Did Warner Media’s DC Universe streaming service ever really have a chance? It’s hard to say: despite a couple of well-regarded original series, including Harley Quinn and Doom Patrol—plus all that sweet “Fuck Batman” heat—the service certainly had to know the writing was on the wall the second Warner shored up its plans for obvious successor/replacement HBO Max. Even before that, though, the idea of a streaming service entirely focused on just one company’s superhero output was probably a little too niche, in terms of forcing people to keep track of yet another password, if nothing else. Once Warner stepped up robust plans for HBO’s streaming alternative—including plucking every original series of any merit away from DC Universe in favor of the new kid on the block—things were probably sealed.
Hence the not wholly surprising news, published by The Hollywood Reporter today, that DC Universe is soon to be no more, with the existing infrastructure instead rebranding to “DC Universe Infinite,” and the focus shifting from video to comics. Specifically, the “new” service will expand the comics offerings that are already a major part of the site, shortening the window from release to availability to six months from a year. Also, you’ll get access to a whole bunch of exclusive content and bonuses. Also, you won’t have to think about the Swamp Thing TV show ever again. Really, it’s win-win!
Anyway, this is mostly notable in that it’s not very often you see a site on the internet pivot away from video, rather than toward it. Honestly, though, it seems like a pretty good move: All the good shows get to live, DC comic fans have a more centralized place to check things out, and Warner Bros. doesn’t have to worry about fracturing its subscriber base with two directly competing services.