Overview

DC Super Hero High is an upcoming comedy series which is executive produced by Elizabeth Banks – known for her work on Charlie’s Angels, Pitch Perfect and Shrill.

The series, which comprises half-hour episodes, chronicles the journey of a group of students who go through the ‘fun and drama’ of adolescence at a boarding school for gifted students.

According to HBO Max, where the show will be situated, ‘these teens are just trying to navigate the pressures of high school, but none of them realise that someday they will become legendary DC Super Heroes.’

Premise

The series uses the DC Universe, or DCU, as the background for its story. This setting is known for its classic DC Comics superheroes such as Superman, Batman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter and Green Arrow.

On the flip side there are supervillains such as the Joker, Lex Luthor, Braniac, Sinestro, Cheeta and Reverse Flash. The main DC Universe is the first shared universe in comic books, and it has now been adapted to film serials and radio dramas.

The DC Universe follows the basic idea that it is exactly like the real world, with the exception of superheroes and supervillains residing within it. There are some other differences, such as the existence of fictional countries like Qurac, Zandia and Vlatlava.

Stories are often set in America, but they can take place in fictional locations such as Metropolis and Gotham City too. Alien species are around, such as the Kryptonians and Thanagarians, and there are interstellar societies which people on Earth know about.

The superheroes in the DC Universe which reside on Earth largely owe their abilities to a meta gene. This is a genetic feature which leads to some people developing superpowers when they are exposed to dangerous forces or substances.

Other causes of supernatural ability include magic, genetic manipulation or bionics. Some superheroes or supervillains don’t have any superhuman powers at all, with notable examples including Batman, Speedy, Robin and Green Arrow. However, they make use of specialised equipment or reach ‘the absolute limit of human potential’ in training such as martial arts.