Warning: The following contains SPOILERS for Doom Patrol's season 2 finale.
The Doom Patrol stands poised to face new challenges as Season 2 comes to a close, but will the off-beat series see a third season? Many questions surround the continued adventures of the World's Strangest Heroes, even ignoring the general uncertainty in the entertainment industry due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Doom Patrol was the most successful and critically acclaimed of the original series released during the first year of the DC Universe's existence. Despite being based on one of DC Comics' most off-beat and obscure series, the first season found an audience passionate enough to make it the first DC Universe property to be shared with HBO Max, with its second season released to both platforms simultaneously.
Doom Patrol has suffered as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, with the filming of the intended Season 2 finale incomplete due to work stoppages. This led to Season 2 ending on a cliff-hanger, with the team largely indisposed by The Candlemaker and Dorothy Spinner facing the seemingly invincible villain whom she helped to empower alone. Presumably, Season 3 would have to start with the intended resolution of Season 2, though it's possible that the production delays may change whatever plans the show's writers originally had.
Doom Patrol Season 3 Renewal
Doom Patrol has yet to get an official renewal notice for Season 3. Despite this, there is no reason for fans of the series to panic. Doom Patrol is still one of the most popular offerings to come out of the DC Universe streaming service and it took two months for the series to be renewed for a second season following the conclusion of Season One. As such, there is no reason to believe Doom Patrol is in danger of cancellation just yet.
Doom Patrol Season 3 Release Date Info
Without a renewal confirmation, no release date has been announced for Season 3 of Doom Patrol. With production delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic still slowing the film and television industry, it may be some time before the cast and crew can be gathered to film new episodes, provided scripts for a 3rd season are written. Fall 2021 seems the earliest possibility, with a Spring 2022 release seeming like the earliest realistic possibility at this time. A more interesting question may be where Season 3 of Doom Patrol will be broadcast rather than when.The DC Universe platform has been besieged by difficulties since the beginning and with Doom Patrol Season 2 premiering simultaneously on both DC Universe and HBO Max and HBO Max now developing DC Comics properties that will be exclusive to them, there is some speculation that DC Universe's days are numbered. It seems like an HBO Max premiere is a given, and the show will likely also be available on HBO Max should it survive the chopping block until then.
Doom Patrol Season 3 Story Details
With this season ending on a cliffhanger, season 3 of Doom Patrol will surely pick up right where season 2 ended, with Dorothy Spinner going to face The Candlemaker. According to Dorothy actor Abigail Shapiro, shooting on the intended final episode of Season 2 was "basically all finished" with only a few scenes remaining to be shot when production was forced to stop. Presumably there was some reason why the showrunners elected to stop the season with nine complete episodes rather than try and find a way to work around the unshot scenes, as many of the superhero shows on The CW did with their season finales. Whatever their reasons, it seems likely that Doom Patrol Season 3 will open with the episode that was intended to end Season 2.
What dangers await the Doom Patrol in season 3 is anybody's guess, as there are many great storylines from the comics the show has yet to draw upon. Depending on the availability of Alan Tudyk, Season 3 could see the return of Mr. Nobody leading a new group of villains as the chaos-minded Brotherhood of Dada. Another possibility is the return of Flex Mentallo and Danny the Tire, who seems poised to evolve into Danny the Ambulance as in the comics.
Given the continued evolution of Negative Man, it seems likely Season 3 may build to the storyline that saw Larry Trainor and the Negative Spirit bond with a doctor named Eleanor Poole, forming a new gestalt entity known as Rebis. Whatever happens in Doom Patrol season 3, it will likely be completely unexpected and undoubtedly strange.