A DC Series Is Gone From All Platforms With No Plans To Ever Return
Warner Bros. Discovery has removed Aquaman: King of Atlantis from HBO Max for a tax write-off.
Another animated show was pulled off HBO Max for a tax write-off. The three-part animated series Aquaman: King of Atlantis was removed from the streamer in August. Aquaman director James Wan produced the series.
Aquaman: King of Atlantis is set after the events of 2018’s Aquaman but is not canonical in the DCEU. The series began on October 14th, 2021, and released weekly episodes. A feature-length movie based on the series aired on Cartoon Network on May 14th, 2022.
The removal of Aquaman: King of Atlantis from HBO Max comes after news of Warner Bros. gutting much of its animation content. On August 18th, it was reported that many animated shows were erased from the streamer, including Elliot on Earth, Infinity Train, Mao Mao, and others. Warner Bros. also deleted video content and tweets about the shows.
After the cancellation of Batgirl, the new CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav, announced plans to combine HBO Max and Discovery+ into one single streaming service, which they believe would be ready for a summer 2023 release. While discussing plans for HBO Max, Zaslav stated they were not deleting or canceling all content on the streamer. With animated shows like Aquaman: King of Atlantis getting axed, there’s some speculation that the studio may be trying to cut out residuals given to those involved with the shows.
While Aquaman: King of Atlantis no longer being on HBO Max may be a shocker for longtime DC fans, it wouldn’t be the first time a DC animated show has received the axe. On August 22nd, it was reported that the Batman: Caped Crusader series from J.J. Abrams and The Batman director Matt Reeves was canceled. The project was ordered to series in May 2021 and was part of a massive multi-million dollar deal between Abrams and Warner Bros. Discovery.
Aquaman: King of Atlantis‘ removal from the streamer may be part of a much more significant reorganization in DC. After news of a possible merger with NBCUniversal, many fans of the DCEU wondered whether any new films would get greenlit within the next couple of years. While no new deals have been made, the studio may be aiming to streamline its DC content and focus more on theatrically released films.
However, not all is lost for DCEU fans. As reported last month, the upcoming Black Canary standalone movie is still a go at the studio. And while Aquaman: King of Atlantis may be gone from the streamer, the hit animated show Harley Quinn seems safe as HBO Max recently renewed it for a fourth season.
Aquaman: King of Atlantis starred Walking Dead actor Cooper Andrews as the title character. It also starred Gillian Jacobs as Mera, Thomas Lennon as Vulko, Dana Snyder as Ocean Master, and Andrew Morgado as Petyr Mortikov. The series was initially supposed to air as part of the ACME Night block.
As for how the removal of Aquaman: King of Atlantis affects the upcoming Aquaman sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, it’s still too early to tell. The movie was recently delayed again to a full year.
