In July, Michelle Gomez, who plays Madame Rouge in Doom Patrol posted on Instagram that she feared the remaining six episodes of the comic book show had been "binned." Season 4 aired its midseason finale on January 5, 2023, and there had been virtually no updates on its return.
Gomez's Instagram post came in the wake of Warner Bros.' merger with Discovery, which saw Discovery CEO David Zaslav now calling the shots for WB as well. And in late-2022, Saslav revealed his post-merger cutting costs goals for the newly created Warner Bros. Discovery, which totaled $3.5 billion.
These measures included a slew of layoffs at HBO Max and CNN, the cancelation of Batgirl, and the removal of several HBO Max TV shows from the platform such as Westworld, The Time Traveler's Wife, and The Nevers. The latter move was the first step in licensing these shows to other streamers and networks.
For a time, it was feared that a similar fate had befallen Doom Patrol season 4 but it looks as if the series will be returning after all.
A new fall television preview from Entertainment Weekly has revealed that the back-half of Doom Patrol season 4 will be released in October, though no specific date was announced.
In the article director Bosede Williams stated that when the show returns, the team of Robotman, Cyborg, Crazy Jane, and Negative Man are struggling to deal with the realization that they can have their longevity stripped from them. "They are deeply affected. It's a real turning point for every single character. It's a massive thing that they're going to be struggling with, and some of them are conflicted. Some of them are okay with that and want to move on, but then others are not so sure."
It seems that it's the recent arrival of Dorothy Spinner and Space Case, who turn the tide according to Willaims. "They're the beacons of light, and I think we do need that. Doom Patrol is dark, it is about trauma and dysfunction. But Casey evokes a simpler time. They bring the brightness, and it's really nice to see them come running in when they do."
"The thing about Doom Patrol is that really, anything goes," Williams said, teasing additional surprises yet to be unveiled. "And that's so much fun as a filmmaker, are you kidding me? To be able to pull from other eras and other worlds, it's like a dream come true."
The last 6 episodes of Doom Patrol will begin airing this October. Be sure to stay tuned to CBM for updates on an exact release date.
Doom Patrol reimagines one of DC’s most beloved groups of superheroes: “Robotman” aka Cliff Steele (Brendan Fraser), “Negative Man” aka Larry Trainor (Matt Bomer), “Elasti-Woman” aka Rita Farr (April Bowlby), “Crazy Jane” (Diane Guerrero), “Cyborg” aka Victor Stone (Joivan Wade), joined by former super villain "Madame Rouge" aka Laura de Mille (Michelle Gomez). Each member of the Doom Patrol suffered a horrible accident that gave them superhuman abilities, but also left them scarred and disfigured. Part support group, part Super Hero team, the Doom Patrol is a band of superpowered freaks who fight for a world that wants nothing to do with them.
Season Four opens with the team unexpectedly traveling to the future to find an unwelcome surprise. Faced with their imminent demise, the Doom Patrol must decide once and for all which is more important: their own happiness or the fate of the world?