What James Gunn's New DC Regime Could Mean For Young Justice Season 5
"Young Justice" is one of the best superhero shows of the 21st century, a truly epic animated show that tells an intricate superhero story, expanding the DC Universe like no other comic book adaptation — including Marvel. This is a show that understands the importance of legacy in superhero stories, where heroes don't live forever, but they have personal lives. They die, they retire, and new heroes take their place. The show has shown how hero teams inspire millions of people, including new heroes rising to join the ranks. In just four seasons, "Young Justice" has shown how superheroes would truly affect every aspect of life on Earth and beyond — while also being rather fun to watch.
But that was back then, before the new Warner Bros. regime and before the upcoming big DC reboot. With the entire future of the DC multiverse up in the air as a new Superman was just crowned (or caped?), many are wondering just what will happen to the many DC projects in various states of development. After all, Gunn very firmly stated that in his DC Universe, everything will be connected, from movies to shows, to animation and even games, despite what that would mean for voice-over actors.
So what happens to "Young Justice" season 5? Well, it is difficult to say without a proper announcement, but for now, let's take a look at the alternatives.
It survived worse
For fans wondering if "Young Justice" has been canceled, the truth is... no one knows. As in, not even the creators know because the show hasn't been officially killed, but it hasn't been greenlit for a new season either. As co-creator, Greg Weisman explained on Twitter, "Nothing has been done. No one starts before they get a green light. Who would pay for it?" Indeed, no work on the season has stopped, because no work even began, because the fifth season simply hasn't been ordered yet.
There's reason to be cautious. Warner Bros. is going through tough and baffling times recently, with canceled finished movies, high-profile shows going to other streamers, entire iconic networks being annihilated (albeit seemingly temporarily), and more. Unfortunately, "Young Justice" was never a huge ratings hit. The third season revival at DC Universe was an experiment in an entirely new platform, but when it failed and was absorbed by HBO Max, "Young Justice" went with it. Even though season four was a great return to form, it never felt like an event, and it didn't leave a big mark, so maybe WB will cut costs and scrap the show. Or, because of the streamlining, the show could be cut because it crosses over with what's happening on the big screen titles.
But then, there's another alternative, that it continues as either its own thing (like "My Adventures With Superman" seems to be doing) or be considered a different universe in the larger DC multiverse. There's reason to be optimistic. After all, James Gunn has expressed his admiration for the animated DC titles and even confirmed that shows like "Young Justice" and "Justice League Unlimited" were a source of inspiration for his new DC Universe.
Will we see more "Young Justice?" Who knows. But this show has survived cancellation once already, who what's another?