Tag: James Gunn

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.

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.