Syfy's 'Krypton' Pilot Adds to the DC Universe

The DC Comics universe got a little more widespread this week with the news of a pilot order for Krypton, a Superman prequel on the Syfy network. The cable series will join a long list of series and films based on DC characters, and it may help to solidfy the DC universe's grip on superhero television.

Krypton will tell the story of Superman's grandfather as he battles for his family's honor on his soon-to-be-destroyed home planet. The series pilot will be written by David S. Goyer, the screenwriter behind Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Batman Begins. The series has been in development for years, but this week's pilot order makes it definite that Krypton will at least get a shot at getting on Syfy's schedule.

The series would join a sizable stable of DC series on other networks, including Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow and The Flash on The CW, Batman prequel Gotham on Fox, and Supergirl on CBS. Most of the current DC series have been relatively solid performers on their respective networks. This is in contrast to the Marvel universe, whose broadcast TV series Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Marvel's Agent Carter have failed to pull in big ratings.