Tag: DC

I think the one thing haters and fans of the DCU can all agree on is that it’s hard to keep up with what is canon – and we’re just 3 projects in.

Many have argued that a full reboot of the DCEU would have better solved these issues, but if you were James Gunn, would you reboot your projects, especially when they are the most loved by the audience? The thought of the question would open another can of worms.

Hired in October 2022, James Gunn and Peter Safran were tasked with ushering in a new era of thriving and coherent DC content. Coming from the mess of the Snyderverse, the Gunnverse came with its own mess… “the not-so-reboot, reboot”.

James Gunn has been on a “tour” trying to explain the DC universe to new and old fans, but that is not enough, as I ask myself in the middle of the night… why not do a full reboot?

The new logic is similar to the logic used in comics. You see, in comics, the writer for the continuity of a project changes hands often, and most times the new writers dislike or forget the old logic, so what they do instead is create a new narrative and gaslight the audience into thinking that what’s always happened. You can take comic events like Jon Kent (Superman’s son) becoming 17 and 10 multiple times with no explanation, or switching from New 52 to Rebirth without explanation.

This, of course, has been discussed by studio execs but hasn’t really been tested on this scale. James Gunn is pushing the boundary and changing how we view superhero media. Take Superman, for example; it is a full-blown comic book movie, and now in Peacemaker, it uses comic book logic to explain to fans that this is a new universe.

The DCU maintains some of the actors and storylines of the DCEU, and this builds a new narrative for this DC Universe. The cast and characters of the DCEU Peacemaker season 1 return for season 2, which is set in the DCU. This caused a bit of a problem amongst the general audience: “Are Suicide Squad, The Suicide Squad, and Peacemaker now canon?” No and yes.

At the beginning of Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 1, we got “previously in the DCU,” an explanation on all thing DCU and what carries over into this new universe. We saw some details change, which include the inclusion of the Justic Gang at the butterfly battle ground on the farm and the green lantern joke. Why not reshoot theses scences? James Gunn explained to TV Insider, “unfortunately I’d have to change too many little things throughout Season 1, and it would cost too much money.” 

The beauty of this new DCU is you can always skip a project but if you choose to follow all, note that it becomes canon if and only if it is mentioned in this new project.

To reboot DC on screen, James Gunn—co-CEO at DC—will be banking on the success of the first DCU slate, Creature Commandos and Superman (Legacy). Yesterday the Creature Commandos launched the new DCU as a “soft intro” to the bigger story.

If you enjoy The Guardians of The Galaxy franchise, The Suicide Squad, or Peacemaker, then you will enjoy Creature Commandos, which has the same tone (of rogues doing something good) that is maintained. The adult animation blends gory fights and mature comedy that you can relate to, similar to Family Guy, Harley Quinn, and Hit Monkey.

To understand the show, you need to understand how Canon works when it comes to rebooting in DC. Until it is mentioned or referenced, nothing is canon. What’s canon so far includes Rick Flag Jr.’s death, Adebayo’s outing Waller’s Task Force X project, and a bunch of subtle things (watch Peacemaker and The Suicide Squad to get the references).

In my opinion, there are parts of the show that seem unnecessary; for example, James Gunn animated in the intro (which was later clarified as a surprise he later went with). Rick Flag’s relationship with the princess and how short each episode is are my major concerns.

Aside from the first episode, which feels weird, episodes 2 through 7 seem to properly introduce each character with a backstory.

Creature Commandos Episode 1 & 2 Easter Eggs You Might Have Missed

Themyscira is a rumoured place in the DCU.

In a GBS News report when describing the events of Circe and the Sons of Themyscira, the Amazons were mentioned. In the New52 comics, The Sons of Themyscira are the male children of the Amazons who were abandoned at birth. The news anchor described Themyscira as a “perhaps mythical, perhaps real” place. This gives a better understanding of the timeline of the DCU.

It is important to note that GBS is a company owned by one of Superman’s villains, Morgan Edge. It’s a cable service and phone service in Metropolis.

Circe and Superman might have met.

Circe is an exiled sorceress from Themyscira, and via news reports, we can assume she attacked Metropolis, which led to her encounter with Superman. Circe would later be arrested by the Metropolis Police Department, home of Superman.

Rap battle meme

The Sons of Themyscira referenced the famous “Supa hot fire rap battle” meme.

GBS News anchor

The GBS News Reporter is voiced by an actual American journalist, known as Jake Tapper, a popular CNN News host.

Adebayo did expose her mother.

Rick Flag Sr., in a conversation with Waller, mentioned Waller’s daughter exposing Project Starfish. What this means is that the events of Peacemaker Season 1 are canon. At the end of Season One, Leota Adebayo exposed Project Starfish, forcing Congress to place a ban on using humans for Task Force. Amanda Waller, being herself, used this loophole to make A.R.G.U.S. shift from using humans to monsters.

Jason and the Argonauts

Rick Flag, Sr. refers to Doctor Phosphorus as Jason and the Argonauts, a reference to the classic movie with the same name.

The Bride was born in 1831.

The Bride in the DCU was created as a wife for Frankenstein, but their relationship was never manifested as she developed feelings for her maker, Victor. Victor was then murdered by Frankenstein, who later stalked and chased her for over 200 years.

The year the bride holds a historic value in the real world is the same year Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, the book, revised edition was released.

Ultra Bunny is back!

Ultra Bunny is a fictional character in the DCU. It appeared on Rick Flag Jr.’s shirt in a couple of scenes in Peacemaker, and now on Frankenstein’s shirt with the same slogan, “Obstacles are opportunities.”

Slither/Nina Mazursky

The scene where Nina was in the bathtub referenced the movie Slither (2006). It is a science fiction comedy horror film written and directed by James Gunn.

Superman will die…?

In the season trailer, via a vision by Circe, it was revealed there is a future where Superman, Mr. Terrific, Starfire, Captain Atom, and Peacemaker will die.

Shaggy is canon

During The Bride’s flashback and origin scene, we were able to understand the relationship between The Bride and Frankenstein. Shaggy from Scooby-Doo appears in the flashback sequence.

Pokolistan

Pokolistan is a fictional country located in Eastern Europe, broken off from the Czech Republic. In the comics, they had secret deals with President Lex Luthor.

The Bride reads ‘Young Love.’

The Bride is spotted reading an issue of ‘Young Love’ in Belle Reeve prison. Young Love was a real romance comic, published by Crestwood/Prize, and was later sold to DC Comics. It ran through the 1950s and 60s.

How old are the Rick Flags?

Rick Flag Sr. mentioned he and his ex-wife had their son when they were in the military at 18 years old. Rick Flag Jr. died in Corto Maltese by Peacemaker during Project Starfish.

Frankenstein’s dialogue

In episode 2, Frankenstein directly quoted Mary Shelley’s 1818 Frankenstein edition book. “Shall each man find a wife for his bosom, and each beast have his mate, and I be alone?” In the book, The Bride is never born. Victor discards her body parts out of fear.

Ratings: 4.5/5

For more movie updates, follow us on Twitter/X; click here.

I want to believe most of us grew up with DC or, at the least, have consumed DC content; I know I did. When I was a kid, I used to have a sense of joy calling myself a fan of DC, but this past decade, it’s more than embarrassing watching what DC has turned to, especially in this MCU world we live in.

Warner Bros. and DC executives sometimes forget they sit on a gold mine of IPs, and it’s a shame we have to rotate between Superman and Batman repeatedly. Filmmakers have tried to do justice to these characters, but to the audience, it’s the same story. DC has continuity issues; the DCEU (Extended Universe), DCAU (Animated Universe), or all iterations of the film and TV universe all meet the same fate. CANCELLED.

Don’t get me wrong; DC has some successful projects, but it’s time they do something stable, and this is where James Gunn and Peter Safran come in. As a fan observing from the outside, looking in, it’s fascinating to see that they are finally getting a creative head, and hopefully, they get it right.

On January 31st, 2023, James Gunn announced the start of a new DC, the DCU, a reboot of everything DC on film, TV, and gaming. His vision includes the continuity of Peacemaker, Creature Commandos, a new Superman film, the Lantern shows, and many more. Today is the start of that universe.

What do you need to watch to understand this universe?

To be honest, nothing. If you’ve watched or consumed any DC content, then you should understand what “reboot,” “continuity,” or “canon” is in the context of DC. If not, let me explain. When you reboot a universe, you are not necessarily starting over but moving the story in a better direction, resulting in the issue of continuity. How do you move what we’re following and enjoying? What are you bringing into this universe?

This new universe will include nods to some of the events of the DCEU, such as Peacemaker Season 1, The Suicide Squad, and Blue Beetle.

Peacemaker: James Gunn recently mentioned that the events of Peacemaker remain canon aside from the scene where the Justice League showed up. He explained that, in his DCU, the Justice League is yet to be formed.

The Suicide Squad: [Spoilers] In Creature Commandos, Weasel survived, and Rick Flag Jr. is still dead.

Blue Beetle: I’m still unsure, but with the announcement of a Blue Beetle animated TV show with the same actors, I want to believe the origin of Blue Beetle will remain canon.

The Timeline

The events of Creature Commandos begin two years after The Suicide Squad and just before Superman (Legacy).

Creature Commandos takes the same tone as The Suicide Squad but with monsters. If you’re done with that tone, it’s understandable not to watch Creature Commandos. James Gunn has announced the defining moment to begin the DCU starts with Superman.

Then why start Creature Commandos now?

James Gunn told fans he greenlit Creature Commandos after he became DC Co-CEO. He explained he wrote Creature Commandos after The Suicide Squad. Critics may argue that Creature Commandos, being the same tone as previous Marvel/DC work, will never be greenlit.

Will DCU remain permanent?

Previously, executives and creatives did not always agree on the way forward, which is why most projects get shelved. Giving Warner Bros. Discovery state, if David, James, and Peter continue to agree, the DCU is projected to be a success.