A DCU Series Just Got Shelved — Now the Heat Is on James Gunn
Arkham Asylum is officially dead. James Gunn has confirmed the planned series set in the universe of The Batman isn’t in development, dashing one of DC’s most-hyped TV prospects outside Peacemaker Season 2.
Remember that Arkham Asylum series set in Matt Reeves' The Batman universe that fans kept asking about? It is not happening. James Gunn just said as much, and yes, the internet is mad. But the backstory here is a little more complicated than 'Gunn killed it', so let’s lay it out.
What Gunn actually said
On BobaTalks, Gunn was asked directly about the Arkham show. His answer was blunt:
"That isn't something that is being developed by anyone right now. It just didn't work."
So, as of right now, it’s off the board. Not paused. Not quietly moving. Dead.
How we got here: Reeves pitched it, HBO pivoted
After The Batman hit, Matt Reeves pitched two spinoffs to HBO: a Gotham PD series and an Arkham Asylum series. They were meant to live in that same rainy, grimy corner of Gotham. Then the network weighed in. According to Reeves, HBO wanted to chase bigger-name comic characters instead of institution-based stories.
"They were like, 'We like what you're doing, and we want to lean harder into the marquee characters.'"
That shift is how we ended up with The Penguin as the flagship spinoff. Arkham and the police procedural idea got deprioritized, and over time, Arkham just... evaporated.
Who actually makes these calls?
This is where the behind-the-scenes part gets messy. Gunn is the co-CEO of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran. Anything DC-related that crosses his desk can be greenlit or stopped. But HBO (and now Max) is still the platform buying and making these shows. Their executives have their own priorities and budgets, and Reeves has said point-blank that HBO did not push Arkham forward.
Fans are blaming Gunn today because he is the one confirming the death. Fair. But there is no official breakdown of who said no, when, or why beyond Gunn saying it didn’t work and Reeves saying HBO wanted to focus on marquee DC characters. Translation: this was a group decision at some point, and the plug is now fully pulled.
Why shelving Arkham might actually help the DCU
If you were hyped for Arkham (right there with you), this still stings. But there is a strategic argument for keeping Arkham in the toolbox until Batman formally enters the DCU with The Brave and the Bold. Arkham is a foundational piece of Batman lore. Rolling out a fully realized Elseworlds Arkham in Reeves' corner could overshadow whatever the mainline DCU needs Arkham to be. Two simultaneous Arkhams means competing tone, canon, and villains. One clean version in the DCU lets Gunn’s team play with every major character and storyline without worrying about overlap or repetition.
Also worth noting: the TV side of DC is in flux. Peacemaker Season 2 is coming, but beyond that, the DCU is still snapping in place. Saving Arkham for a properly coordinated rollout might be the smarter long game, even if it’s a buzzkill right now.
Quick refresher on The Batman
- Director: Matt Reeves
- Main cast: Robert Pattinson, Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano, Colin Farrell, Jeffrey Wright
- Rotten Tomatoes: 85% critics, 87% audience
- Streaming: Available on Max in the US
Bottom line
Gunn says the Arkham Asylum show isn’t happening. Reeves says HBO wanted projects built around bigger-name DC characters. The Penguin survived, Arkham didn’t. And while the timing is frustrating, there’s a decent chance DC is saving Arkham for their mainline Batman to make it count.
Would you rather see Arkham in Reeves' universe, or held back for the DCU’s Brave and the Bold era? Let me know.