ARKHAM ASYLUM showrunner confirms both iterations of BATMAN spin-off/DCU series are dead

Last night it was announced that DC Studios is no longer working on a Max TV series in Arkham AsylumThe project had a complicated path, going through several showrunners and even changing universes.

It was originally planned to be a spin-off for The Batmanonly to have James Gunn later casually mention that the series, produced by Matt Reeves, should be set in the DCU instead.

This made it a connection to The brave and boldan unexpected move that caused concern among fans that DC Studios was backing away from plans to expand Reeves’ Bat-Verse with a series of spin-offs.

Now, Arkham Asylum Showrunner Joe Otterson has broken his silence on the cancellation.

Over the past 24 hours, there has been speculation that the trades went awry and that the canceled show is the Bat-Verse series that Gunn confirmed months ago was no longer in the works. However, as Otterson explains, neither version of that series is currently in production.

“To clarify, James Gunn said months ago that the Arkham Asylum show would be part of the DCU and not Reeves’ world of The Batman,” he explained to X. “But there is currently no active development of an Arkham show at DC.”

“They could always rework it later with a new writer, but the original project that Max committed to in 2020 is dead. That was the Gotham PD show, which Reeves said ‘somehow’ evolved into an Arkham show. Anything developed now would be completely new and separate from that.” Otterson concluded.

It’s a shame the show will never see the light of day, but it could be one of those ideas that the industry caught wind of but never really made it past the discussion stage.

The Penguin is still on the way and will be released on Max this September. What Batman IIit was postponed by a whole year to October 2, 2026; The brave and boldMeanwhile, it doesn’t have a confirmed release date yet, although it serves as an introduction to DCU Batman.

How do you feel Arkham Asylum scrapped? As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.