James Gunn Reveals Why the DCU Was Not a Full Reboot

James Gunn finally reveals why he did not do a full reboot of the DCU and kept titles like Peacemaker and The Suicide Squad, which were part of the DCEU. The original assumption was that Gunn was selectively keeping the projects he created as part of his new DCU continuity and retroactively making them part of his larger DC Universe. While that is the case, it appears there was also a behind-the-scenes business factor that motivated the Peacemaker cast to be brought in.

On Threads, Gunn confirmed that a complete reboot of the DCU was not done because of the contracts that were already in place for Peacemaker Season 2. Gunn reveals that the show’s return was already in development when he was hired as co-head of DC Studios, and scrapping it would not only have meant paying out all the money invested in development, but also getting rid of what was a hit series for HBO Max. In the end, Gunn does confirm that the decision was also motivated by his love of the Peacemaker cast, as he thought they could play a larger role in his DCU.

“Peacemaker Season 2 deals were all in place when I became head of DC. It was either break everyone’s contracts and pay out all that money and take away HBO Max’s biggest show at the time or find a way to make it work. I chose the latter. Mostly tho because I love the character and the show and thought he/they could be an important part of the DCU.”

Gunn’s instincts to keep Peacemaker part of the DCU have certainly paid off. John Cena’s cameo as Peacemaker in Superman drew reactions from audiences and immediately played into the idea that the DCU was one big playground. Then, Peacemaker Season 2 laid some important foundations for the DCU moving forward, including the formation of the organization Checkmate and the setup of a loose adaptation of the Salvation Run arc from the comics, which will seemingly be a big overarching story in the universe.

As for the challenge of bringing Peacemaker Season 1, a series firmly set in the DCEU, into the DCU, it was rather simple. The second season wastes no time retconning the Season 1 finale, swapping out the Justice League for the Justice Gang, now featuring silhouettes of Superman and Supergirl alongside Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner and Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl. In fact, Gunn’s DCEU titles, like The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker Season 1, had a stronger sense of DC history, with references to characters and events that didn’t always align with the now-defunct universe.

While Gunn has so far only folded in previous DC stories in which he was involved, he appears to be open to bringing in more. Creature Commandos featured a cameo of Blue Beetle in one of Circe’s visions, confirming Gunn’s comments that 2023’s Blue Beetle would be “the first new DCU character,” even if the story isn’t fully canon to the universe. Xolo Maridueña is expected to reprise his role in the Blue Beetle animated series. Gunn’s DCU approach to continuity is rather simple: keep what works and start new when needed, just like DC Comics.