James Gunn Tried To Make The New DC Universe Canon Less Confusing (And It Didn't Work)

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With the recent (extremely disappointing) release of "Joker: Folie a Deux," there is nothing standing between the old DC and the new DC Universe, which kicks off later this year when the animated "Creature Commandos" arrives on Max. Then DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran's plans kick into high gear next summer when Gunn's new "Superman" movie hits theaters. What are those plans, exactly? An ever-growing list of movies and TV shows has already been confirmed, and put simply, the DC Universe is getting a reboot. Unfortunately, there is still some confusion for the time being.

The easiest thing would be for Warner Bros. and DC Studios to say "we're starting over completely fresh. Nothing from the former DCEU counts, but everything going forward does." Unfortunately, it's not so simple. Certain projects that were in the works before are going to be ushered in as part of the future. That has muddied the waters a bit for the average viewer — and even for people like me who are steeped in this stuff day in, day out. Recently, during New York Comic Con, Gunn, who is best known for directing Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" trilogy, tried to clear up some confusion about the new DCU canon (via Comicbook.com). Here's what Gunn had to say about it during a DC-focused panel:

"There are references to things that happened in the past, and those references then become canon in the DCU because we mention them."

Gunn has tried to explain this in the past as well. "We'll be using some actors from the past, we're not using other actors from the past, but everything from that moment forward will be connected," Gunn said in early 2023. While revealing the initial DC Studios slate, Gunn explained that all DCU projects will share a multiverse including movies, TV shows, and even video games. From "Superman" forward, it's a brave new world. But what about the elements of the past that will be forced to blend with the new? How is all of that going to work? Gunn's new comments, sadly, don't paint a clearer picture.

The new DC canon comes with a great many questions

Ultimately, it seems like just about everything is being fully rebooted. The shared universe that started with Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel" in 2013 is no more. David Corenswet is our new Superman. Ben Affleck will no longer be Batman. There will be a new Wonder Woman. Everything will share a "multiverse," which is why Matt Reeves' "The Batman" universe is technically part of the new DCU even though Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne won't be in the same universe as Corenswet's Superman. And that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to possible points of confusion for the casual viewer.

Gunn's own "Suicide Squad" universe is coming along for the ride as well. Gunn directed 2021's "The Suicide Squad" as well as several episodes of its spin-off series "Peacemaker." These projects were pretty firmly connected to the DCEU. So, how does "Peacemaker" season 2 fit in? How are these things that are "references to things that happened in the past" suddenly canon? How does that work in practice? Maybe the movies and TV shows themselves will answer this, but for now, this approach raises far more questions than it answers. 

The questions certainly don't stop there. Is Viola Davis playing the same Amanda Waller from 2016's "Suicide Squad," which explicitly includes Affleck's Batman? Or is she another Amanda Waller from elsewhere in the multiverse? Is that going to be messy for new audiences? Isn't this supposed to be a fresh start?

Is Waller going to be like Judy Dench's M in the "James Bond" films, where she played the character for both Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig's 007? Whatever the case, for the moment, this all still feels a little bit messy. With this December's "Creature Commandos" also featuring characters from the past, such as Weasel, it's probably going to get messier before the picture gets more clear. That could be a problem that Gunn and Safran will need to contend with.

The new DC Universe needs to be simple for the average viewer

The fact of the matter is that DC has been on one heck of a cold streak. "Shazam! Fury of the Gods," "The Flash," and "Blue Beetle" all bombed last year, with "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" majorly disappointing. "Joker: Folie a Deux" may go down as one of the biggest comic book movie bombs ever when all's said and done. Mercifully, "Joker 2" isn't connected to DC Studios, so Gunn and Safran at least get to technically disown that dumpster fire. But it must be acknowledged that DC is in a bad spot with the general public.

That being the case, I'm sympathetic to Warner Bros. having to make "The Batman Part II" because "The Batman" was a huge success. That project can't be abandoned just because it would be easier for Gunn to start over with a new Batman. It's bad timing, yes, but WB has to do what's best for the bottom line. They also have to accept that it makes things messy. Similarly, Gunn is now the co-head of the entire DC enterprise. It's understandable that he wants to bring his "Suicide Squad" sandbox with him, but that makes it harder to clarify the nature of this reboot.

The first chapter of this DCU reboot, dubbed "Gods and Monsters," is full of promise. Gunn crushed the "Guardians" trilogy. In his hands, "Superman" feels like a home run. A James Mangold "Swamp Thing" movie, lesser-known properties like "The Authority" getting the big screen treatment, a "Booster Gold" show coming to TV ... that's just the tip of the iceberg, but it all feels ripe with potential. None of that matters if audiences who have already disregarded DC lump these projects in with what came before.

If casual viewers see John Cena's Peacemaker or Davis as Waller, will they assume it's just more of the same? Maybe this sounds like nerdy nitpicking in some ways. Maybe it will all work itself out and make sense once these projects start debuting. But for this to work the way they need it to, it's important that it makes sense, and it's important that it's easy for audiences to understand. The era of comic book movies being automatic essential viewing for the masses seems to be behind us, so these projects need to stand on their own two feet without requiring much — if any — homework. Here's hoping Gunn can crack that code.

"Superman" hits theaters on July 11, 2025.