Listen, after learning that Dead Boy Detectives was canceled, I just was bummed as the next fan. However, thankfully, there is a way that Edwin, Charles and co. could return to the TV universe inspired by the DC comics from Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner.
Dead Boy Detectives Was Canceled After One Season
Dead Boy Detectives' cancellation was reported by Variety four months after its premiere on Netflix’s 2024 release schedule. Let me tell you, as a big fan of the supernatural show, I was very sad about it.
This news comes after the supernatural mystery about two teenage ghost detectives went on quite the journey to even be released. Initially, the series got a pilot order from Max in 2021, and a series order from in 2022. However, in 2023, Max sold Dead Boy Detectives to Netflix, reportedly because it wasn’t in line with James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new vision for DC.
While a reason for the cancellation wasn’t listed, Variety did note the views the show received. In its first full week, Dead Boy Detectives got 4.7 million views. It then dropped off, as it got 1.8 million views during its third week on Netflix.
To put this into perspective let’s look at viewership for some of Netflix’s best shows that have dropped on the 2024 TV schedule. When Season 1 of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder – another established IP in its first season of an adaptation – came out, it got 7.4 million views in its first week. Then, it went up to 8.4 million during its second week per Netflix. And if we want to add a Netflix behemoth into this comparison, Bridgerton’s third season got 45.1 million views in its first week.
So, Dead Boy Detectives’ viewership numbers simply weren’t as high as they probably needed to be. While there’s no official reason for its ending, this likely played into it, considering its numbers were a lot lower than other shows like it.
How The Dead Boy Detectives Could Return Despite Their Show Getting Axed
However, while all this devastated me, I quickly remembered that this series is within the universe of The Sandman. That means there's potential for the Dead Boy Detectives to appear in the other Netflix series based on the beloved DC comics.
This isn’t a far-off dream either, a crossover between the two shows has already happened. In Season 1 of Dead Boy Detectives, Kirby Howell-Baptiste reprised her role as Death, who she played in The Sandman’s first season too.
Also, if you look back at the history of Charles and Edwin, they were introduced in The Sandman comics, before getting their own run.
Notably, the series was adored by critics and fans alike too, with it getting a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, so there is for sure a fanbase that would love to see these characters again.
While it took a while, The Sandman got renewed back in 2022, Season 2 is on its way. And during July this year, it added Game of Thrones alums to its Season 2 cast. We know that iconic characters like Orpheus, Loki, Thor, Odin and more will appear. So, why can’t the Dead Boy Detectives?
At the moment, we don’t know if the Dead Boy Detectives will appear in The Sandman, we also don’t know when that show’s second season will premiere. However, I don’t think we should give up hope!
While it sucks that Dead Boy Detectives was canceled, thankfully, it's part of a greater universe, which means we might get to use our Netflix subscriptions to see Edwin and Charles back in action, even if it's on a different show.
