James Gunn Addresses Rumors About Cancelled DCU Show With Major Hero Returning
The DC Universe franchise is nearly two years into its run, as more heroes are coming to life on the big and small screens.
The DCU's Chapter 1: "Gods and Monsters" slate still has numerous projects left to release, as various TV shows and movies are in different stages of development. However, over the last few months, there have been rumors about potential cancellations, including one particular series, which has raised questions about what is going on behind the scenes.
Following reports that the Blue Beetle animated show has been cancelled, a user asked James Gunn on Threads if there was any truth to the project supposedly being scrapped. The DC Studios co-CEO confirmed that it has definitely not been axed, stating that "It's still very much in development."
The initial report that sparked concern about the animated continuation came from Deadline on July 14, after it was revealed that Xolo Maridueña would reprise his role as Jaime Reyes in Gunn's Man of Tomorrow movie. The trade shared the following update about his animated series:
"Back in 2024, Deadline announced exclusively that a Blue Beetle animated series was in the works from Miguel Puga, Warner Bros. Animation, and DC Studios. Last year, HBO Max revealed it would prioritize adult and family programming, with children’s programming taking a step back because it doesn’t fare as well and is no longer viewed as a priority. The Blue Beetle animated series was targeting young audiences, who made up a large swath of the giant bug’s fanbase. There have been no updates on the project since the original announcement."
However, prior to Gunn's comments this week, DC Studios and Warner Bros. had not confirmed whether Blue Beetle was cancelled. In terms of updates about Jaime's solo series, Maridueña actually shared an update with ScreenRant in 2025 that the creative team was working on it: "No scripts. I can say that they're working really hard on it. The whole DC fam has been really welcoming to Blue Beetle and that character, so I'm really appreciative of that. We're getting hard at work on Cobra Kai, this last season of Cobra Kai, so I haven't had a chance to peep too much on what's going on over in the Blue Beetle world. But I can say that after Superman, I'm hoping that the floodgates open for the possibility of how big [that world could be]. They're busy at work, honestly, so I'm glad we're both getting to do our things right now, so I'll be ready for the call whenever it happens at DC."
Even though the DCU has announced multiple projects in the last few years, Gunn has previously stated that no film or series moves forward unless the creative vision is settled. Rather than rush movies or shows, DC Studios is taking its time to get things finalized before a property gets fully produced.
It would also not be shocking if DC is waiting to see how Blue Beetle's Man of Tomorrow return is received before going further with his animated solo adventure. Whether the Cobra Kai star's appearance would directly set up his show is unclear, as details on the actor's upcoming DCU movie appearance in 2027 have yet to fully emerge.
With Blue Beetle, he is one of the handful of characters to get to continue from the previous DC regime. While his 2023 feature didn't make a big impact on the box office, Gunn made it clear that Maridueña would continue playing the character under the DCU.
Blue Beetle is available through home media release and on streaming.