James Gunn Sets the Record Straight on DCU Canon in New Video

James Gunn has once again stepped in to explain what’s part of the new DC Universe and what’s not. Fans have been confused for a while, especially with how the old DCEU movies and shows are supposed to fit, or not fit, into this new timeline.

Gunn and Peter Safran are leading the charge at DC Studios, trying to build a fresh universe after the collapse of the DCEU. One project that made it through the transition is Peacemaker, a show that Gunn created himself. It’s coming back for a second season, and this time it’s officially part of the DCU.

Gunn, who now serves as co-CEO of DC Studios, confirmed that Peacemaker Season 2 is canon in the DCU. He promised fans the shift from the old universe to the new one will be easy to follow. He also said he’ll make sure Peacemaker fits smoothly into the story moving forward. That all sounded clear, until it wasn’t.

Over time, Gunn has given different answers about whether Peacemaker Season 1 is canon. First, he said it wasn’t. Then he said some parts would be picked out to stay in the story. After that, he said the whole season counts, except for the scene where the Justice League shows up at the end.

To try and settle things once and for all, Gunn recently shared a video online where he laid out what’s canon and what isn’t in the DCU.

According to him, the new DCU starts with Creature Commandos, then continues with Superman, and then Peacemaker Season 2 picks up from there.

“The DCU begins canonically with Creature Commandos, and then Superman continues the DCU, and then Peacemaker Season 2 continues from there. Now that’s the basics. If you really wanna keep it simple and not confused, just know that those three things are canon,” Gunn said in the video.

But of course, it didn’t stop there.

Gunn also said that certain things from the old DCEU can still count—if they’re shown again or mentioned in the new DCU.

“Anything that we show in the ‘Previously seen’ on Peacemaker, then becomes canon. Anything that they talk about having happened in the old world, that then becomes canon,” he explained.

To make things clearer, he gave an example.

“We know, for instance, that Rick Flag’s son was killed in Corto Maltese because we hear him talk about it in Creature Commandos. But what you really need to know is everything is canon from Creature Commandos, Superman, and through Peacemaker Season 2. That’s for the people that really want to get into the weeds,” Gunn added.

my show is canon. and i’ve always said that. pic.twitter.com/e4Q2bP2kut

— Peacemaker on HBO Max (@DCpeacemaker) July 30, 2025

This explanation may seem simple, but fans know that things can get messy really fast. If Rick Flag exists in the DCU, doesn’t that mean Harley Quinn, Amanda Waller, and maybe even Henry Cavill’s Superman are still in the picture? Especially since Waller shows up in the post-credit scene of Black Adam, a movie that starred Cavill’s Superman.

That kind of logic could pull the whole DCEU into the new timeline, just because some characters carry over. Gunn is trying to stop that by saying that something only becomes canon if it’s clearly shown or talked about in the new material. That rule keeps things from spiraling out of control.

This new video from Gunn is just his latest effort to draw a line between the old and the new. It’s a way to give fans a clean starting point, even if some people are still going to dig for connections and loopholes. For now, though, Gunn says that the real DCU begins with Creature Commandos, followed by Superman, and then Peacemaker Season 2. Everything else? Wait and see if it shows up again.

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