We are currently in a thoroughly strange transition time at DC, where James Gunn is taking over, but not exactly wiping the slate clean. Gunn has confirmed that three current DC cast members will carry over to the DCU, two of which come from one of his own projects, Peacemaker. So that’s Peacemaker himself, played by John Cena, and Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller, who appeared as far back as the original (not good) Suicide Squad, but recently in Gunn’s new one, in Peacemaker and even in a Black Adam cameo. The last actor confirmed is Xolo Maridueña’s Blue Beetle, a movie which had no clear connection to the current DCEU.
But things are going to be weird with season 2 of Peacemaker, something that Gunn is now working on after the Writers Strike has been settled, in addition to Superman: Legacy. Gunn was asked on Threads whether season 2 of the show would take place in the DCU, or if its continuity will be addressed. He answered yes to both questions. So season 2 “counts” as part of DCU canon (season 1 is…unclear?) and the fact that it is now canon will also be covered, meaning the entire transition is probably going to be addresesd.
Given how goofy Peacemaker can be compared to the larger DC universe, I am picturing some sort of Deadpool-type fourth wall-breaking situation, but it does raise a lot of questions. The current iteration of Cena’s Peacemaker, for instance, was in Suicide Squad with Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn is attached to Jared Leto’s Joker. Both of those are connected to Affleck Batman. Momoa’s Aquaman and Miller’s Flash cameoed in the Peacemaker season 2 finale.
So even though Peacemaker seems like his own thing, it’s clear how messy things can get as you try to sort through who’s canon and not. The thing is, it may not matter for a lot of these projects.
We know already that for sure, we are getting a new Superman (who has already been cast as David Corneswet) and a new Batman. And even if Miller’s Flash, Momoa’s Aquaman and Gadot’s Wonder Woman do stay, there are…no announced DCU projects starring any of those characters directly. The same goes for Harley, Joker and all the rest.
Most projects are new characters or old heroes confirmed to be getting recast. So what it seems like is that Gunn is just making a few exceptions for characters he personally likes and thinks are important (from his own existing DC projects) and Xolo from the well-received, DCEU-disconnected Blue Beetle. As the co-head of DC now, he can do that, but I do think ultimately this is going to be more of a clean slate than it initially appears to be here. But you can understand the confusion, certainly.
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