Having already set out his stall for the DCU’s Chapter 1 – Gods & Monsters, James Gunn has won over some of the doubters with an intriguing slate comprised of reboots, spinoffs, live-action debuts, animated offshoots, and a mega budget blockbuster or two.
Outside of main continuity, Todd Phillips and Matt Reeves will continue to do their own thing free from the confines of canon, but there were a lot of notable absentees from the initial announcement. As of yet, no projects have materialized for mainstays like Jason Momoa, Gal Gadot, or Zachary Levi, but it’s a freshly-canceled favorite that’s causing consternation among the fandom.
Doom Patrol quietly cultivated a reputation as one of the best episodic DC offerings there’s ever been, so it was inevitable there’d be an outpouring of grief when it was confirmed the fourth season would be the last. However, a Redditor suggesting they’d “love to see what James Gunn could do with Doom Patrol in the DCU” has ignited a wave of fury and bemusement.
The wounds from the offbeat adventure’s axing are still fresh among its staunchest of supporters, so you can see why it would be way too soon to even consider rebooting, reheating, or rehashing the titular team to fold them back into the DCU under an entirely different guise.
Gunn has plenty on his plate as it is – and his social media activity makes it clear he’s got his ear to the ground – so you get the impression Doom Patrol won’t even be on his radar at the moment, although there’s no reason why that can’t change the deeper we get into the shared superhero universe’s bold new era.