There are currently more comic book and superhero television shows on the air (or streaming) than ever before. Take The CW’s Arrowverse for example, and the unprecedented television universe they have created, with four DC Comics shows all interconnected in one way or another (of course, we are talking about Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and now, Supergirl). DC also has a presence on Fox, with Gotham and Lucifer returning for their third and second seasons, respectively, as well as news that a Greg Berlanti-produced Black Lightning series may soon join the network. And despite all of these shows maintaining solid viewership, when fans discuss their favorite DC television adaptations, historically, these series are not mentioned first.
This is because DC Comics has a long history in animation. A generation of hardcore fans grew up on Bruce Timm’s Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, and Justice League (later Justice League Unlimited). But there is a more recent DC animated series that is popular in its own right - and growing more so each and every day. That series is the Brandon Vietti and Greg Weisman created Young Justice. Young Justice, which aired two seasons between 2010 and 2013 on Cartoon Network, was unceremoniously canceled after season 2, but has since generated a large audience on Netflix. With the series’ creators indicating their interest in continuing the show, and rumors of Netflix considering producing a third season, here are 15 Reasons We Need a Third Season of Young Justice.
15. Maturity
There is a reason Young Justice is constantly a trending show on Netflix - well, there are many reasons. But one of those is the large demographic of people that can enjoy the show. Many animated series these days carry the family friendly TV-Y7 rating. For those that don’t know, that means the series is suitable for children aged 7 or up. Series like The Batman and Teen Titans carried the TV-Y7 rating. While Young Justice is not the only DC animated series (largely intended for youths) to carry a TV-PG rating, the show did seem to stretch that rating as far as it could - leading to mature storylines that could be enjoyed by children, young adults, and adult fans of the genre.
Young Justice featured themes not often seen in a series intended for children. Themes like deception and death played a prominent role in the series’ second season. Further, a character like Superboy dealt with trust and anger issues that easily could have been avoided had the creators of the show been more inclined to just satisfy children. But with Young Justice, you can tell the series was created by fans, and for fans. Romantic subplots were even at a maturer level, like Superboy ending his relationship with Miss Martian due to her propensity to essentially lobotomize her enemies. Of course, as previously mentioned the series did not shy away from showing that these heroes were in real danger, with death being a real possibility, and the series ending with Kid Flash’s (Wally West) apparent demise.
Should the series be renewed on Netflix, these themes, and mature storylines, presumably would, and should, continue.
14. Green Lantern Corps
An interesting element of Young Justice was that it took place in the world of DC heroes, but focused primarily on side kicks. However, the series did not shy away from letting us know that Justice League members Batman, Superman, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, etc. were out there. Rather, the stories clearly explained their frequent absence from the Team’s missions. Still, there were plenty of major stories that involved the Justice League. In fact, a prominent aspect of season 2 was that six founding members of the Justice League were off Earth standing trial for their crimes during the 16 hours they were under Vandal Savage’s control in season 1. While not really seen, the Guardians and the Green Lantern Corps were frequently mentioned during this conflict.
An interesting story in season 3 of Young Justice could involve the larger Green Lantern Corps. While we have had brief looks at Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and Guy Gardner, we could see the larger corps, perhaps in response to the Reach’s plans to take over Earth in season 2, or maybe for a different reason altogether. An intriguing plot could see the Green Lanter Corps sending a young Green Lantern to Earth to train with the Team due to the effectiveness of their covert missions. Aqualad (Kaldur’ahm) was a character created specifically for Young Justice, and presumably, a similar character could be created to further connect the Green Lantern Corps to the Team.
13. Artemis/Tigress
One of the first additions to the Team after their formation was Artemis (Artemis Crock). Initially introduced as Green Arrow’s niece, her character was shrouded in mystery from the very beginning. We learned early on in season 1 that the Team had a mole, and it was strongly teased to be Artemis. Red Arrow was convinced that Artemis was not who she claimed to be, and her interactions with Cheshire (later revealed to be her sister) were suspect as well. Of course, it was later revealed that Artemis was not the mole, though her familial history was complicated - not only was Cheshire her sister, but her parents were Sportsmaster and Huntress.
In season 2, after the time jump, Artemis was retired, living with Wally West. However, in order to infiltrate the Light, Nightwing and Aqualad faked her death, leaving her team devastated (see what we mean about mature storylines?). Thanks to a charm Zatanna crafted to mask her appearance, Artemis took on the villainous persona of Tigress, Aqualad’s right hand. Despite assuming the Tigress persona, she never went full bad. However, with Wally West’s apparent death at the end of season 2, she decided to give up the Artemis persona indefinitely, in favor of Tigress.
Should we get a season 3, it would be interesting to see where Tigress is now that she lost the love of her life. With family members like Cheshire and Sportsmaster, could she have fallen into a life of crime?
12. Another Time Jump
Despite ending season 1 on a cliffhanger, when Young Justice returned with season 2, the series had taken a five year jump forward in time. The season 1 cliffhanger still came in to play, as the Justice League’s missing 16 hours were revealed, with prominent members heading off Earth to stand trial for their crimes. The jump forward in time was a great way to start the second season off in new territory. Characters were able to mature, and the team dynamic was drastically different, forcing the audience to play catch up, but in a good way. Season 2 returned with Robin - now Nightwing - the team leader, with Tim Drake taking on the Robin persona. Aqualad had joined The Light (at least that is what we were led to believe) to be with his biological father - Black Manta.
Further, much like in Justice League Unlimited, the team was expanded. New members like Wonder Girl, Batgirl, Beast Boy, Blue Beetle, and more, joined the team, adding a new dynamic to the series. Season 3 could return with a similar jump forward in time. There are certain characters that we could find in a much different place, with the circumstances of these changes being revealed in a similar way as they were in season 2 - like us learning that Tula was killed on a mission. For instance, with a jump forward in time, characters like Batgirl and Nightwing (who left the Team) could be in a much different place than we left them.
11. Barbara Gordon/Oracle
So what kind of different place could we find Batgirl in? Well, most know that Barbara Gordon (Batgirl’s civilian identity) eventually becomes paralyzed by the Joker and assumes the role of Oracle. It is highly unlikely that the third season would show Barbara becoming paralyzed (that may be a bit too mature), but we certainly could see the aftermath. Gordon, as Batgirl, consistently showed her technical prowess during season 2 - much like Dick Grayson in season 1.
Barbara Gordon could continue to evolve in a third season, after taking on the Oracle mantle. Young Justice (like many ensemble superhero shows) did a great job of maintaining diversity on the roster. Having Barbara Gordon successfully dealing with the hurdles of being paralyzed would further the diversity on the show. Further, it would add more complexity to the season, and perhaps be the catalyst that returns Dick Grayson to the Team.
10. Nightwing’s Departure
As previously aforementioned, Nightwing left the Team at the end of season 2. It was hinted throughout the series that Dick Grayson did not want to turn out like his mentor, Bruce Wayne/Batman. So, after spoiling the Reach’s plans, and hitting a crippling blow to the Light, Nightwing decided to cede command to Aqualad, and depart. But where does he go? What does he do?
We do not know the answers to these questions yet, but presumably, we would find out in season 3 of Young Justice. As perhaps the most famous former sidekick in DC comics history, and having been a central character in Young Justice, it is hard to believe that Nightwing would not play some form of role in season 3. Perhaps he goes back to Blüdhaven to fight crime, or maybe something else entirely.
What is clear, is that Nightwing almost certainly would play some role in the future of Young Justice, and that is just one of the many reasons we need a season 3.
9. Aqualad Leading The Team
Regardless of where Nightwing would be in season 3 of Young Justice, he almost certainly would not start the season as a member of the Team. So, with Dick Grayson gone, leadership of the Team has been handed back to Aqualad. While Aqualad was a valiant leader in season 1, his various team members have had their mistrust of him. First, he kept from them in season 1 that the Team may have a mole. Then, in season 2 he was largely seen as a traitor before the reveal that he was working with Nightwing all along.
Despite his reconciliation with the Team, there could still be some trust issues to work out. After all, Aqualad had to make some decisions to keep his cover that still might not sit well with his team members. Between killing a large number Kroloteans and kidnapping both La’gaan and Miss Martian, it would be understandable if some members of the Team still fostered some resentment towards their leader.
Of course, even if that is totally off base, and everything is peachy with the Team, it would still be cool to see Aqualad’s leadership contrasted with Nightwing’s, and how he interacts with other members on the Watchtower.
8. The Watchtower
In season 2, as part of Aqualad’s continued effort to earn the trust of Black Manta and the Light, the Cave was destroyed. So, at the end of the second season it was revealed that the Team and the Justice League would both be operating out of the Watchtower. This is certainly an interesting development, and one that could lead to plenty of intriguing storylines down the road. Despite operating under the direction of the Justice League for much of the series, the Team has never been part of the Justice League. Further, season 2 saw much of the League distracted trying to clear their names in galactic court.
Should Young Justice return for a third season, the Justice League would presumably be operating at full speed. Batman, Superman, and Martian Manhunter would all be back on Earth, and now, collaborating with the Team. While we did see instances of Batman teaming with Nightwing, Robin, and Batgirl, and Aquaman joining La’gaan in season 2, perhaps there could be more stories uniting the groups. An intriguing secondary plot could be to see Superboy (Connor Kent) and Superman (Clark Kent) interacting more together. While they were shown on good terms following their contentious first season relationship, we could definitely see more of them together. And this all starts with both teams together on the Watchtower.
7. Red Arrow
It was revealed late in season 1, that Red Arrow (Roy Harper) was really, much like Superboy, a clone. In this instance, Red Arrow was a clone of Green Arrow’s sidekick, Roy Harper/Speedy. Roy then made it his mission to locate the real Roy Harper, a mission that lasted into season 2. When the real Roy Harper was finally located, Young Justice began to focus more on his rehabilitation and transformation into Arsenal, than what happens next with Red Arrow.
We know that the Red Arrow clone has a complicated life, which could lead to some tantalizing stories. Between season 1 and 2, Red Arrow started a relationship with Cheshire, and the two had a child together. Things took a turn for the worse when he became obsessed with finding Roy Harper. This led to Red Arrow neglecting his own physical health, forcing Cheshire to intervene.
Should we get a season 3 of Young Justice, one thing we want to know is where is Red Arrow?
6. Lex Luthor
While Lex Luthor and the Light were largely the Young Justice series’ primary antagonists, the evil group pretty much got off scot-free. In fact, after the defeat of the Reach, which Luthor did help out with, it was teased that Lex Luthor would be the new head of the UN. Having Luthor in a position of power like that is a dangerous proposition, indeed.
The Light certainly still has a big plan, and that likely would be explored in a third season of Young Justice. Let’s face it, you don’t end a season of a show with Vandal Savage and Darkseid shaking hands (more on that later) if you aren’t planning to build on that. Presumably, whatever Savage and Darkseid have planned, Luthor is a part of it, and having him leading up the UN (who have become major ambassadors with alien races) will be a large problem for both the Team and the Justice League.
5. New Villains
Young Justice did a great job of introducing a solid roster of villains during its two season run. For the most part, though, many of the villains were recurring, and thus left less room for continued additions. Antagonists like Lex Luthor, Vandal Savage, and Black Manta, were prominent member of the Light, while villains like Sportsmaster, Bane, and Deathstroke operated as enforcers, or soldiers of fortune. While there were several one-off episodes that showcased prominent villains like Mr. Freeze, Captain Cold, Killer Frost, and the Injustice League (who were really just puppets of the Light), there are so many enemies left to explore.
In a third season of Young Justice, the Team could have to deal with the further plans of the Light, but perhaps, also a new crop of villains. For example, while he did appear, Ocean Master played a very small role in Young Justice. While originally a high up member of the Light, he was eventually replaced in the organization with Black Manta. Could we see Ocean Master head up a rival organization?
There are also a crop of villains that are extremely popular due to the most recent film in the DCEU, Suicide Squad. Villains like Harley Quinn, Deadshot, and Captain Boomerang could make appearances. Perhaps, Task Force X could show up, since Amanda Waller was replaced by Hugo Strange as warden of Belle Reve.
4. New Gods
A third season of Young Justice almost certainly would have prominently featured the plans of Darkseid. And if Apokolips and Darkseid were involved, it is likely that we could see more of the New Gods from New Genesis. In season 1, we were introduced to the Forever People when they came to Earth to locate their New Genisphere, which Superboy had taken on as a robotic pet. The Forever People, Vykin, Big Bear, Beautiful Dreamer, Serifan, and Mark Moonrider, ended up teaming with Superboy to stop a gang that was being supplied with weaponry from Apokolips.
Should Apokolips and Darkseid play a major part in season 3 of Young Justice, it would be exciting to see the Forever People, or other New Gods from New Genesis playing a role. Of course, we also could see New Gods from Apokolips show up, like Granny Goodness or Desaad, the latter of which did appear in season 1. Regardless, the rivalry between New Genesis and Apokolips could spill over to Earth in an exciting third season of Young Justice.
3. Red Hood
As previously aforementioned, Young Justice did not shy away from highlighting the death of important characters to the Team. In an early second season episode, it was revealed that Tula (a love interest of Aqualad) had died on a mission. This was initially believed to be one of the main reasons that Aqualad gave up on the Team and joined his father, Black Manta. After Artemis was “killed,” her hologram was added to the grotto along with other fallen heroes. There, we saw holograms of Robin, Blue Beetle (the Ted Kord version), and Tula.
With Tim Drake and Dick Grayson very much alive, the hologram of Robin was almost certainly Jason Todd. While the circumstances of Todd’s death were never discussed in the series, it likely happened at the hands of the Joker, as in the comics. But like the comics, death is rarely absolute, and we know Jason Todd is eventually resurrected.
Young Justice has already explored a more vicious form of vigilantism with Arsenal (the real Roy Harper), but featuring Red Hood in a story arc would be a home run. Maybe Joker and the rest of the Injustice League escape imprisonment, and before the Justice League or the Team can respond, the villains start getting picked off one by one. Perhaps, this could be another potential reason for Dick Grayson to return to the Team.
2. Vandal Savage and Darkseid
We mentioned it earlier, and if you have seen Young Justice, you knew this would be making an appearance. You simply do not have Vandal Savage and Darkseid shake hands to end a season if you do not plan on continuing the story. When season 2 ended, the Team spoiled the Reach’s plans to destroy Earth, but they were unable to prevent Vandal Savage from securing perhaps his most dangerous weapon yet - War World. Earlier in the second season, Savage manipulated Mongul into heading to Earth with War World in response to the Reach’s plans to take over the planet. When all the dust settled, Vandal Savage secured control of the planet-destroying War World.
Vandal Savage then traveled to Apokolips with War World for a meeting with Darkseid. With Desaad and G. Gordon Godfrey looking on, Savage and Darkseid shake hands, ending the second season. So what do the two have planned? Who knows? But whatever it is, it cannot be good, and we need a third season of Young Justice to find out.
1. What Happened to Wally West?
While attempting to spoil the Reach’s plot to destroy the world, Barry Allen, Bart Allen, and the retired Wally West, have to run as fast as they can to neutralize the chrysalis. While the three speedsters together are able to siphon off enough energy to succeed, Wally West is unable to maintain the same speed as Bart and Barry. As a result, too much energy attacks Wally, and he ultimately sacrifices his life, and his future with Artemis, to save the world. It was a heartbreaking moment. Wally and Artemis had the perfect life together. They had given up the hero gig, and had each other. Even after Artemis’ death was teased several times, it ended up being Wally that met his demise - or so we are led to believe.
Sure, Young Justice has not shied away from the death of team members. But did Wally really die? We saw him disappear while running at top speed, being attacked by energy blasts. But we did not actually see him die. Of course, this could just be Game of Thrones like speculation (or denial), but when a speedster disappears while running at full speed, you have to think about what role the Speed Force played. We have seen Wally West sucked into the Speed Force in Justice League Unlimited, and, of course, we have seen the same happen to Barry Allen in The Flash. Could Wally just be lost in the Speed Force? We need season 3 of Young Justice to know for sure.
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Clearly, there are no shortage of reasons why we need a third season of Young Justice. Continue watching on Netflix and let us know in the comments why you want to see more.
