J.J. Abrams' long-waited Justice League Dark television series has apparently been canceled. A Justice League Dark franchise with many shows and films in various stages of development that would tie back to one another was once planned to be produced by J.J. Abrams at HBO Max. The conclusion of these initiatives would have been Justice League Dark, which would have united DC's supernatural heroes to create a shadowy version of the Justice League. Yet now that co-CEOs of DC Studios Peter Safran and James Gunn is in charge of overseeing a large portion of DC's content, the future of Justice League Dark is uncertain. According, to a new report, this series is now being canceled.
Justice League Dark and Overlook, a The Shining spinoff by J.J. Abrams, were both abandoned, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Although no projects covered by the agreement have yet surfaced, Abrams' Bad Robot production business signed an overall deal with the former WarnerMedia (now Warner Bros. Discovery) in 2019. The 1970s drama Duster, starring Josh Holloway and Rachel Hilson, has been picked up, according to an announcement from Abrams and HBO Max. The sci-fi series Demimonde was canceled because of its above $200 million budget, and Overlook is apparently being offered to other interested companies.
The Justice League Dark-related J.J. Abrams series Madame X was supposed to follow the adventures of DC Universe mystic Madame Xanadu. The role of Madame Xanadu in Swamp Thing was played by Jeryl Prescott, and this project would have been her first significant exposure to live-action. One of the most potent mystics in the DC Universe is Madame Xanadu, but she frequently plays supporting or subsidiary roles to more famous characters. She frequently lends a hand in leading The Spectre and has previously cooperated with groups like Justice League Dark, the Suicide Squad, and The Phantom Stranger. In some stories, she is the mother of DC villain Doctor Destiny, who fans will recognize from the 2017 animated movie, Justice League Dark.
Abrams also had plans for Zatanna and John Constantine, but those plans have since been abandoned. Instead, Abrams is serving as executive producer on the Constantine 2 movie, which will star Keanu Reeves.
Netflix would be the perfect home for J.J. Abrams' Justice League Dark, especially given the success of the recent Neil Gaiman's The Sandman adaptation. With its large and diverse audience, Netflix has proven to be a great platform for unique and ambitious storytelling, and the Justice League Dark would fit perfectly into Sandman’s world. Additionally, with Zack Snyder already involved in projects with Netflix, the streamer could potentially build on the existing fanbase and bring in a wider audience.
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