James Gunn isn’t mincing words when it comes to what’s canon — and what’s not — in the new DC Universe. With Peacemaker Season 2 arriving August 21 and Superman having just rebooted the franchise in earnest, fans are naturally asking: what counts? Two titles definitely don’t.
“They’re not canon! I hate it!” Gunn told Den of Geek, when asked about Black Adam and Shazam! Fury of the Gods. That may come as a surprise considering both films featured Peacemaker co-stars Steve Agee and Jennifer Holland reprising their roles as John Economos and Emilia Harcourt, respectively. But appearances alone don’t equal legitimacy in Gunn’s book — especially when he’s trying to relaunch an interconnected universe.
“There are certain things from the old universe that we refer to in Peacemaker season 2, but until then, they’re not canon. Almost everything from season 1 is canon, but season 2 will explain everything that is or is not canon.”
It’s a lot of weight to put on Peacemaker, a show that originally spun off from Gunn’s The Suicide Squad and made its star, John Cena, a surprisingly emotional figure beneath the chrome helmet, beefcake physique and jingoistic slogans. But it tracks with Gunn’s long-stated commitment to treating his offbeat characters — even the ones with pet eagles and complicated daddy issues — with sincerity.
James Gunn Wants “Balanced Canon” in DC
Gunn himself has always leaned into the weirdness. While he admits canon can be “complicated” when dealing with world-building on the scale of DC, Star Wars, or Marvel, he’s refreshingly pragmatic about it. “I’m a balanced canon guy,” he said. “On the one hand, people take it a little too far. Obviously, these are fictional stories… But at the same time, these stories are supposed to be in the same world, and you need to pay attention to the connection between things.”
And for those still confused? He offers a simple rule of thumb: “Nothing is canon before Creature Commandos, but you can think of those other things as vague memories of things that happened, going back even to the first Suicide Squad.”
That includes Black Adam and Shazam! Fury of the Gods — two films that are now officially out of bounds, despite shared characters. It’s a clean slate, and Peacemaker Season 2 is setting the tone.
As Cena put it with a smirk, “James Gunn made a sacred oath that he’s not bringing characters back from the dead, and he already broke that by bringing Peacemaker back after he died in The Suicide Squad. So I can confidently say that the future of Peacemaker is one that will defy the odds.”
Peacemaker Season 2 returns to HBO next month.
via Collider