DC Reintroduces Darkseid in Mister Miracle Animated Series Under Direction of Tom King, DCU Status Uncertain

Darkseid, one of DC Comics’ most enduring villains, is getting a reintroduction. After the character was cut from Joss Whedon’s Justice League and then given a prominent role in Zack Snyder’s Justice League (where he was voiced by Ray Porter), Darkseid is coming back in DC Studios’ and Warner Bros. Animation’s Mister Miracle.

While it’s not clear if the limited series will introduce Darkseid to the DC Universe (DCU) or take place in Elseworlds, sources tell Nexus Point News that Mister Miracle’s “Darkseid is described as the physical manifestation of all evil in the universe. He speaks in a silly, over-the-top manner which is balanced with his calm, but confident demeanor.”

Darkseid, Mister Miracle, and The Showrunner

Mister Miracle was announced on June 12, 2025 as “an adult animated series based on DC’s critically acclaimed and Eisner Award-winning 12-issue comic book series from Tom King and Mitch Gerads.” It will center around Scott Free, aka Mister Miracle, “the greatest escape artist who ever lived.” In their announcement, DC goes on to say, “Scott’s cruel adoptive father, Darkseid, seems to have finally captured the Anti-Life Equation – the ultimate weapon that will give Darkseid total dominance over the universe.”  

Darkseid Threatens Batman with the Omega Beams – HBO Max

Insiders have told Nexus Point News that in addition to Darkseid and Scott Free, Mister Miracle will also include Big Barda, Highfather, Lightray, Orion, and Funky Flashman. It also seems that the adaptation will closely follow the comic book series, which ran from 2017 to 2019. 

King will be the showrunner, and executive producer alongside James Gunn and Peter Safran. Currently, King is working on the DCU’s Lanterns series for HBO Max as a producer and writer. But his influence on the evolving DCU goes even further, as he also wrote the comics that serve as the basis for the upcoming Supergirl movie. 

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #1 Cover by Bilquis Evely (2021), DC

King is known in many circles as a divisive writer, with stories that have been controversial to say the least. 

Though Supergirl may reintroduce another major villain, for now it seems that Darkseid is only set for the small screen. 

Reintroducing Darkseid

According to the official DC Comics bio, “Darkseid doesn’t merely mean to conquer a planet or subjugate his enemies—he seeks to rob the entire universe of its free will and replace it with his own.” The villain was first introduced in 1970. Since then, he’s been featured on Superman: The Animated Series and other animated shows and movies, voiced by actors as diverse as Michael Ironside on The Animated Series, Tony Todd in Reign of the Supermen, to “Weird Al” Yankovic on Teen Titans Go!

Darkseid appears in Zack Snyder’s Justice League – HBO Max

Zack Snyder originally planned to introduce Darkseid into the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) in Justice League. However, when Joss Whedon took over the project he removed the villain entirely, which some felt made an already troubled movie worse. In fact, Darkseid was often mentioned in the social media campaign to restore the Snyder Cut.

Given the passion surrounding Darkseid, it’s surprising that King, even with his heavy influence at DC in both in comics and the DCU, would be the one to reintroduce the character before James Gunn.

When and Where Will We See Darkseid?

Right now, Mister Miracle is still in development. A release date and network have yet to be announced, though HBO Max seems likely.

Darkseid in Zack Snyder’s Justice League – HBO Max

Whether fans will show up for an animated reintroduction to Darkseid, or prefer to wait for a live-action appearance, may depend more on how they feel about King’s comic than anything happening in the DCU or Elseworlds. 

Are you excited to see Darkseid again, even if it’s in animation? Can Tom King be trusted with the character? Let us know in the comments!