HBO Max's upcoming supernatural DC series Dead Boy Detectives has found a new cast member in Euphoria's Lukas Gage.
According to Variety, Gage -- also known for his roles in The White Lotus and Angelyne -- will appear in Dead Boy Detectives in a recurring capacity as the Cat King, who is described as a "charming trickster and itinerant cat spirit, who takes keen interest in Edwin." Gage replaces Alexander Calvert (Supernatural, Gen V) in the role.
At this time, it's unclear if the Cat King is an entirely new character, or if he is perhaps connected to the existing DC comic book character Karl Kyle/The King of Cats, the long-forgotten brother of Selina Kyle/Catwoman. Created by Bill Finger and Lew Sayre Schwartz, The King of Cats first appeared in Batman #69, cover-dated February 1952. The character has been absent from the DC Universe for over four decades, last appearing in 1981's Superman Family #211.
DC's Dead Boy Detectives Is Coming to HBO Max
Created by Neil Gaiman, Matt Wagner and Malcolm Jones III, Charles Rowland and Edwin Paine -- known collectively as the Dead Boy Detectives -- first appeared in 1991's Sandman #25 as part of the Season of Mists story arc. Charles and Edwin are the ghosts of two dead children who decided to stay on Earth and become paranormal detectives, rather than enter the afterlife. Following their debut in The Sandman, the Dead Boy Detectives continued to pop up throughout DC's now-defunct Vertigo Comics imprint.
In 2021, the third season of HBO Max's Doom Patrol brought the Dead Boy Detectives to live-action, with Sebastian Croft and Ty Tennant playing Charles and Edwin, respectively, and Madalyn Horcher playing their medium companion, Crystal Palace. That same year, HBO Max ordered a pilot for a Dead Boy Detectives series, with Steve Yockey attached as showrunner.
This past April, Dead Boy Detectives officially received a series order at HBO Max. However, Croft, Tennant and Horcher are not involved in the project. Instead, the series stars George Rexstrew as Edwin, Jayden Revri as Charles and Kassius Nelson as Crystal. That said, Ruth Connell is attached to reprise her role as Night Nurse from Doom Patrol. Additional cast members for the new series include Briana Cuoco as Jenny the Butcher, Yuyu Kitamura as Niko and Jenn Lyon as Esther. This past June, Beth Schwartz (Arrow, Sweet Tooth) boarded Dead Boy Detectives as co-showrunner.
"It's a fresh take on a ghost story that explores loss, grief, and death through the lens of Edwin Payne (George Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri), two dead British teenagers, and their very alive friend, Crystal Palace (Kassius Nelson)," an official description for HBO Max's Dead Boy Detectives reads. "So, it's a lot like a vintage detective series -- only darker and on acid."
Source: Variety