James Gunn Says the Decision to Cancel DOOM PATROL and TITANS Preceded His Hiring and Was Out of His Control
We recently reported that Warner Bros. Discovery canceled both DC series Doom Patrol and Titans after their fourth seasons at HBO Max. Some fans of the shows were quick to point fingers at newly appointed DC head James Gunn, who now leads DC Studios along with Peter Safran, as the change came just a few months after they took the job to run the films and TV shows that will be coming out of the studio. But Gunn is assuring inquiring minds that this had nothing to do with him, as the cancelations that have been rolling out over the past year pre-dated him and his upcoming vision.
When confronted by a fan of the two shows on Twitter, Gunn explained the situation, saying:
The decision to end the series precedes us. But I certainly wish the best for the talented group of creators, actors, and the rest of the crew that produced both shows.
While Gunn and Safran have made several choices that have upset fans, including ending Henry Cavill’s run as Superman, apparently they had nothing to do with Doom Patrol and Titans coming to an end.
Variety reported that both productions were aware that these would be their final seasons some time ago, so both will have definitive endings. A source also stressed the decision was not part of Warner Bros.-Discovery’s infamous cost-cutting strategy that led to the killing of the nearly-complete Batgirl.
An HBO Max spokesperson released the following statement about the cancellation:
“While these will be the final seasons of ‘Titans’ and ‘Doom Patrol,’ we are very proud of these series and excited for fans to see their climactic endings. We are grateful to Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television for making such thrilling, action-packed, heartfelt series.”
Doom Patrol stars Brendan Fraser, Matt Bomer, April Bowlby, Diane Guerrero, Joivan Wade, and Michelle Gomez. Timothy Dalton also starred in the series for its first three seasons. Titans starred Brenton Thwaites, Anna Diop, Teagan Croft, and Ryan Potter.
The fourth seasons of Titans and Doom Patrol each consist of 12 episodes, split into two six-episode chunks. Are you looking forward to watching their final seasons?