Superman: Legacy: James Gunn confirms the new DC Universe canon begins with his Man of Steel film

Last Updated on August 4, 2023

Orchestrating a reboot of a single property is tricky, but reintroducing audiences to a universe is far more complex. Do you start from scratch? Do you keep certain characters because of their established history and fan appeal? Does rewriting a world mean everything that came before is moot? These likely are some of the questions DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran asked themselves when shaping the new DC Universe. Thankfully, Gunn isn’t shy about engaging with fans and recently clarified when the new DCU canon begins.

When Edi Gathegi, Isabela Merced, and Nathan Fillion joined the cast of Gunn’s Superman: Legacy, Fillion’s casting confused those following DC’s cinematic superhero output for the past decade and then some. Previously, Fillion played Cory Pitzner, a.k.a. T.D.K. (The Detachable Kid), in The Suicide Squad. Given this, how does the actor play a Green Lantern in Gunn’s forthcoming Superman film? To help explain how the new DCU works, Gunn responded to a fan post on Reddit to shed light on the situation.

“Soooo excited James, this is going to be the greatest Superman movie,” a fan wrote to Gunn on Reddit. “But what about Nathan’s character in The Suicide Squad??? (TDK) is supposed to be alive? ?? You are rebooting that part? How does it fit everything?? I cannot understand. Can you explain it? I’m confused. Thanks for everything boss, DC fans are with you!”

“DC Studios movies (and canon) start with [Superman:] Legacy,” Gunn responded to the enthusiastic query.

Although Gunn and Safran are rebooting the DCU, some actors will return to the universe to portray their old roles. However, Gunn will rework the characters to match his signature tone for the DCU, which will differ from before. A handful of actors are making the jump from the DCEU to Gunn’s DCU, including Peacemaker castmembers John Cena’s Christopher Smith, a.k.a. Peacemaker, Freddie Stroma’s Adrian Chase, a.k.a. Vigilante, and Steve Agee’s John Economos. Viola Davis remains in the role of Amanda Waller, and Xolo Maridueña, who plays Jaime Reyes, a.k.a. Blue Beetle, remains the actor with a scarab attached to his spine. Meanwhile, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, and Jason Momoa might not make the cut, but that remains to be seen.

Does this help clear up any confusion about the state of the DCU? Are you excited for Gunn and Safran to wipe the slate (mostly) clean? Let us know in the comments below.