Five years ago, fans of Young Justice crashed the mode and saved the series from indefinite cancellation, and it’s time to celebrate their success.
In Nov. 2016, Warner Bros. Animation announced that it would be moving forward with production on a third season of Young Justice. The series, which had previously aired for two seasons on Cartoon Network, would continue to be helmed by co-creators Brandon Vietti and Greg Weisman. As recollected by fans on Reddit, little was known at the time about the series other than a promise that it would offer “new twists, turns and dangerous new threats for the team, but most importantly, the opportunity for fans to finally continue the adventures of some of their favorite Super Heroes.” The return of Young Justice came after years of fan support, with many joining the shows creators on social media using variations on #BingeYJ.
Debuting in Fall 2010, Young Justice brought together a core cast of Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Miss Martian, Artemis and Superboy. Based on both the Teen Titans and Young Justice comic books, the show failed to pick up steam on broadcast television, despite its vocal fan base. After its second season finale in 2013, Young Justice emulated Wally West and vanished without a trace, leaving fans desperate for answers about its future.
The most infamous reason given for its disappearance was poor toy sales, with Mattel dropping its Young Justice line ahead of the second season due to disappointing pre-order numbers on a proposed Superboy/Miss Martian action figure two-pack. The sudden loss of Mattel’s toy revenue caused Cartoon Network to pull the plug on the series, causing heart-wrenching grief for Young Justice fans. However, in the years that followed, the outcry on social media and strong streaming numbers showed Warner Bros. Animation that the series could succeed elsewhere.
When it returned, the newly-christened Young Justice: Outsiders was made available to fans through the DC Universe app. The season launched in January 2019, nearly six years after the end of Young Justice: Invasion, and followed the team as they faced off against Darkseid and the forces of Apokolips. In addition to the return of all of the show’s surviving stars, the season introduced the titular Outsiders, including Halo, Geo-Force, Metamorpho and Forager.
A trailer for the fourth season, titled Young Justice: Phantoms, premiered at DC FanDome, coinciding with the surprise release of the first two episodes of the new season on HBO Max. The first 13 episodes of the season are currently being released weekly through Dec. 30, with 13 more episodes beginning in Spring 2022.
After that, the future of the series is once more in the hands of fans. Weisman recently noted that the fifth season of Young Justice depends on viewers binge-streaming the prior four seasons. Since Young Justice fans have shown they are capable of great things, hopefully they can create an overwhelming wave of support once more.
Source: Reddit
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