Dead Boy Detectives: Everything we know about the new DC series on Netflix

Fans of DC Comics are in for a treat, as the highly anticipated Dead Boy Detectives series is set to hit screens soon. Originally intended for HBO Max, Warner Bros. opted to sell the show to Netflix, which makes sense since it is based on a beloved Neil Gaiman comic book series and set in the same universe as The Sandman, which Netflix also owns.

Even better, Gaiman has teased that a member of The Endless from The Sandman will appear in Dead Boy Detectives, saying, “[In Dead Boy Detectives,] they will encounter a member of the Endless. But which one? Ah… you’ll need to watch it to find out.”

During Geeked Week 2023, Netflix debuted some photos and a teaser for the show. It looks fantastic and super fun. With a talented team behind it and plenty of dark, twisted fun promised, there’s no doubt that Dead Boy Detectives is one of the most exciting DC adaptations yet.

The series comes from Berlanti Productions and is developed by Steve Yockey who serves as co-showrunner with Beth Schwartz. Watch the first teaser below.

The series finally has a release date, and it's coming out this April! Get ready to solve mysteries with the Dead Boy Detectives agency when Dead Boy Detectives lands on Netflix on Thursday, April 25, 2024. You can expect the entire first season to drop on this date at 12:00 a.m. PT/3:00 a.m. ET. That's the usual time Netflix releases new content on its platform.

Variety confirmed in April 2022 that Dead Boy Detectives will have eight episodes in the first season. Currently, it is unknown whether Netflix plans to continue the show into further seasons, or whether they will release it as a limited series.

What is Dead Boy Detectives about?

Based on the Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner DC comic of the same name, Dead Boy Detectives tells the story of two ghostly teens, Edwin Payne and Charles Rowland, who solve supernatural mysteries in the afterlife. They first appeared in The Sandman comics, so this series could be considered a spin-off of the highly successful one. Here’s the logline for the Dead Boy Detectives series:

"Dead Boy Detectives is a fresh take on a ghost story that explores loss, grief, and death through the lens of Edwin Payne and Charles Rowland…and their very alive friend, Crystal Palace. It’s a lot like a vintage detective series — only darker and on acid."

Netflix also provided us with the official synopsis, which we shared below.

"Do you have a pesky ghost haunting you? Has a demon stolen your core memories? You may want to ring the Dead Boy Detectives.

Meet Edwin Payne (George Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri), “the brains” and “the brawn” behind the Dead Boy Detectives agency. Teenagers born decades apart who find each other only in death, Edwin and Charles are best friends and ghosts… who solve mysteries. They will do anything to stick together – including escaping evil witches, Hell and Death herself. With the help of a clairvoyant named Crystal (Kassius Nelson) and her friend Niko (Yuyu Kitamura), they are able to crack some of the mortal realm’s most mystifying paranormal cases."

The series is being adapted for TV by Steve Yockey, the mastermind behind the hit show The Flight Attendant, and will be helmed by prominent TV director Lee Toland Krieger, who has previously directed some of Netflix’s biggest hits, including Shadow and Bone, You, and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

Yockey has promised that the show will be a “dark fun” adventure, with plenty of wild and unsettling twists and turns. He’s working alongside Beth Schwartz, who served as a writer and producer on the hit DC series Arrow, to bring the story to life. In addition, Jeremy Carver and Sarah Schechter serve as executive producers.

The series is being produced by Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television and was originally slated to air on HBO Max. However, reports suggest that the show didn’t fit James Gunn’s new vision for the DC Universe, opening the door for Netflix to swoop in and pick up the rights.

Dead Boy Detectives cast

The show’s cast has already been announced, with several young actors set to play the lead roles.

George Rexstrew will play Edwin Payne, while Jayden Revri will play Charles Rowland. Kassius Nelson will portray the living physic medium Crystal Palace. They will be joined by several other talented actors, including:

• Michael Beach as Tragic Mick
• Joshua Colley as Monty
• Lindsey Gort as Maxine
• David Iacono as David the Demon
• Briana Cuoco as Jenny Green
• Lukas Gage as Cat King
• Yuyu Kitamura as Niko Sasaki
• Jenn Lyon as Esther Finch
• Ruth Connell as Night Nurse

When it comes to the show’s plot, details have been kept tightly under wraps. It’s unclear which storylines from The Sandman or Dead Boy Detective comics the show will adapt, but fans are eagerly anticipating the new series.

So, while we wait for Edwin and Charles to grace our screens, let’s keep our spirits up (pun intended) and enjoy some of the other amazing content out there. We can already tell this show will be even more spooktacular when it finally arrives! Stay tuned to Netflix Life for more updates on Dead Boy Detectives.