DC Studios was formed in 2022 as a way for co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran to take control of the DC brand for Warner Bros. Discovery. The studio launched the DC Universe, aka DCU, an interconnected franchise of movies and shows including James Gunn’s Superman. Other projects, such as Matt Reeves’ follow-ups to The Batman, have been given the Elseworlds branding. Interestingly, Batman: The Animated Series from 1992, received the DC Studios branding – though it has since been removed from HBO Max.
Fans were initially confused when Batman: The Animated Series was updated in early October with the DC Studios label. After all, the logo was mostly utilized for projects like the aforementioned Superman film or Peacemaker Season 2. These projects stemmed directly from DC Studios, whereas Batman: The Animated Series is essentially three decades older than the studio itself.
Similarly, while there are plans to introduce Batman to the DCU, it is expected to be through the live-action film The Brave and the Bold. This further complicated why Batman: The Animated Series received the same branding as Gunn’s Superman and other DCU projects. Now, however, HBO Max has removed the DC Studios label from Batman: The Animated Series.
As pointed out below via Reddit user BatmanNewsChris:
“Context: Last week HBO Max incorrectly uploaded a version of the B:TAS logo that included the DC Studios logo. DC Studios wasn’t around in 1992. No other non-DC Studios project had the logo on HBO Max.”
As such, it looks like this was simply a mistake on behalf of HBO Max. With so many projects under the DC banner in general, it’s understandable that some items would slip through the cracks, and thankfully the studio has rectified the error.
While it would be great to see The Brave and the Bold take some influence from Batman: The Animated Series, the original 1992 show continues to stand on its own as the start of its own shared universe: the DC Animated Universe aka DCAU which also includes such classic shows as Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, and Justice League.
Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates regarding the next projects from DC Studios as we have them. With streaming services as complex as HBO Max, the occasional error is to be expected, but hopefully things won’t be as complicated as the DC Universe continues to expand and prove itself as its own brand.