Doom Patrol is in for some more timey-wimey nonsense in fourth season trailer

Doom Patrol is back and more doomed than ever, which is saying something. The fourth season of DC’s wacky team of raunchy, reluctant superheroes premieres on HBO Max on December 8, 2022. The past few seasons have shown the gang on a slow and painstaking journey of personal growth, and this season looks like it’ll continue the trend. Well, they’re definitely growing older, though probably not any wiser.

After last season introduced a time machine (and, coincidentally, another Doctor Who alum) to the team, it seems they’re in for some more time travel adventures. “Season four opens with the team unexpectedly traveling to the future to find an unwelcome surprise,” reads the season’s synopsis. “Faced with their imminent demise, the Doom Patrol must decide once and for all which is more important: their own happiness or the fate of the world?”

In the trailer, Willoughby Kipling (Mark Sheppard) returns to ask a question central to the series: “Have you ever wondered why you’ve looked exactly the same for decades?” Fans know that Niles Caulder (Timothy Dalton) was pursuing immortality at the Bureau of Normalcy for his own personal reasons. Now that he’s gone, of course, the team will have to deal with the ramifications of the Chief’s meddling–which looks to include actually aging, at least for Rita (April Bowlby). “Immortus is real, and it’s coming. We are wandering into the literal end of days as we speak,” Willoughby tells our heroes.

The team may not be altogether impressed by Willoughby’s warnings, but sneering at the apocalypse has never prevented it from creeping up on them anyway. Luckily, they’re joined by newly reformed Madame Rouge (aforementioned Who alum Michelle Gomez) and a returned Dorothy (Abi Monterey). Fans will also be glad to glimpse Matt Bomer and Oscar hopeful Brendan Fraser outside of their usual Negative Man and Robotman guises.

Doom Patrol also stars Diane Guerrero, April Bowlby, Joivan Wade, Skye Roberts, Riley Shanahan, and Matthew Zuk (the latter two actors being the body doubles for Robotman and Negative Man). The series will return with what looks like a Christmas musical number just in time for the holidays. ’Tis the season for some Doom.