10 DC Comics Movies & Shows Missing From HBO Max | Screen Rant
DC Comics fans need to know where all their favorite movies and shows are streaming, and the DC home of HBO Max doesn't actually have everything. Some DC projects have been on HBO Max and are now gone, while some others have streaming rights that belong to other streaming services.
These missing movies and shows include a couple of classics, some modern favorites, and a few very popular DC adaptations. Certain projects aren't currently on any streaming services that don't require viewers to rent them, which is a shame.
The classic Batman show and movie of the '60s starred Adam West and Burt Ward as the Dynamic Duo. The film was one of the first-ever DC movies. While both the show and movie were known for their campiness, they were still the definition of Batman and his rogues' gallery for a generation of fans.
The rights to the '60s version were owned by Fox and now by Disney, so it's not clear if these classics will ever come to HBO Max but longtime fans are hoping it happens
Michael Keaton played Batman in Tim Burton's 1989 film Batman and its 1992 sequel Batman Returns. In 1995, Joel Schumacher directed Batman Forever starring Val Kilmer, and he followed it with 1997's Batman & Robin starring George Clooney. The four films have long been considered to be one series, as Michael Gough and Pat Hingle appear in all four as Alfred Pennyworth and Commissioner Jim Gordon, respectively.
All four movies have previously been on HBO Max, but like many films on streaming services, the films have been removed because of streaming rights. They will presumably all return, but there is no set timetable for that. HBO Max would like to have Michael Keaton's films back in time for his reprisal of the role in this year's film The Flash. The first film in particular is often ranked as one of the best DC movies.
The Flash starred John Wesley Shipp and ran for one season. While not lasting very long, it left enough of an impact for both Shipp and Mark Hamill to reprise their roles in the 2014 series. While Hamill's Trickster only appeared a couple of times in the newer show, Shipp ended up playing three roles in the show. First, he played Barry Allen's dad, Henry. Then, he played Jay Garrick, the Golden age version of the character, who was also a doppelgänger of Henry Allen. For the crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths, Shipp reprised his 1990 version of Barry Allen, completing the story from his old show.
The show had previously been on HBO Max but is now missing. Like with other DC movies and shows that have been taken off, it could very easily come back, but there's no schedule for its return.
The single-season show Birds of Prey starred Ashley Scott as Huntress, Dina Meyer as Oracle, and Rachel Skarsten as Black Canary. It also featured Shemar Moore as Jesse Reese, Ian Abercrombie as Alfred Pennyworth, and Mia Sara as Harley Quinn (the first live-action version of the character).
Ashley Scott briefly reprised her role in Crisis on Infinite Earths, with Dina Meyer returning with a vocal cameo. As with many DC veterans, Rachel Skarsten later joined the Arrowverse as Alice in Batwoman. The show has been on HBO Max before, and will presumably return.
HBO Max doesn't have a set approach for what version of a movie to use. For The Lord of the Rings trilogy, they have both the theatrical and extended editions, but only the theatrical cuts of The Hobbit trilogy. They have both Justice League and Zack Snyder's Justice League, but only the theatrical cut of Suicide Squad (an extended cut was released on Blu-Ray, though not a director's cut). The service has just one version each of Blade Runner and Batman v Superman, but they wisely went with the preferred "Final Cut" and "Ultimate Edition" respectively. But Superman II has just one version on HBO Max, that being the theatrical one.
Richard Donner was filming Superman II at the same time as Superman, but he didn't get to complete the second film before being replaced by Richard Lester. Donner's cut was assembled in 2006, and it's missing from HBO Max. As a result of Donner not finishing his film and Gene Hackman refusing to work for Lester, both versions have footage shot by both directors.
The Arrowverse is split across HBO Max and Netflix, another example of streaming rights being spread all over. HBO Max has Superman & Lois and Batwoman. Netflix has Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, and Black Lightning. The retroactively established Arrowverse series Constantine isn't on either service.
Considering that Superman & Lois and Batwoman are the two newer series, it's likely their streaming rights hadn't been given to Netflix. But those older shows had deals set with Netflix. It's unconfirmed if those shows will ever join the others on HBO Max. The Arrowverse's event Crisis on Infinite Earths also established the DC Multiverse, where everything is canon.
Zack Snyder's film Man of Steel kicked off the DC Extended Universe, which will reach 12 films in 2022. The two DCEU releases this year are among the superhero movies to look forward to in 2022. The film retold Superman's origin with Henry Cavill as the titular Last Son of Krypton.
This film was a part of the DC lineup on HBO Max for quite a while, but it was recently removed because of streaming rights. While it's sure to return before too long, it's currently the only DCEU film not on the streaming service.
Fox's Gotham ran for five seasons, and the entirety of the show is currently streaming on Netflix. It gave fans the origins of heroes like Jim Gordon, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, and Selina Kyle. It also gave excellent adaptations of Batman villains, like Penguin, Riddler, Joker, Mr. Freeze, and Poison Ivy.
The show was on Fox, so it's possible it could eventually stream on Hulu. If not, HBO Max would be a perfect show for the fan-favorite series. Many fans called for the show to be picked up and renewed after its final season, but the show seems to have concluded for now.
Krypton ran for two seasons on the Syfy Channel. It followed Superman's grandfather, and it also included notable comic book characters like Brainiac, Lobo, and Adam Strange.
Like other shows, the series was briefly on HBO Max, but it's now streaming only on CW Seed, though it can be rented. It's not cemented whether it will return to the service.
The 2019 series Swamp Thing is an odd one to be missing because it was a DC Universe app original. When the movies and shows of that app were sent over to HBO Max, that included DC Universe originals Titans, Doom Patrol, and Stargirl. It did briefly include Swamp Thing, but the show is now gone from HBO Max.
Unlike the other DC Universe originals, this show only lasted one season. However, this doesn't explain the reason for the removal from HBO Max. Like other missing projects, Swamp Thing may find its way back to HBO at some point.