Is DC making a comeback on tv and in the movies?

[inisideguy]

I was just thinking about this after finishing watching Pennyworth season one today. Really good show. They seem to have found their footing with popular shows like Peacemaker and Pennyworth Watchmen and others. The new Batman movie is coming out and Black Adam ect. It appears they have some wind at their backs. I don't know if any of this is connected or if it matters but they do seem to be on a a hot streak here. Maybe not Marvel level as far as popularity but I think they are getting peoples attention and not in a negative way.

[choptop]

What do you mean come back? Thay have been on a roll ever since Aquaman and they have always done good in the tv department.

[Beaubier]

A comeback? Huh? DC has had excellent shows for a good while now.

-Doom Patrol
-Stargirl
-Harley Quinn animated series
-Young Justice

Those shows along with Peacemaker have been the cream of the crop and aren’t exactly new.

[HollowSage]

Is Pennyworth a popular show? I’ve heard buzz about everything you mentioned except that one. Just wondering.

[Powerboy]

A comeback? Huh? DC has had excellent shows for a good while now.

-Doom Patrol
-Stargirl
-Harley Quinn animated series
-Young Justice

Those shows along with Peacemaker have been the cream of the crop and aren’t exactly new.

Yes and they really just had a shaky start with the DCEU because it wasn't what a lot of fans wanted. But the movies have gotten solid since then and even the early ones made plenty of money. It's only against the yardstick of the MCU that they were lacking. The MCU had a great lead-off while the DCEU just had a weaker start. First impressions are the most lasting and all. But they've had WW and a billion dollar making Aquaman, and so on. While their shows have always been good.

[inisideguy]

Is Pennyworth a popular show? I’ve heard buzz about everything you mentioned except that one. Just wondering.

Well I don't know how popular it is but a third season is coming, and I really loved the first season I watched. So it getting a third season must mean its doing decent.

[Vakanai]

I wish their animated movies were still as good as they once were. I know I'm alone in thinking this here, but I really feel that they fucking butchered The Long Halloween.

[Immortal Weapon]

A comeback? Huh? DC has had excellent shows for a good while now.

-Doom Patrol
-Stargirl
-Harley Quinn animated series
-Young Justice

Those shows along with Peacemaker have been the cream of the crop and aren’t exactly new.

When it comes to DC on TV most people will think of the Arrowverse which has been absolute horse ****

[Vakanai]

When it comes to DC on TV most people will think of the Arrowverse which has been absolute horse ****

Do most people even watch the CW or know it's even a thing?

[AnakinFlair]

When it comes to DC on TV most people will think of the Arrowverse which has been absolute horse ****

Okay, shots fired. Not big shots; more like BBs.

I will admit that the Arrowverse has it's problems. But you can't deny that it started strong. The first few seasons of Arrow and Flash were both good to excellent. Legends had a weak first season, got good in season 2, and then... well, depending on how your tastes run, it either got REALLY good or turned to complete ****.

Supergirl had a superb season 1 on CBS, and I'd argue it had two to three good seasons on the CW before the writers stopped caring and it went off a cliff.

So you had those original four shows that all did pretty good. Then you had shows like Black Lightning, that while I never watched, I did hear some good things about. Then there was Batwoman, a show that was a complete dumpster fire from season 1.

And now you have Superman and Lois, which by all accounts is very popular and well done; as is Stargirl. I don't watch Naomi, but I hear good things about it.

The problem they have, since Crisis and since Covid, is that they set things up so that all of the shows (save Stargirl, and Naomi wasn't around yet and I know it's set on its own Earth) were on the same Earth. But even now, it feels like all of the shows exist in their own separate universes that only John Diggle can travel between.

As for DC as a whole-

The problem Warner Brothers had was that they instantly wanted the kind of shared universe that Marvel had, but they didn't want to take the time to set it up. They hired a guy with a different vision to helm the new DC movie universe (can't remember it Snyder was hired before or after Green Lantern came out), but it seems like they instantly regretted it and hated his vision. And yet, for some reason, they held steady until he had already made two films and introduced most of the main DC characters before he 'left' Justice League and they tried to retool it- to disastrous results.

But outside of that, they have been very successful with their DC films. Wonder Woman and Aquaman were both successes, with Wonder Woman becoming the first female-led superhero film since Catwoman. Shazam did pretty good as well. They decided to eschew a shared universe and branched off into a multiverse with films like Joker and the upcoming The Batman, not to mention The Flash dealing with a multiverse directly in his upcoming movie. And they've had a strong presence on tv for over 20 years now, with shows like Smallville, Gotham, all of the Arrowverse shows, and others like Titans, Swamp Thing, and Doom Patrol.

All in all, it's like the song says. "Don't call it a comeback; I've been here for years..."

[LifeIsILL]

The Arrowverse is great when they do those team-ups, they do it way better than the movies.

It's the filler episodes that really suffer, or just all-around bad seasons.

[Largo161]

Do most people even watch the CW or know it's even a thing?

Uh…not trying to be a jerk here (and I don’t watch the Arrowverse shows) but how are those programs running six/seven seasons, etc., if nobody’s watching? I’d wager that they have a bigger audience than the “cooler” HBOMax shows.

[Wandering_Wand]

I think it's very important to acknowledge a couple things in response to this thread. And no offense to OP, maybe you weren't aware or maybe you have a different take, but here it goes:

DC has had a formidable tv line up for many years now. Whether it's the CW (which I don't watch), or the DCU (which migrated to HBO Max), there hasn't been any major issues or quality type concerns. The Arrowverse has a massive number of fans and most of them acknowledge its overall lower quality of production but claim most of the shows are very entertaining. The HBO Max shows are all top notch.

DC has owned the animated movie and cartoon series over numerous points over the years. I'd argue they still mostly do with the exception of little kid material. I think Marvel/Disney has that in the bag right now.

DC had a brief hiccup in 2016 that they've been shaking off (Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad), but that's about it when we really dissect all of this.
I guess most of the DCEU has been on a recovery (we can argue this in many ways but let's all just say things have been looking "better") and is set to continue its "relaunch" next month with The Batman.

I don't think it's fair or accurate to say they're on a comeback in both tv and movies. Maybe the live action DCEU movies to an extent but that recovery has already been happening for at least a couple years.

[inisideguy]

Uh…not trying to be a jerk here (and I don’t watch the Arrowverse shows) but how are those programs running six/seven seasons, etc., if nobody’s watching? I’d wager that they have a bigger audience than the “cooler” HBOMax shows.

Yea I haven't watched Arrowverse shows in years but I don't think anyone can deny they have been successful. I think what I meant by starting the thread is there is more buzz I think around the current DC stuff than before. Which is good.

[choptop]

When it comes to DC on TV most people will think of the Arrowverse which has been absolute horse ****

I like it better than the marvel stuff it's not perfect but it definitely not terrible.