If any fanbase has proven the squeaky wheel gets the grease, it’s most certainly the one belonging to Young Justice. Had they not endlessly petitioned, watched previous episodes on Netflix, or purchased the video game, then Cartoon Network’s cancellation would’ve stuck. Instead, the beloved animated series was given a 26-episode renewal for a third season on the DC Universe streaming service.
As luck would have it, San Diego Comic-Con brought us confirmation on a fourth season being in production. Whether or not the “Outsiders” subtitle will be retained or another one put in its place remains unknown, but this is exciting news either way.
Beyond that, nothing else has been confirmed other than DC Universe being the continued home for the series. I’d assume that another 26 episodes will be ordered, but nothing’s been said on that front, either.
At the time of this writing, it’s hard to discuss where the story could go, as we still have several episodes remaining in season 3. There’s a good chance the Apokolips arc will be behind us by then, but we’ve thus far seen much less of Darkseid than I’d thought.
If anything’s a solid bet, it’s that we’ll witness another time jump when season 4 does kickoff. This practice has become the norm for the series, and I must admit it’s cool seeing the old guard age while other heroes rise up the ranks.
Then again, this is becoming a double-edged sword because it seems like we’re seeing less and less of fan favorites like Nightwing, Aquaman (formerly Aqualad), Superboy and Miss Martian. Maybe it’s time to pare things down in time for season 4, rather than expanding the cast to gigantic proportions.
No premiere date for Young Justice season 4 has been set, but late 2020 or early 2021 are most likely, depending on how far along production is. Don’t forget, animated shows take longer to produce than those on the live action side.