Netflix Considers Warner Bros. Games Worthless — And James Gunn’s DCU, Too?

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As a Netflix fan, it’s becoming really clear what kinds of shows and movies they’re prioritizing now that they’ve taken over some Warner Bros. Discovery stuff – and honestly, it’s also showing us what they aren’t interested in anymore.

Most people expect Netflix to eventually show fewer movies in theaters, and possibly stop releasing them there completely.

It’s also worth considering whether Netflix didn’t see much value in Warner Bros. Games. Reports suggest they placed very little, if any, importance on that part of the company when they made their offer.

Honestly, it struck me as a bit odd that Netflix completely left out James Gunn and his plans for the DC Universe when they were talking up their new DC projects. It felt like a deliberate omission, and it left me wondering if they’re not entirely on board with the direction he’s taking things.

WB Games Left Out Of The Pitch

Warner Bros. Games is home to many popular console game franchises, including titles like Mortal Kombat, the Batman Arkham series, and Hogwarts Legacy.

Despite concerns about how it would fit in, Netflix leaders publicly minimized the impact of the acquisition, calling it small compared to the company’s overall goals.

Kotaku pointed out how odd it is to essentially ignore successful, popular franchises.

This makes us wonder if Netflix plans to invest in big-budget game development, or if it will shift its focus to less expensive, mobile games – a strategy that hasn’t worked well for them so far.

And James Gunn’s DCU Was Missing Too

During Netflix’s presentation, CEO Ted Sarandos emphasized the Penguin series as a key part of the DC content coming to the streaming service.

But he didn’t mention Gunn, the DCU slate, or any upcoming DCU movies or TV shows.

The lack of discussion about the DC Universe is noticeable. If Netflix believed the DCU had significant potential, they would have prominently featured it. Instead, they only highlighted Penguin, a series that isn’t connected to the main DCU storyline.

Okay, so after Netflix snagged the deal that Warner Bros. Discovery was also after, it was kind of wild to see James Gunn and Peter Safran practically rush to Bloomberg to do an interview. It honestly felt like they were trying to reassure everyone – and maybe even themselves – that their positions at DCU were still secure.

Rumors about potential problems with James Gunn’s DC Universe have increased because Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav recently gave Gunn and Safran only six-month contract extensions. This timeframe conveniently coincides with when Warner Bros. Discovery is expected to be acquired by Netflix, leading many to believe Netflix will ultimately decide the future of the DC Universe if the deal is finalized.

David Zaslav also extended the contracts of Warner Bros. film leaders Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, and those extensions will remain in effect even after the sale to Netflix.

What The Silence Suggests

Netflix calling WB Games insignificant and overlooking the DCU entirely paints a clear picture.

I’ve noticed the streamer is really focusing on quality, serious projects like Penguin now, and smartly moving away from those big-budget, silly ideas that weren’t working out. It’s a great shift in direction, honestly.

If Netflix doesn’t believe WB Games is a valuable partner or that the DC Universe is worth promoting, fans might see changes – like reduced investment or even cancellation – if ownership changes hands.

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2025-12-10 07:32