Credit: Warner Bros.After the merger of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) last year, significant reorganization occurred within the company. This led to Walter Hamada, the former head of DC, stepping down and James Gunn taking over his position. James Gunn, known for directing the Guardians of the Galaxy series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) under The Walt Disney Company, as well as The Suicide Squad (2021) — which differs from the 2016 Suicide Squad featuring Jared Leto as the Joker — assumed the role as Hamada’s successor.
Related: Report: James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ Will Explore Man of Steel’s Dark Side Even Further
The previous iteration of the DC Film Universe consisted of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), which prominently showcased Zack Snyder’s Justice League, introduced viewers to Henry Cavill portraying Superman/Clark Kent, Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince, Ezra Miller as The Flash/Barry Allen, Jason Momoa as Aquaman/Arthur Curry, and Ray Fisher as Cyborg/Victor Stone.
Gunn Redefines DC Universe “Canon”
Recently James Gunn confirmed on Threads that Peacemaker‘s Season 1, which Gunn himself directed is actually not canon to the DCU timeline of events — indicating that the end of The Flash (2023) truly “deleted” the prior continuity of events — now set to be rebooted fresh.
Clearly, even Gunn’s own DC works with fan-favorite Peacemaker (John Cena) is not safe from the DCU chopping block, even though it was previously expected to be worked into the new DC canon.
DC fans might be wondering how Season 2 of Peacemaker would even work, considering Season 1 seemingly “does not exist”. There is actually an answer, and it seems to be Gunn and co-CEO Peter Safran’s best attempt at making sure movie-going audiences aren’t lost entirely.
So What Is and What Isn’t Canon to the DCU?
Marking the onset of the latest phase in the DC Universe (DCU) titled “Chapter One — Gods and Monsters,” James Gunn takes the helm to initiate a significant revamp of the previous DCEU, aiming for a rejuvenated beginning. The first film in this Chapter, SUPERMAN (formerly known as Superman: Legacy), is a project personally crafted, scripted, and directed by Gunn.
Not a ton is known about the DCU’s Chapter One — but enough is known to piece together a rough timeline, as well as understand what is “canon” to the main timeline (DCU) and what is going to be labelled as “DC Elseworlds” — alternate universes still a part of DC’s film universe, but not canon to the main DCU timeline.
The DCU Canon Timeline Explained
Creature Commandos
Creature Commandos is an upcoming adult animated television series, the first installment in the DC Universe, produced by DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation. It revolves around a black ops team of monsters assembled by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis).
The series, written entirely by James Gunn, features a star-studded cast including Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., the team leader and father of Rick Flag Jr., Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana Rostovic, Indira Varma as the Bride of Frankenstein, Zoë Chao as Nina Mazursky, Alan Tudyk as Doctor Phosphorus, David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein, Sean Gunn as G.I. Robot and Weasel, and Steve Agee as John Economos.
Animation for the series is handled by Bobbypills. Creature Commandos is set to premiere on the streaming service Max in late 2024, as part of the DCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.
Peacemaker (Season 2)
Peacemaker is a television series based on the DC Comics character of the same name. The character Peacemaker is portrayed by actor John Cena. The series follows the character as he embarks on a mission to achieve peace at any cost, often resorting to extreme measures. Peacemaker premiered on HBO Max in January 2022 and is a spin-off from the 2021 film The Suicide Squad, in which Cena also portrayed the character.
Waller
DC’s Waller almost definitely refers to Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), a character from DC Comics often depicted as a government official or intelligence operative who is known for her ruthless and cunning nature, who debuted in live-action in 2016’s Suicide Squad. Amanda Waller is most commonly associated with the Suicide Squad, a team of antiheroes and supervillains forced to undertake dangerous missions in exchange for reduced sentences or other incentives. She is the founder and often the leader of the Suicide Squad, utilizing her skills in manipulation and strategy to achieve her goals. Amanda Waller has appeared in various media adaptations, including films, television shows, and video games.
SUPERMAN
It’s important to begin the DCU movie universe with the most highly-anticipated film set to hit theaters in 2025 — SUPERMAN.
Just like Snyder’s Man of Steel (2013) introduced audiences to Henry Cavill, it appears that Gunn is doing something similar. By rebooting DC’s most iconic hero, Superman/Clark Kent, there is a clear signifier to the people watching that this is a totally new continuity.
In the upcoming DC film iteration of Superman, David Corenswet (known for his role in Hollywood) will take on the lead role as Clark Kent/Superman, with Rachel Brosnahan (from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) portraying his romantic interest and Daily Planet journalist, Lois Lane.
The ensemble for Legacy includes Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, and Anthony Carrigan, returning to the DC universe in a different role after his past portrayal of Victor Zsasz in Gotham (2014-2019), as Metamorpho.
Nicholas Hoult, recognized for his portrayal of the younger Beast/Hank McCoy in 20th Century Fox’s X-Men franchise (now 20th Century Studios), as well as in Renfield (2023), will take on the role of Lex Luthor. Additionally, rumors suggest that Kurt Russell, known for his role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as Ego the Planet, may portray Clark Kent/Kal-El’s father, Jor-El.
The Brave and the Bold
Breaking away from the traditional Batman origin story, which typically features the tragic deaths of Bruce Wayne’s parents, Martha and Thomas Wayne, leading to his transformation into the Dark Knight as seen in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight Trilogy, James Gunn is determined to diverge from the familiar narrative associated with Gotham’s iconic hero.
Related: DC’s Choice of Robin for Upcoming ‘Batman’ Reboot Questioned by Fans
Gunn seems to be deliberately distancing himself from Ben Affleck’s portrayal of Batman during Zack Snyder’s Justice League era. Affleck and Michael Keaton’s versions of Batman/Bruce Wayne from the former DC Extended Universe, as well as Robert Pattinson’s portrayal in The Batman (2022), are also under DC’s umbrella. Tentatively titled The Brave and the Bold and directed by The Flash‘s Andy Muschietti, which will focus on “Batman and his actual son, Damian Wayne”, and the rest of the DC Comics Bat Family.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
The new Supergirl will not be Sasha Calle from The Flash, but Milly Alcock. Described as “a grand science fiction epic” and a “captivating narrative that spans across the stars,” it will contrast the world-weary Kara Zor-El/Supergirl, who witnessed the destruction of her home planet Krypton and the loss of her loved ones, with her cousin Superman, who was raised on Earth in a nurturing environment by loving parents.
A movie adaptation of the comic book miniseries “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” (2021–22) by King and Bilquis Evely, Ana Nogueira has been tapped to write the screenplay.
The Authority
The rumor is that the Authority will be antagonists to Corenswet’s Superman.
Gunn characterized the Authority as a team convinced that “the world is completely broken” and believes in taking matters into their own hands to enact change, even if it involves extreme actions like assassination or toppling governments. Safran likened the morally ambiguous nature of the team to Jack Nicholson’s character in A Few Good Men (1992).
Following DC Comics’ acquisition of WildStorm in 2011, the Authority and its characters were integrated into the DC Comics universe. Gunn and Safran intend to produce a film centered on the Authority, a superhero team created by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch, beginning to integrate WildStorm’s characters into their own DC Universe continuity, starting with the Authority.
Swamp Thing
A Gothic horror movie delving into the “dark origins” of Swamp Thing was announced, set to be tonally darker than the rest of the DCU.
Gunn mentions that the Swamp Thing movie will draw specific inspiration from Alan Moore’s 1984–85 “The Saga of the Swamp Thing” comic book series. The upcoming film is a personal project for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) director James Mangold.
Teen Titans
The Hollywood Reporter recently shared that a live-action Teen Titans movie is in the works at DC Studios, with Ana Nogueira slated to pen the script. No confirmed title has been released.
The DC Elseworlds
Just like DC Comics, the world of the DC film universe will also include its own “Elseworlds” brand of “alternate universe” stories.
This includes director Matt Reeves’ The Batman Universe, starring Robert Pattinson as a younger Bruce Wayne/Batman, and Colin Farrell’s Penguin/Oswald Cobblepot AKA Oz Cobblepot. The future The Batman franchise projects include The Batman 2 film, as well as a Farell-led limited series crime drama titled The Penguin.
2019’s Joker starring Joaquin Phoenix is another DC original set to return to the big screen, now under the “DC Elseworlds” label.
Second film in the franchise Joker: Folie à Deux will debut October 4, 2024, and bring Joaquin Phoenix back as Arthur Fleck, the mentally ill former party clown and stand-up comedian with a nihilistic criminal persona inspired by clowns. Lady Gaga stars as Dr. Harleen Quinzel, initially tasked with treating Arthur but eventually becoming obsessed with him, leading to a dangerous romantic entanglement (and likely turning into the iconic Harley Quinn). Zazie Beetz plays Sophie Dumond, Arthur’s former neighbor and a single mother. Additionally, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Jacob Lofland, Steve Coogan, Ken Leung, and Harry Lawtey join the cast in undisclosed roles, with Leigh Gill and Sharon Washington reprising their roles as Gary and Arthur’s social worker, respectively.
What are you most excited about in the DC Universe? Is the canon DCU timeline confusing? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!