]
Is The Suicide Squad set in the DC Universe? James Gunn clarifies if his first film on the other side of the pond is truly canon to the DC Studios reboot.
The canon of the DC Universe has been one of the most confusing aspects of the new DC Studios regime. While James Gunn has stated that the reboot is set to be a clean slate, a number of actors such as John Cena and Viola Davis are set to reprise their roles in projects such as Peacemaker, and other films such as The Suicide Squad have had their events referenced in Creature Commandos.
Luckily for fans, James Gunn has (once again) come forward to set the record straight on the DC Universe’s canon, specifically when it comes to how The Suicide Squad relates to Creature Commandos. In a recent post on BlueSky, the director reveals that his two projects prior to becoming co-chair of DC Studios are more akin to ‘imperfect memories’, getting some things right while getting other things very wrong.
“Short answer: Only Creature Commandos forward is pure canon. For instance, Rick Flag Jr was killed because we heard Rick Flag Sr talking about it in Creature Commandos, not because we saw it in The Suicide Squad.”
“Long answer: Only [Creature Commandos] forward is pure canon;” Gunn continued in a separate thread on BlueSky. “Peacemaker is almost entirely consistent with that canon other than the Justice League; The Suicide Squad has a lot of consistencies but I think of it as an imperfect memory.”
How The Suicide Squad’s Canon Effects The DC Universe
To many, it was this post by James Gunn that finally made the canon of the DC Universe clear, despite it being the same thing that he’s been saying ever since he took over DC Studios. This has led many to wonder how The Suicide Squad‘s nebulous canon status could effect other projects in the DC Universe, especially when it comes to characters like Harley Quinn.
Perhaps the most important thing to take from The Suicide Squad being made only partially canon by James Gunn is the idea that key characters in the film may not have died. This includes fan-favorites such as Jai Courtney’s Captain Boomerang, Mongal, and The Detachable Kid. Though if any of these characters do ever show up again in the DC Universe, it’s likely they’ll be played by different actors.
The Suicide Squad is now streaming on Max. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the future of the DC Universe and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
