James Gunn's Shocking DC Retcon: A 9-Year-Old Movie Has Been Twisted

James Gunn’s DC Universe has addressed a nine-year-old DC movie, retconning it in the process. The DCU’s connection to the DCEU’s movie timeline places the former franchise in an interesting position. Upcoming DC movies have the liberty to pick and choose which elements of the DCEU will be canon to the DCU, with anything not mentioned subsequently being non-canon.

Peacemaker season 2 has been emblematic of this, with the show making the first major DCEU to DCU retcon by reshooting a moment from Peacemaker season 1. In the latter, initially set in the DCEU, one scene included a cameo from the Justice League, with Ezra Miller’s Flash and Jason Momoa’s Aquaman being front and center.

In a Peacemaker season 2, episode 1 Easter egg, however, now set in the DCU, this scene was retconned to include Superman‘s Justice Gang: Green Lantern, Mr. Terrific, Hawkgirl, Superman, and Supergirl. This proved how the DCU will make certain elements from the DCEU canon, with a more recent retcon of a nine-year-old movie doubling down on this.

DC’s Newest Release Retcons An Almost 10-Year-Old Movie In A Major Way

Rick Flag and June Moon looking at each other while covered in mud in Suicide Squad (2016)

Warning! The following sections contain spoilers for Peacemaker season 2, episode 3.

In Peacemaker season 2, episode 3, a DCEU movie from 2016 is referenced. The episode opens with a flashback to before the events of 2021’s The Suicide Squad, revealing that Emilia Harcourt and Rick Flag Jr. were sleeping together. However, Rick reveals that he is cheating on his current girlfriend, June, with Harcourt.

Herein lies the reference to an older DCEU movie. Rick Flag’s girlfriend is June Moone, Cara Delevingne’s character from 2016’s Suicide Squad. June and Rick became a couple before that movie, reuniting in its final moments after June was briefly possessed by the Enchantress.

While elements from 2021’s The Suicide Squad have been confirmed as DCU canon, this is the first time anything from 2016’s Suicide Squad has been mentioned. James Gunn has now made the relationship between Rick Flag and June canon to the DCU, though with the added retcon that the former was cheating on the latter with Peacemaker‘s Harcourt.

Also, it is interesting to note that Gunn’s Peacemaker may have retconned more elements of Suicide Squad. The ending of that movie saw Enchantress die, but June survived. In Peacemaker, however, Rick refers to June as a sorceress, hinting she is still Enchantress in the DCU’s new canon.

Peacemaker Season 2’s Rick Flag Jr Twist Changes A Lot More Than Just Suicide Squad

Rick Flag Jr. In ARGUS Files Peacemaker Season 2

With Peacemaker‘s reference to Suicide Squad, several DCEU/DCU projects have been recontextualized. Of course, Suicide Squad has been, with the reveal that the film’s central romance now has a more bleak future. Beyond that, The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker season 1 seem different in retrospect.

Rick Flag Jr. dies in The Suicide Squad after being stabbed by Peacemaker on the orders of Amanda Waller. This makes the overall emotional impact of that scene on wider DCU characters more resonant now, with Harcourt’s lover and June’s boyfriend dying. What makes this worse is that Harcourt is part of Task Force X and likely heard or saw Rick dying firsthand.

Also, the fact that it was Peacemaker himself who killed Rick changes the former’s show. Both seasons of Peacemaker have teased a relationship between the тιтular antihero and Emilia Harcourt. The retcon that Harcourt used to be romantically entangled with Flag makes her relationship with Peacemaker, her ex’s murderer, much more complex.

Evidently, the DC Universe‘s latest retcon is a big one, as it not only changes the perception of a nine-year-old movie but also more recent DC properties, too.