The new DC comics multimedia franchise, the DC Universe aka the DCU, just officially started last month with the release of Creature Commandos, so you might think that it would be pretty easy to wrap your head around what is and isn’t canonically part of it. But actually, because the guy in charge of it now also helped make some of the last projects in the previous iteration of the DC film series, what’s canon and what isn’t is a bit of a mess at the moment.
Okay, before we get into what is and isn’t (and sort of is) canon in the new DC film universe, let’s recap the last two years real quick so we’re all on the same page.
In October 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery announced that Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran were taking over all DC movies and TV shows moving forward. The pair would be co-CEOs of the newly formed DC Studios division. Then, in December 2023, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom landed in theaters as the last movie officially released as part of the Zack Snyder era of DC. The first project created by Gunn and Safran as part of the new DCU was the animated show Creature Commandos, which ended its first season earlier this month. According to Gunn, everything after Creature Commandos (and the show itself) is canon unless specified otherwise. Everything else isn’t. That makes it sound so simple. But it ain’t that simple.
Are Suicide Squad and Peacemaker canon in the DCU?
On January 20, James Gunn was asked about a plot point, the death of Rick Flag in the non-canon film The Suicide Squad, which is mentioned in Creature Commandos. And the director and CEO of DC Studios explained that moving forward, only Creature Commandos is “pure canon.” Some older stuff, like his 2021 movie The Suicide Squad, could be considered an “imperfect memory” of what happened. Also, the 2022 show Peacemaker is “almost entirely consistent” with the new canon, but just ignore the scenes involving the Justice League at the end.
Okay, so let’s recap: What’s canon in the DCU? Creature Commandos, all the shows and movies that come out afterward, like 2025's Superman, and some parts of Suicide Squad and most (but not all of) Peacemaker. That’s it, right? Well, no. It gets more complicated!
In 2023, before Aquaman, DC released Blue Beetle. The movie was a massive box office flop and it isn’t part of the new DCU. But the Blue Beetle hero featured in the movie is in fact part of the DCU, and the actor who played him will return in the future in an animated series that will reference the movie, but will be a canon adventure in the DCU.
Oh and speaking of confusing, the second season of Peacemaker starring John Cena will be part of the DCU even though the first season is sort-of-but-not-actually canon.
To summarize: The DCU canon consists of Creature Commandos, all future DC movies and TV shows (except some stuff like The Batman 2), the Blue Beetle character but not the movie he appeared in, parts of The Suicide Squad, and most of Peacemaker’s first season but not really and all of its second season. Got it? Well, if not, just reread this thing or tweet at James Gunn. I’ve tried my best to explain it all and my head hurts so I’m going to go take a nap.
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