James Gunn Went Back on His Own Word: Creature Commandos Update Confirms Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn is Still DCU Canon

James Gunnʼs radical decision with Peacemaker Season 2 makes things very complicated for the future of DCU.

margot robbie’s harley quinn, creature commandos

SUMMARY

  • Peacemaker Season 2 sets itself in DCU despite John Cenaʼs debut in the DCEU film, The Suicide Squad.
  • James Gunn goes back on his promise of giving the fans a fresh start by constantly toeing the line between DCEU and his rebooted DCU.
  • Creature Commandos has one link David Ayerʼs DCEU timeline with that even the most loyal DCU supporters cannot ignore.
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One need only look at James Gunn to realize that not all good things in life come in the form of blessings and opportunities. Some of them appear in a red, white, and blue costumed dysfunctional superhero who vows to bring peace to the world, even if he has to kill every man, woman, and child for it. John Cena’s iconic Peacemaker returns to DCU to get what he wants, even with James Gunn standing in his way.

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John Cena as Peacemaker [Credit Warner Bros. Television]
John Cena as Peacemaker [Credit: Warner Bros. Television]

The über popular series, Peacemaker, unleashed chaos with its outrageous and hilarious arc in Season 1 after a promising debut in Gunn’s 2021 film, The Suicide Squad. But the movie that spawned a mega-popular spin-off show is now under scrutiny for the actions of its own by-product.

In simple terms, James Gunn’s new update on Peacemaker Season 2 now threatens DCU’s unadulterated status by giving a character canonical status despite their link to Zack Snyder’s scrapped DCEU.

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James Gunn Welcomes Controversy In DCU With Open Arms

The latest announcement on the DC front claims Frank Grillo has been cast as Rick Flag Sr. in Peacemaker Season 2 for a potential face-off between him and the titular character. John Cena’s character will be in for a ride as Rick Flag Sr. sets out to seek retribution for his son’s death after the events of The Suicide Squad.

Peacemaker vs Rick Flag in The Suicide Squad [Credit Warner Bros.]
Peacemaker vs Rick Flag in The Suicide Squad [Credit: Warner Bros.]

However, things began to get complicated due to Grillo’s involvement in DCU’s first project, i.e. the animated series, Creature Commandos. This directly sets the two opposing forces of the former DC and James Gunn’s rebooted DCU on a collision course despite claiming that Peacemaker Season 2 will take place entirely within the DCU mainframe and his assurance that this “won’t be confusing.”

As can be expected, such an update threatens James Gunn’s plans for DC by reigniting the public backlash for constantly going back and forth on his word about DCEU’s non-canonical status. If Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag exists within the realm of DCU, logic dictates that so does Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller, and most controversially – due to Davis’ appearance in the post-credit scene of Dwayne Johnson’s Black AdamHenry Cavill’s Superman.

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James Gunn Fumbles His Way Through the DCU Reboot

James Gunn at the 2016 SDCC [Photo Gage Skidmore]
James Gunn at the 2016 SDCC [Photo: Gage Skidmore]

Much to the fans’ disappointment, critics’ horror, and Snyderverse’s excitement, James Gunn’s latest fumble ropes in a wide range of emotions for an even wider DC fanbase. The merging of characters from his new and formative DCU with remnants of the old world marks a step in the wrong direction for the DC Chief.

After a turbulent, violent, spiteful, and malignant period in DC’s history, Gunn was able to gain back the fans’ trust with his innovative new approach to the franchise. However, his fickle attempt at keeping his word when and where it applies (re: Cavill’s exit), and toeing the sacred line and jumping the fence when it serves him best (re: adding depth to the Peacemaker lore) might make fans antsy about the future of DC Universe.

The only suitable course of action now seems to be to wait and observe how Gunn defends his decision without upsetting at least one faction of DC’s divided fanbase.

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Peacemaker Season 2 will premiere on Max after July 11, 2025. 

Diya Majumdar

Written by Diya Majumdar

Articles Published: 1701

With a degree in Literature from Miranda House, Diya Majumdar now has over 1600 published articles on FandomWire. Her passion and profession both include dissecting the world of cinema while being a liberally opinionated person with an overbearing love for music, Monet, and Van Gogh.