San Diego – Our Flag Means Death creator David Jenkins is set to pen the pilot for HBO Max’s Booster Gold TV series, with plans for him to showrun if the project moves to series. This development comes as Warner Bros. Discovery aims to build on its DC Comics television adaptations, following the recent Emmy nominations for The Penguin.
‘Our Flag Means Death’ Creator Tapped for DC’s Booster Gold Series
Booster Gold, a character created by Dan Jurgens, follows Michael Jon “Booster” Carter, a former football player from Gotham City expelled for gambling. He eventually becomes a superhero, leveraging future technology to mask his lack of innate powers and often irritating allies with his relentless pursuit of fame and wealth. His nickname originated from Ronald Reagan after Carter rescued the former U.S. President.
The series was first announced more than two years ago by DC Studios bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran as part of their expansive new DC Universe slate. At the time, they described the character as someone who “use[s] basic technology from the future to pretend to be a superhero in the present day.”
Did you know? Booster Gold’s real name is Michael Jon Carter, and he was expelled from university for gambling before becoming a superhero.
Progress on the Booster Gold series has been slow, with reports indicating the project lost its initial showrunner. Rumors that Kumail Nanjiani would be cast as the titular hero have also been dispelled for now.
Should Booster Gold officially get the green light, it would mark a reunion between HBO Max and Jenkins. His acclaimed pirate romantic comedy Our Flag Means Death was canceled by the streamer in January 2024 after two seasons, and attempts to find a new home for the show were unsuccessful. Jenkins described the premature end of the series, which starred Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby, as disappointing but expressed gratitude for the support he received from HBO’s Casey Bloys and his team. Jenkins also previously created the TBS sci-fi series People of Earth.
The timing of this news is particularly opportune, coinciding with San Diego Comic-Con, a major event for DC TV properties. Meanwhile, HBO Max is celebrating the significant success of The Penguin, which secured 24 Emmy nominations, including for Outstanding Limited Anthology Series and for its leads, Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti.
In related DC Studios news, it was reported last month that James Gunn is exploring potential TV spinoffs for Superman characters, including Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific and Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen.
Jenkins is represented by Blue Marble Management, CAA, and Tara Kole of Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.
