James Gunn Clears Up Future DC Universe Canon

Blue Beetle poster square

The DC cinematic universe has been… messy, to say the least. Not only in its content, but in its execution, which has seen a number of movies flop and others just kind of middle around for a bit before being forgotten by the public. As the franchise moves into a new phase with a new creative director, many have been wondering what, if anything, is sticking around as canon. Now, we have a clear(ish) answer.

In a series of posts on Threads, Instagram’s Twitter competitor, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn shed more light on how the canon of the DC films universe will work going forward. While some actors will be staying in their roles from previous films and TV series, their prior portrayals won’t necessarily be canon to the new universe.

Instead, a new canon will kick off with the upcoming animated series, Creature Commandos, next year, and will continue with the Superman origin story film Superman: Legacy in 2025.

“Nothing is canon until Creature Commandos next year - a sort of aperitif to the DCU - and then a deeper dive into the universe with Superman: Legacy after that,” Gunn said in a post, “It’s a very human drive to want to understand everything all the time, but I think it’s okay to be confused on what’s happening in the DCU since no one has seen anything from the DCU yet.”

In a subsequent post, Gunn said that Xolo Maridueña will continue to play the role of Blue Beetle in future canon works, Viola Davis will continue as Amanda Waller, and John Cena will retain his role as Peacemaker. Gunn also confirmed that viewers would not need to have watched any other DC films or series prior to Creature Commandos to understand the new canon, signaling a fresh start for the franchise.

The recent Blue Beetle movie is available digitally now, just a couple months after its premiere in theaters in the US. Blue Beetle got fairly mixed reviews, but Xolo Maridueña’s performance as Jaime Reyes, the eponymous Blue Beetle, was praised by most critics, so fans will likely be glad to see him continue in the role going forward.