Speculation, hinting, assumptions…these are the entertainment journalism stock and trade. It wouldn’t be big franchise media without it! But after weeks of tacit clarification from DC Studios head James Gunn, the first episode of Creature Commandos make it officially official. The events of The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker season one are canonical within the new DCU. Our long national nightmare is over.
The moment of clarity came early in episode one of Creature Commandos as Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) and Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) walk through the halls of Belle Reve Prison. In a brief conversation as the two head toward the monster wing of the facility, Waller expresses remorse over Flag’s son, Rick Jr. (Joel Kinnaman), dying during Operation Starfish. A moment later, Flag likewise references Waller’s daughter giving evidence against her. This, of course, alludes to agent Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), a member of Team Peacemaker, who was surreptitiously reporting on the rest of the team.
In just that brief exchange, we understand what Gunn had been saying about “light canon” regarding some of the events of the DCEU. In previous interviews, the writer explained that anything from the DCEU could be canon in the DCU, but is only confirmed if stated outright in projects from Creature Commandos forward. He had also stated all of Peacemaker season one is canon, save for the brief Justice League cameo at the end, since the DCU Justice League hasn’t arrived yet.
If Peacemaker is canon, it would almost necessitate that The Suicide Squad would have to be, at least somewhat. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, it’s likely most of the characters from that film could simply carry over. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if Harley Quinn as played by Margot Robbie were retconned out so she could be reintroduced later on in Batman media. However, I’d be very okay if she remained the DCU’s Harley. Easily the best character in the old DCEU in my humble opinion.
We will, of course, see if any other DCEU events and characters carry over as the show continues. But for now? We can at least live in the realization that Creature Commandos is actually the third project in the DCU, not the first.
Creature Commandos episodes one and two streaming now on Max.
Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.