James Gunn’s Controversial Statements About the Future of the DCEU

The director has proven his talent at Marvel and in the DCEU in movies like Guardians of the Galaxy and his version of Suicide Squad. Plus, his Peacemaker series was quite the hit. However, since he’s been directing the reins of DC in the movies, his comments have been rather ill-advised. James Gunn’s latest posts about his new direction in the reboot of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) have been somewhat confusing.

James Gunn’s Controversial Statements About the Future of the DCEU

Image: James Gunn Twitter/DC Comics

The studio executive has confirmed the tenure of three actors in the DCEU. First, he mentioned John Cena, who plays the Peacemaker. This decision is unsurprising, considering he leads Gunn’s series. Then, he announced that Viola Davis will retain her role as Amanda Waller. Davis’s character has appeared in several installments like Suicide Squad and Peacemaker. She is one of the most veteran actors in the DCEU. Finally, he mentioned Xolo Maridueña, the Cobra Kai star who will play Blue Beetle in DC’s newest film. This raises a question: will we continue to call this DCEU or DCU? The answer is unclear due to Gunn’s subsequent statements.

Gunn has recently stated that “nothing is canon” in the DCEU until the arrival of Creature Commandos and Superman Legacy. Even though the actors mentioned above will retain their roles. This statement suggests that what happened in the previous projects will possibly not be repeated. Nor does it guarantee the return of other cast members. This means that even if Peacemaker and Amanda Waller are on the way, it would not necessarily canonise Margot Robbie’s performance as Harley Quinn or Jared Leto’s version of the Joker, who is related to these characters.

Below is Gunn’s full statement, which is supposed to provide “clarity,” but honestly, for all his talent, it seems the man is having difficulty expressing himself coherently. The future of the DCEU remains an enigma, and only time will reveal how all these unknowns will be resolved.

James Gunn Statements

“Nothing is canon until Creature Commandos next year – a sort of aperitif to the DCEU reboot – & then a deeper dive into the universe with Superman: Legacy after that. It’s a very human drive to want to understand everything all the time. In any case, it’s normal to have some confusion, since no one has seen any of the DCEU yet. And, yes, some actors will be playing characters they’ve played in other stories & some plot points might be consistent with plot points from the dozens of films, shows & animated projects that have come from DC in the past. But nothing is canon until CC and Legacy.”

A New Universe Adapted to the Whims of the Director of Superman: Legacy

What James Gunn seems to describe is essentially comics’ fundamental workings. In this narrative world, we see the same characters in various incarnations, where some elements remain constant while others change. For example, Bruce Wayne’s parents are killed in most Batman stories. However, Gunn suggests that certain aspects of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) plot will be left behind, possibly including much of the Zack Snyder era with Darkseid and the core Justice League. This is even though we will see some of the same actors reprising their roles, such as Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman or Jason Momoa as Aquaman. However, it is clear that Superman and Batman will start over, at least in continuity.

At this point, it seems like the best option would be a complete reboot of the cast. Especially in terms of the Justice League era of the DCEU, and that could still be a possibility. The return of John Cena and Viola Davis seems logical, and there’s no real need for Blue Beetle’s story to be canon, aside from Xolo’s performance in the title role. So far, this explanation, while odd, makes sense.

The situation won’t be as confusing as it might seem if James Gunn doesn’t introduce many major DCEU characters and rewrite past events. However, there is still time until the James Gunn DCEU reboot begins its new direction for good. We will only have a clearer picture of how this new narrative will unfold.

Featured Image Via Warner Bros. 

I am a circus aerialist influenced by Dick Grayson and Spider-Man. Fortunate to write about the characters that inspired me. I also have a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and a Master's degree in International Trade.