Peacemaker and Penguin Prove It’s Time for DC to Reclaim the TV Throne

In the past few years, I think most people can agree that there’s been some oversaturation in the realm of superhero media. 

With the MCU releasing movie after movie and show after show, and the DCU starting up again, the thought of keeping up with it all is very overwhelming.

I completely get it. I’m in the same boat. But hear me out: DC needs to get more into the TV show game. Marvel’s had its fun with TV shows; it’s time for DC to reenter TV shows again. 

Here’s What Happened to Old DC Shows

It’s nearly impossible to defend the state of DC shows pre-universe reboot. 

Before James Gunn was brought in to bring more cohesion to the DC universe, the same way Kevin Feige heralds the MCU, the DCU was a mess, to put it lightly. 

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Essentially, the DC brand was divided across networks, so it was nearly impossible for the shows to coordinate with one another to form one complete universe. 

For example, there was something called the Arrowverse, which was the name for all the DC shows on the CW network. This includes shows like The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. 

Meanwhile, DC eventually launched its own streaming service called DC Universe in 2018 and premiered several shows on that platform before all that content migrated to HBO’s streaming service. 

Most notably, Titans and Doom Patrol were featured as flagship shows for this brand.

Most of these shows, particularly those on The CW, aren’t known for being the best shows. They’re often regarded as campy media that doesn’t accurately represent the comics. 

While everybody may have frowned down upon the messiness of this all, I actually think that the importance of these shows shouldn’t be dismissed. 

Sure, they didn’t contribute to a broader story like Wandavision did for the MCU, but they didn’t need to. 

Take Doom Patrol, for instance. I honestly think I could argue that it’s one of the best TV shows in the past decade, let alone out of all DC shows. 

While Doom Patrol exists in the general realm of the DC world, the show focuses heavily on the flawed superhero team and how they become a found family. 

This is exactly why I think people have “multiverse fatigue.” 

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People aren’t actually tired of superhero media; they’re just tired of having to feel like everything has to be building up to some big event like Avengers: Endgame. 

Of course, these events have always been huge within the world of comics.

Still, it’s also refreshing to have TV shows that have a microscopic focus on a handful of characters rather than taking on the task of trying to connect stories to a larger context. 

The New Era of DC 

In the post-Superman world, the sentiment about James Gunn’s role in the DC Universe has been overwhelmingly positive. 

Rather than the previous gritty look of the Snyderverse (which itself has gathered a large group of dedicated fans), this new take on DC has a more comedic, brighter tone. 

But even as James Gunn takes the lead, Matt Reeves’ Batman media keeps the spirit of the darker underbelly of Gotham. 

Again, DC is operating in two different worlds. However, this time, each world has a distinct feel that doesn’t require overexplaining or random character cameos to clarify which universe they’re taking place in. 

Two shows have been a vital part of this newer DC era: The Penguin, connected to The Batman, and Peacemaker, connected to Gunn’s universe. 

Unlike previous DC shows, both of these shows have gathered a ton of critical acclaim. 

And even better, while they’re connected to broader worlds, you don’t necessarily need to have watched other movies or DC media to understand what’s going on.

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• Peacemaker and Penguin Prove It’s Time for DC to Reclaim the TV Throne
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Peacemaker is one of my favorite shows, and I fell in love with it before I had even watched The Suicide Squad movie, which is where Peacemaker is first introduced. 

The show itself has such a strong and compelling storyline about the lead character while also doing tons of worldbuilding without feeling overbearing at the same time. 

Considering that both newer DC shows have excelled at telling stories and engaging audiences without alienating casual fans, it’s about time that DC considers reentering the TV show genre with even more shows. 

Of course, a balanced approach is necessary, as mass-producing shows without careful planning and sufficient time to flourish rarely succeed. 

But I can confidently say that I’m definitely not alone in wanting to see DC explore newer characters and continue to deliver top-notch superhero TV shows. 

After all, we all need something to watch once The Boys ends in the following year. 

What do you think about DC shows? Did you like the old shows on The CW and HBO?

Chime in in the comments! We love writing about shows like this, but without you, dear readers, we cease to exist. Let’s keep the conversation going!

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