Forget Batman v Superman or X-Men vs. The Avengers, the greatest comic book battle might be James Gunn vs. canon.
After coming on board to direct Peacemaker season 1 and The Suicide Squad for what was then known as the DCEU, Gunn was handed the keys to the rebooted DCU as part of his and DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran's grand plans for a new cinematic universe.
With Peacemaker season 2 on the horizon, that means the thorny issue of what is and isn't canon has reared its head once more. It's become such a going concern that Gunn will be addressing it weekly on a Peacemaker rewatch podcast.
"It's going to be on every episode… and that is: what's canon?" James Gunn says of an ongoing segment during the first episode of Peacemaker: The Official Podcast. "One of the things people are most confused by as Peter Safran and I took over DC is 'What is part of the DCU?'"
While Gunn clarified that Creature Commandos and Superman are "100% canon", the first season of Peacemaker required the director to "go back and change a few things that don't quite match with [the DCU]."
That, of course, includes one of the best-loved running bits in Peacemaker, which includes John Cena's vigilante making repeated jabs at Aquaman and his proclivity for, ahem, sleeping with the fishes.
"Is Aquaman canon? We don't know. I don't think Aquaman is canon," Gunn said.
The director added of Aquaman's current status in the DCU, "It's unlikely that Aquaman is a famous hero in the DCU as Superman and Peacemaker season 2 is happening."
So maybe we shouldn't expect the sea-based hero to make a splash just yet in James Gunn's new universe.
Previous Aquaman actor Jason Momoa will be showing up in Supergirl, however – as a different DC character. There, he will play Lobo, the foul-mouthed mercenary who crosses paths with Milly Alcock's Kara while she undertakes a quest for revenge.
Confusing? Maybe, but that will be solved in another episode James Gunn and the Continued Adventures of What Is and Isn't Canon in the DCU.
Until next time, check out the upcoming DC movies coming your way very soon, as well as how to watch the DC movies in order.
