James Gunn’s latest canon update confirms that a Superman moment from the DCEU likely never happened in the DCU. The DCU has officially started, with Creature Commandos recently finishing its first season on Max. While the DCEU no longer exists, Gunn’s DCU isn’t a complete reset of the universe.
Some events from the DCEU are canon in this universe, causing some confusion regarding what is and isn’t canon. Gunn has explained what is canon before, and he recently shared more comments on Bluesky.
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 CC forward is pure canon; 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.
Per Gunn’s explanation, anything from the DCEU that gets addressed in the DCU is canon. If it never gets mentioned or acknowledged, it’s not canon. For example, Rick Flag Sr. acknowledges that his son died, meaning Rick Flag Jr. is ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in the DCU. It’s a convenient way for Gunn to keep whatever he likes in the DCEU without fully refreshing the universe, but he makes the rules now, so he can do what he feels is best for the universe. However, his latest update erases one DCEU Superman moment that Gunn created in The Suicide Squad.
James Gunn’s Explanation Means Bloodsport Didn’t Shoot Superman In The DCU
As Gunn demonstrated in Creature Commandos, he is an expert at giving characters interesting backstories that he uses to develop them and make each character more complex. He did this in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and in 2021’s The Suicide Squad. It also allows Gunn to quickly explain each character’s power level, which he did with Idris Elba’s Bloodsport, by establishing that he sH๏τ Superman with a kryptonite bullet. While he didn’t kill Kal-El before he was arrested, he did send him to an ICU unit, demonstrating his elite ability as an ᴀssᴀssin-for-hire.
Since this was never shown, it was possible that this could’ve been Corenswet’s Superman instead of Cavill. However, it’s unlikely that Gunn will ever mention this in the DCU since it would have to be explained how Superman survived this. It would be a mᴀssive deal if someone managed to send Superman to the hospital, and every villain would want to know how Bloodsport did it. Gunn can easily wipe this from the canon by never mentioning it, even if Elba’s Bloodsport does return, which he isn’t yet confirmed to.
David Corenswet’s Superman Has A Clean Slate In The DCU
While it is slightly confusing how some DCEU characters exist in the DCU, others are given a clean slate. Corenswet’s Superman has no attachment to Cavill’s, and none of Cavill’s storyline will affect him in the upcoming Superman movie. As seen in the trailer, every character from the DCEU has been recast, including Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, and Jonathan Kent. Corenswet’s Superman also has Krypto the Superdog, who did not exist in the DCEU.
What could be confusing is that Rick Flag Sr. is in Superman, meaning the film is connected to Creature Commandos, which is connected to The Suicide Squad. Superman is still somehow attached to a DCEU project, but none of the DCEU’s events will connect to the film. The DCU’s canon is slightly confusing, but it is worth it since Gunn is still creating Peacemaker season 2.
Upcoming DC Movie Releases
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Superman
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July 11, 2025
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Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
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June 26, 2026
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The Batman Part II
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October 1, 2027
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