James Gunn Explains Why Peacemaker Will Move to DCU

Television

James Gunn’s DCU continues to get more confusing. One of the few things from the DCEU that will remain in the DCU will be Peacemaker, Gunn’s HBO series starring John Cena in the lead role. But Gunn’s decision to keep certain DCEU elements while jettisoning others has people unsure of what to make of the DCU and how it will fit with the DCEU continuity, if at all. Recently, Gunn answered some fan questions on Threads, and Peacemaker came up; one user asked if season 2 will be a reboot, and another asked why Gunn chose to keep the series alive rather than simply reboot it. Gunn gave fairly cryptic answers to both:

I get being vague and evasive; I’m sure Gunn doesn’t want to give the story away before season 2 comes out. But keeping Peacemaker while discarding other elements of the DCEU does suggest some of the main criticisms of Gunn’s handling of the DCU may be fair. First, Peacemaker is his show; he’s the creator and showrunner, this version of Peacemaker is from his film The Suicide Squad, and Gunn’s wife, Jennifer Holland, has a major role. People have accused Gunn of keeping the DCEU stuff he worked on – and the actors he’s either friends with or related to – and getting rid of everything else, Blue Beetle (confoundingly) notwithstanding. Another, and one I find more troubling in terms of creating a cinematic universe, is that Gunn is adapting things he personally likes rather than crafting the DCU from the ground up, like jumping ahead to Damian Wayne in his first Batman movie or introducing the Authority so early. Gunn saying that he’s keeping Peacemaker because “it’s my favorite thing to do” feeds into both of those, making it seem like he’s playing in his private sandbox rather than doing what’s best for DC. Of course, we won’t know until we see the movies and shows, and Gunn does assure fans he’s found a compelling way to keep Peacemaker as part of the DCU; I’m not asking for the check before the meal arrives. But after years of mostly lousy movies and some decisions that, even if they turn out well, you have to admit, look strange, people are understandably wary.