DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has offered up a new detail about the forthcoming DC Universe, confirming that the Justice League has not yet been founded despite superheroes having existed on the Earth for decades.
While the DCU is a fresh start at a shared universe for DC Studios, the franchise is still something of a soft reboot of the former DC Extended Universe, which began with 2013’s Man of Steel and concluded with 2023’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Gunn has previously shared how certain events from previous DCEU entries can be made canon in the new DCU, in which he revealed that the only part of Peacemaker Season 1 that is no longer canon is the Justice League cameo in the finale. Now, Gunn has opened up about why exactly the Justice League canon has been stricken from the record.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Gunn reaffirmed how canon will work in the DCU, noting how the DCEU entries The Suicide Squad and its spin-off series, Peacemaker, are “light canon” in the new shared universe. “Peacemaker is pretty straightforward, with the exception of the appearance by a certain group [the former DCEU’s Justice League] at the end. (Laughs.) They don’t exist yet,” Gunn revealed. “But the rule is: If we mention [something from the past] in one of the new DCU shows [and movies], then it happened. So that’s the way we’re dealing with it.”
While it was initially believed that the Justice League cameo was no longer canon because Gunn planned on recasting all of its members, beginning with David Corenswet succeeding Henry Cavill as Superman, this latest clarification reveals that the superhero team does not yet exist in the DCU. This means that the superhero team in the upcoming Superman movie consisting of Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Mister Terrific will not be called the Justice League.
Who could be part of the DCU’s Justice League’s initial lineup?
Corenswet’s Superman is expected to be part of the DCU’s Justice League, with the actor set to portray the Man of Steel in multiple projects. While no other characters have been officially confirmed by Gunn to be part of the superhero team, fans believe that Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl and Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart/Green Lantern will be part of the Justice League since their actors and characters are around the same age as Corenswet/Superman. With movies and series featuring Supergirl, Batman, Wonder Woman, Blue Beetle, and Booster Gold also in development, any one of those heroes could be part of the initial Justice League lineup.
The DCU kicks off on Dec. 5 with the two-episode premiere of Creature Commandos on Max.
