“Arkham Asylum” series no longer runs on Max

A planned DC television series set in Arkham Asylum will not be broadcast on Max, broadcaster TheWrap announced on Friday.

The series has gone through several iterations since it was first announced in July 2020. It began as an untitled series about the Gotham Police Department, which fans saw as a possible evolution of the acclaimed comic book series “Gotham Central.” The most recent iteration had Antonio Campos, who created and directed the Max true-crime series “The Staircase,” at the helm.

However, the series is no longer part of the vision of DC bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran, who are rebooting the DCU.

Before Campos, “The Batman” director Matt Reeves wanted to deliver a series set in the same universe as his 2022 feature film, which starred Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader, as well as the upcoming “The Penguin” series.

In May 2022, Reeves said that this series, which was originally supposed to focus on the Gotham police force, was “on hold” indefinitely. At the time, he said the series’ focus had shifted to Gotham’s infamous home of many Batman villains, which he described as “the horror movie or haunted house that Arkham is.”

In December 2023, Gunn clarified on social media that the show was still in the works, but would be set within the newly established parameters of the DCU and not as a companion piece to Reeves’ film.

However, DC still has plenty of Gotham-centric content in the pipeline: The Penguin, starring Colin Farrell, will premiere on Max this fall. Reeves will deliver The Batman Part II in October 2026.

Production has already begun on the next Superman film. As previously announced, David Corenswet will take on the iconic role for the first film in the new universe led by Gunn. That world will get its own Batman film with the previously announced “The Brave and the Bold,” which will be directed by “The Flash” director Andy Muschietti.

Will Reeve, the son of popular Superman star Christopher Reeve, will have a cameo appearance in the Superman film.

Variety first reported this story.