president of Warner Bros. digital networks Craig Hunegs. The service will be available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, web and mobile web.
“The DC Universe platform gives fans a place to tailor their experience and build a direct relationship with DC in a way they never could before,” Hunegs added.
DC Universe will also feature a library of digital comic books on a rotating selection. Titles that fans can expect to see include the first 1938 “Action Comics” book that introduced Superman to the world as well as “Detective Comics” #27 which first introduced Batman in 1939. Geoff Johns and Jim Lee’s iconic “Justice League” (2011), Scott Snyder’s “Swamp Thing” (2011) and Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner’s “Harley Quinn” (2013) will also be available.
“We wanted the DC Universe comic reader to be a blend of art and technology that would further enhance fans’ experience of the live-action and animated programming on DC Universe,” said DC Entertainment publisher Dan DiDio. “This hand-curated selection from our decades of comic creations gives fans a thematic digital longbox to carry with them on the device of their choosing or lets them watch exclusive video content on a big screen followed by the comic that inspired it.”
DC Universe is operated by Warner Bros. Digital Networks in collaboration with DC Entertainment and Warner Bros Digital Labs. Sam Ades, general manager and senior vice president, Warner Bros. Digital Network, will oversee operation of DC Universe.
You can now register for beta access at DCUNIVERSE.com, which will open in August.
For the official descriptions of the original series mentioned above, see below, and watch the first-look video above.
Titans follows young heroes from across the DC Universe as they come of age and find belonging in a gritty take on the classic Teen Titans franchise. Dick Grayson and Rachel Roth, a special young girl possessed by a strange darkness, get embroiled in a conspiracy that could bring Hell on Earth. Joining them along the way are the hot-headed Starfire and loveable Beast Boy. Together they become a surrogate family and team of heroes.
Doom Patrol is a reimagining of one of DC’s strangest group of outcasts: Robotman, Negative Man, Elasti-Woman and Crazy Jane. Led by the mysterious Dr. Niles Caulder they’re called into action by the ultimate hero for the digital age, Cyborg. Banding together these rejects find themselves on a mission that will take them to the weirdest and most unexpected corners of the DC universe.
Swamp Thing follows Abby Arcane as she investigates what seems to be a deadly swamp-born virus in a small town in Louisiana but soon discovers that the swamp holds mystical and terrifying secrets. When unexplainable and chilling horrors emerge from the murky marsh, no one is safe.
Young Justice: Outsiders features the return of the fan favorite animated series with a huge cast of DC’s most iconic young superheroes – plus brand-new characters, many of whom are just discovering their unique meta-powers and special abilities. Set against the backdrop of a rich, deep world that touches all corners of the DC universe, the season focuses on meta-trafficking, and an intergalactic arms race for control of these super-powered youths.
Harley Quinn follows Harley’s adventures after she breaks up with the Joker and strikes out on her own in this new adult animated comedy. With the help of Poison Ivy and a ragtag crew of DC castoffs, Harley tries to earn a seat at the biggest table in villainy: the Legion of the Doom.