Is the DCEU part of the DCU multiverse? James Gunn speaks out after Justice League retcon
Warner BrosThe DCEU is dead, and James Gunn’s DCU has begun – but does its cinematic predecessor still exist somewhere in the multiverse? If it makes you feel better, yes.
In 2018, the DC Extended Universe (the name given to Zack Snyder’s universe and other films like Wonder Woman and Shazam) commercially peaked with Aquaman, grossing over $1.14 billion worldwide and becoming one of the biggest movies of all time).
Nine films were released in the five years that followed, and none of them made more than $440 million. That, plus James Gunn and Peter Safran being tapped to reboot the franchise, led to the DCU, a rebirth that launched with Creature Commandos and a new Superman in the form of David Corenswet.
Yet, despite the Snyder Cut giving closure to fans embittered by 2017’s disastrous ‘Josstice League’, people still want to know if the DCEU is truly gone.
James Gunn responds to criticism after DCEU retcon in Peacemaker Season 2
The opening episode of Peacemaker Season 2 effectively rewrites history by cutting out the Justice League’s appearance at the end of Season 1 and replacing them with the Justice Gang, Superman, and Supergirl. It doesn’t allude to the change whatsoever – it’s like they were never there in the first place.
It’s safe to say, some fans were (and remain) unhappy, even comparing Gunn to Thanos. On Threads, one user cited people accusing Gunn of “erasing the DCEU from existence” and asked an important question.
“So like, did The Flash film reset the DCEU and create the DCU, or is the correct interpretation that the DCEU is simply off elsewhere in the multiverse, and now we’re simply following the DCU; with the two universes merely sharing similarities?” they wrote.
Related
“Haha oh boy. None of these things really exist so it’s obvious I didn’t erase any films from existence,” Gunn replied.
Warner Bros.“But if one really wants to pretend it’s all real the 2nd is closer: you could say there are an infinite amount of timelines and the DCU timeline is almost exactly the same as the PM Season 1 timeline with very very minor differences.
“I mean I think it’s fair to say a lot of aspects of Season 1 fit in even less with the DCEU than the DCU so Season 1 is kind of an outlier to begin with.”
In short, Gunn isn’t completely pooh-poohing the idea that the DCEU is still active somewhere in the multiverse, but don’t expect to ever spend any time there again.
Gunn was also asked about the possibility of re-editing Peacemaker and The Suicide Squad to make it more consistent with the DCU. “That would be millions of dollars of work for something only a very very very small minority care about. I’d rather spend that money on new stories,” he said.
Until Episode 2, read more about Peacemaker’s White Rabbit cameo, what its Bludhaven reference could mean, and check out the Season 2 soundtrack. You can also find out if The Suicide Squad is canon in the DCU.