DC Entertainment is an American entertainment company that was founded in September 2009 and is based in Burbank, California. The company is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery[1][2] that manages its DC Comics units and characters in other units, as they work with other Warner Bros. units. It also delves into those units within their flagship the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). DC Comics was founded in 1934 when it was National Comic Publications.
 Logo used since 2016 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Genre | Superhero fiction |
| Founded | September 9, 2009 |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | |
| Products | |
| Services | Licensing |
| Parent | Warner Bros. Discovery |
| Divisions | |
| Subsidiaries | |
| Website | dc.com |
In April 2022, following the merger of parent company WarnerMedia with Discovery, Inc., DC Entertainment was reported to be reorganized into its own vertical unit rather than being handled by other Warner Bros. subsidiaries on its behalf.[3]
History
Formation
On September 9, 2009,[4][5] Warner Bros. announced that DC Comics would become a subsidiary of DC Entertainment, Inc., with Diane Nelson, President of Warner Premiere, becoming president of the newly formed holding company and DC Comics President and Publisher Paul Levitz moving to the position of Contributing Editor and Overall Consultant there.[6] Warner Bros. and DC Comics have been owned by the same company since.
On February 18, 2010, DC Entertainment named Jim Lee and Dan DiDio as Co-Publishers of DC Comics, Geoff Johns as Chief Creative Officer, John Rood as EVP (Executive Vice President) of Sales, Marketing and Business Development, and Patrick Caldon as EVP of Finance and Administration.[7]
Property Expansion
In October 2013, DC Entertainment announced that the DC Comics offices were going to move in 2015 from New York City to the headquarters of Warner Bros. in Burbank, California. The other units, animation, film, television and portfolio planning, had preceded DC Comics by moving there in 2010.[8]
DC Entertainment announced its first franchise, the DC Super Hero Girls universe, in April 2015 with multi-platform content, toys and apparel to start appearing in 2016.[9]
Warner Bros. Pictures reorganized in May 2016 to have genre-responsible film executives, thus DC Entertainment franchise films under Warner Bros. were placed under a newly created division, DC Films, created under Warner Bros. executive vice president Jon Berg and DC chief content officer Geoff Johns. This was done in the same vein as Marvel Studios in unifying DC-related filmmaking under a single vision and clarifying the greenlighting process. Johns also kept his existing role at DC Comics.[10] Johns was promoted to DC president and CCO with the addition of his DC Films while still reporting to DCE President Nelson.[11] In August 2016, Amit Desai was promoted from senior vice president, marketing & global franchise management to exec vice president, business and marketing strategy, direct-to-consumer and global franchise management.[12]
Digital distribution
DC Comics are available in digital form through several sources. Free services: In 2015, Hoopla Digital became the first library-based digital system to distribute DC Comics.[13]
In April 2017,[14] DC announced an upcoming streaming service with Warner Bros. Digital Networks, which was to feature original live-action and animated series based on DC characters and franchises, such as Titans and Young Justice: Outsiders.[15][16] The service, later announced as DC Universe, would launch in September 2018, and also feature access to classic DC television series and digital comics.[17][18]
With frustration over DC Films not matching Marvel Studios' results and Berg wanting to step back to being a producer in January 2018, it was announced that Warner Bros. executive Walter Hamada was appointed president of DC film production.[19] After a leave of absence starting in March 2018, Diane Nelson resigned as president of DC Entertainment. The company's executive management were to report to WB Chief Digital Officer Thomas Gewecke until a new president was selected.[20]
DC Entertainment, LLC
In June 2018, Johns was also moved out of his position as chief creative officer and DC Entertainment president for a writing and producing deal with the DC and WB companies. Jim Lee added DC Entertainment chief creative officer title to his DC co-publisher post.[21] In September 2018, DC became part of the newly founded Warner Bros. Global Brands and Franchises division overseen by Pam Lifford.[22][23] In January 2019 it was reported that 7 of the DC's 240 person workforce were laid off, including several vice presidents.[24]
In August 2020, DC publisher Jim Lee announced that DC Universe's original productions would migrate to WarnerMedia's new streaming service HBO Max,[25] with the majority of the staff of DC Universe having been laid off.[26] In January 2021, the remainder of the service would become a comics-centric service known as DC Universe Infinite. The service would feature DC titles six months after their retail release date (comparable to Marvel Unlimited), early access to DC Comics' digital-first titles, exclusive comics created for the service, and access to 24,000 titles in DC's back catalog.[27][28]
Warner Bros. Discovery subsidiary
On April 14, 2022, after the merger of parent company WarnerMedia with Discovery, Inc., it was reported that the company was exploring a restructuring of DC Entertainment into a "solidified content vertical" more akin to Marvel, with its film, television, and video game development brought directly under DC with a central leader, rather than being handled by other Warner Bros. subsidiaries on its behalf.[29] In August 2022, DC relaunched its website at DC.com, while also dropping "comics" from the usernames of its other social media outlets.[30]
In October 2022, DC Films was replaced by DC Studios, which would be led by co-chairmen James Gunn and Peter Safran under a four-year deal to oversee film, television, and animation productions involving DC properties. They will report directly to WBD CEO David Zaslav, while also working with Warner Bros. Pictures' Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy among others.[31]
In May 2023, Lee was promoted to president, publisher, and chief creative officer of DC, continuing to report to Pam Lifford as president of Global Brands and Experiences.[32][33]
Units
Active
- MAD
- DC Comics
- DC Black Label
- DC's Young Animal
- WildStorm
- Sandman Universe
- Hill House Comics
- Wonder Comics
- DC Graphic Novels for Kids
- DC Graphic Novels for Young Adults
- DC Universe Infinite
Defunct
- DC Universe (SVOD) - shut down with catalog absorbed into HBO Max; spun off into DC Universe Infinite
Executives
Presidents
- Diane Nelson (September 9, 2009 – June 6, 2018)[34]
- Geoff Johns (2016–2018)[35]
- Anne Leung DePies, Senior Vice President (2022–present)[36]
Others
- Geoff Johns, Chief Creative Officer, DC Comics (2010–2018)
- Jim Lee, Chief Creative Officer, DC Comics (June 2018–present)
Productions
Films
All the films are distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, except as indicated.
Live-action
| Year | Title | Director | Co-production(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Jonah Hex | Jimmy Hayward | Legendary Pictures / Weed Road Pictures | Loosely based on the character of the same name. |
| 2010 | Red | Robert Schwentke | Di Bonaventura Pictures | Based on the miniseries by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner. Wildstorm (an imprint of DC Comics). Distributed by Summit Entertainment. |
| 2011 | Green Lantern | Martin Campbell | De Line Pictures | |
| 2012 | The Dark Knight Rises | Christopher Nolan | Warner Bros.Pictures / Legendary Pictures / Syncopy Inc. | The Dark Knight Trilogy. |
| 2013 | Man of Steel | Zack Snyder | The first film to be set in the DC Extended Universe. | |
| 2013 | Red 2 | Dean Parisot | Di Bonaventura Pictures | Based on the miniseries by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner. Wildstorm (an imprint of DC Comics). Distributed by Summit Entertainment (Lionsgate). |
| 2016 | Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice | Zack Snyder | Warner Bros.Pictures / RatPac Entertainment /Cruel and Unusual Films / Atlas Entertainment | R-rated extended version, the Ultimate Edition, was released on home video in 2016 and is the second film to be set in the DC Extended Universe.[37] |
| 2016 | Suicide Squad | David Ayer | Warner Bros.Pictures / RatPac-Dune Entertainment Atlas Entertainment | This is the third film set in the DC Extended Universe |
Animated film
All the films are made for Direct-to-video/television and produced by Warner Bros. Animation, except as indicated.
Short films
All short films are direct-to-video are produced by Warner Bros. Animation, except as indicated.
| Year | Title | Collection | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Joker's Playhouse | DC Super Friends | A one-off special short, produced as part of Fisher-Price's Imaginext product line. |
| The Spectre | DC Showcase | Included in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. | |
| Jonah Hex | Included in Batman: Under the Red Hood. | ||
| Green Arrow | Included in Superman/Batman: Apocalypse. | ||
| Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam | Included in DC Showcase Shorts Collection. | ||
| 2011 | Catwoman | Included in Batman: Year One. | |
| 2015 | Nightwing and Robin | DC Animated Movie Universe | Included in Justice League: Throne of Atlantis. Part of the DCAMU. |
| Constantine: John Con Noir | Constantine | Produced by Cool Town Claymation; part of the promotion of the TV series Constantine. | |
| 2018 | #TheLateBatsby | DC Super Hero Girls | Theatrical; Appeared in front of Teen Titans Go! To the Movies. |
| 2019 | Sgt. Rock | DC Showcase | Included in Batman: Hush. |
| Death | Included in Wonder Woman: Bloodlines. | ||
| 2020 | The Phantom Stranger | Included in Superman: Red Son. | |
| Adam Strange | Included in Justice League Dark: Apokolips War. | ||
| Batman: Death in the Family | Interactive movie. Follow-up to Batman: Under the Red Hood. Based on Batman: A Death in the Family storyline by Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo. | ||
| 2021 | Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth! | Included in Justice Society: World War II. | |
| The Losers | Included in Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One. | ||
| Blue Beetle | Included in Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two. | ||
| 2022 | Constantine: The House of Mystery | An long-form animated short. Sequel to Justice League Dark: Apokolips War.[47] |
Television
All television series are (co-)produced by Warner Bros. Television Studios, except as indicated.
Live-action
| Title | Aired | Production companies | Network(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human Target | 2010–11 | Wonderland Sound and Vision | Fox / CTV | |
| Arrow | 2012–20 | Berlanti Productions | The CW | Part of the Arrowverse |
| Gotham | 2014–19 | Primrose Hill Productions | Fox | |
| The Flash | 2014–23 | Bonanza Productions/ Berlanti Productions | The CW | Part of the Arrowverse |
| Constantine | 2014–15 | Ever After Productions / Phantom Four Films | NBC | |
| Supergirl | 2015–21 | Berlanti Productions | CBS (season 1) The CW (seasons 2–6) | |
| Legends of Tomorrow | 2016–22 | The CW | ||
| Lucifer | 2016–21 | Jerry Bruckheimer Television | Fox (seasons 1–3) Netflix (seasons 4–6) | Based on Vertigo Comics. Arrowverse adjacent. |
| Powerless | 2017 | Ehsugadee Productions | NBC | [48] |
| Black Lightning | 2018–21 | Berlanti Productions / Akil Productions | The CW | Part of the Arrowverse |
| Krypton | 2018–19 | Warner Horizon Television (Warner Bros. Television) / Phantom Four Films | Syfy | |
| Titans | 2018–23 | Weed Road Pictures / Berlanti Productions | DC Universe (seasons 1–2) HBO Max (season 3–4) | Arrowverse adjacent |
| Swamp Thing | 2019 | Big Shoe Productions, Inc. / Atomic Monster | DC Universe | |
| Watchmen | Paramount Television / White Rabbit | HBO | ||
| Doom Patrol | 2019–23 | Berlanti Productions / Jeremy Carver Productions | DC Universe (seasons 1–2) HBO Max/Max (since season 2) | Arrowverse adjacent. Spin-off of Titans. |
| Batwoman | 2019–22 | Berlanti Productions | The CW | Part of the Arrowverse |
| Pennyworth | 2019–23 | Warner Horizon Television ((season 1 only) Warner Bros. Television) / Primrose Hill Productions | Epix (seasons 1–2) HBO Max (season 3) | Set in the same universe as Gotham |
| Stargirl | 2020–22 | Mad Ghost Productions / Berlanti Productions | DC Universe (season 1) The CW (seasons 1–3) | Arrowverse adjacent |
| Superman & Lois | 2021–2024 | Berlanti Productions | The CW | Arrowverse adjacent |
| Naomi | 2022 | ARRAY Filmworks | ||
| DMZ | ARRAY Filmworks / Analog | HBO Max | Based on Vertigo Comics | |
| Gotham Knights | 2023 | Berlanti Productions | The CW |
Animated series
| Title | Aired | Production companies | Network(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batman: The Brave and the Bold | 2008–11 | Warner Bros. Animation / DC Comics (2008–09) | Cartoon Network | |
| Young Justice | 2010–13 2019–22 | Warner Bros. Animation | Cartoon Network (seasons 1–2) DC Universe (season 3) HBO Max (season 4) | |
| Green Lantern: The Animated Series | 2011–13 | Cartoon Network | ||
| Beware the Batman | 2013–14 | Cartoon Network/Adult Swim | ||
| Teen Titans Go! | 2013–present | |||
| Justice League Action | 2016–18 | Cartoon Network | ||
| DC Super Hero Girls | 2019–21 | |||
| Harley Quinn | 2019–present | Warner Bros. Animation / Yes, Norman Productions / Delicious Non-Sequitur | HBO Max | |
| Batwheels | 2022–present | Warner Bros. Animation Bang Zoom Ltd. | Cartoonito | |
| My Adventures with Superman | 2023–present | Warner Bros. Animation | Adult Swim |
Short series
| Title | Aired | Production companies | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC Nation Shorts | 2011–14 | Warner Bros. Animation | Cartoon Network | Animated shorts aired as interstitials on the DC Nation television block on Cartoon Network |
| Batman Unlimited | 2015–16 | YouTube (DC Kids Channel) | ||
| DC Super Friends | 2015 | Warner Bros. Animation / Imaginext / | ||
| Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles | Warner Bros. Animation / Blue Ribbon Content | YouTube (Machinima channel) | Related to the film. Renewed for season 2, but subsequently shelved indefinitely[49] | |
| Vixen | 2015–16 | CW Seed | Part of the Arrowverse. | |
| DC Super Hero Girls | 2015–18 | Warner Bros. Animation | YouTube (DC Super Hero Girls channel) | |
| Justice League Action Shorts | 2017 | YouTube (DC Kids Channel) | ||
| Freedom Fighters: The Ray | 2017–18 | Warner Bros. Animation / Blue Ribbon Content | CW Seed | Part of the Arrowverse.[50][51] |
| Constantine: City of Demons | 2018–19 | Warner Bros. Animation / Blue Ribbon Content / Berlanti Productions / Phantom Four Productions | Part of The DC Animated Movie Universe | |
| DC Super Hero Girls: Super Shorts | 2019–20 | Warner Bros. Animation | YouTube (DC Super Hero Girls channel) | |
| Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons | 2020 | Warner Bros. Animation / Blue Ribbon Content / Berlanti Productions | CW Seed | [52] |
| Aquaman: King of Atlantis | 2021 | Warner Bros. Animation / Atomic Monster | HBO Max and Cartoon Network | [53][54] |
