Netflix’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery keeps revealing more about what the streamer actually values, and what it doesn’t.
Many believe Netflix will eventually scale back its theatrical releases, if not abandon them altogether.
Now there’s also the question of whether Netflix viewed Warner Bros. Games as essentially worthless, as reports indicate the company assigned little to no value to the division during its bid.
And that dismissive attitude may extend even further, because Netflix didn’t mention James Gunn or the DCU at all when outlining what excited them about their new DC properties.
WB Games Left Out Of The Pitch
Warner Bros. Games includes some of the biggest console franchises in the industry, from Mortal Kombat to the Batman Arkham titles to Hogwarts Legacy.
Yet Netflix’s leadership publicly downplayed the division while explaining the acquisition, describing it as “relatively minor” in the “grand scheme of things.”
Kotaku highlighted how strange it was to treat a slate of proven, bestselling franchises like they barely register.
It raises questions about whether Netflix intends to support AAA game development or pivot the studios toward cheaper, mobile-style output, which notably haven’t been a success at Netflix.
And James Gunn’s DCU Was Missing Too
Interestingly enough, during Netflix’s presentation, CEO Ted Sarandos highlighted Matt Reeves’ Penguin series as a major DC asset heading to Netflix’s platform.
But he didn’t mention Gunn, the DCU slate, or any upcoming DCU movies or TV shows.
The silence stands out because if Netflix truly saw massive value in the DCU, it would have been front and center. Instead, the only DC project singled out was Penguin, which sits outside Gunn’s continuity.
As a result, following Netflix winning the WBD bid, both Gunn and DCU co-head Peter Safran ran to Bloomberg in what looked like a desperate attempt to save their jobs.
Adding fuel to the speculation that Gunn’s DCU is in trouble is the fact that WBD CEO David Zaslav only extended Gunn and Safran’s contracts by six months, which lines up with when the sale of WBD is set to go through to Netflix. That suggests Netflix will be deciding the fate of the DCU, assuming Netflix’s deal goes through.
Meanwhile, Zaslav gave WB film heads Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy lengthy contract extensions which will carry over to Netflix with the sale.
What The Silence Suggests
Netflix calling WB Games insignificant and overlooking the DCU entirely paints a clear picture.
The streamer is prioritizing grounded, prestige spinoffs like Penguin while downplaying the more expensive and goofy flops that Gunn has been developing.
If Netflix didn’t think WB Games added value and didn’t feel the DCU was worth hyping, fans may have to prepare for both to be reshaped, scaled back, or quietly sidelined under new ownership.
