If there’s one factor followers of superhero cinema love getting within the weeds about, it is official canon. Nonetheless, since comedian guide films have handled the matter with various levels of seriousness over time, mixed with complete franchises being upended on account of numerous studio shifts and gross sales, it might probably get slightly complicated. Whereas the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been pretty constant over the previous few a long time, with only some outliers just like the Sony “Spider-Man” films and the Fox “X-Males” movies, DC Comics have been a bit extra scattershot. There have been the Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher “Batman” films, then the Christopher Nolan “Batman” films, and then there was Zack Snyder’s DC Prolonged Universe (DCEU) and a handful of offshoots. Now, nevertheless, DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran are going to do their greatest to provide us an official DC Universe (DCU). The one downside is that there are just a few free threads linking the top of the DCEU and the start of the DCU.
Fortunately, Gunn has began to chop these strings and additional refine the official DCU timeline. Not solely has Gunn said that “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” and “Black Adam” aren’t part of the DCU and due to this fact aren’t canon, however he is really began strolling again a few of his personal work from the HBO Max collection “Peacemaker.” In a clip from the most recent episode of the official “Peacemaker” podcast, Gunn revealed there are two particulars involving Aquaman that have been shared in “Peacemaker” season 1 however not apply to the DCU continuity. And whereas considered one of them could look like a little bit of a no brainer, the opposite may be an attention-grabbing trace about what the DCU has in thoughts for Arthur Curry/Aquaman sooner or later.
Peacemaker is an even bigger hero than Aquaman, really
Within the podcast, Gunn discusses the primary episode of “Peacemaker” season 1 with stars Steve Agee, who performs John Economos, and Jennifer Holland, who performs Emilia Harcourt. Whereas going via the script for the episode, Gunn explains that there are solely two issues in it which are not canon to the DCU, and each contain Aquaman. In a scene from early on within the episode, Christopher Smith (John Cena), higher often known as Peacemaker, wakes up in a hospital and begins talking with a member of the custodial employees. When requested if he is a superhero like Aquaman, Peacemaker will get belligerent, saying “F*** Aquaman” and telling the custodian that the marine-based superhero “f***s fish.” That joke was a bit controversial, and a few followers balked when it was taken to extremes within the season 1 finale, however apparently now it is not canon in any respect.
“It is unlikely that Aquaman is a well-known hero within the DCU as ‘Superman’ and ‘Peacemaker’ season 2 is going on,” Gunn explains within the podcast. That signifies that whereas we are going to in all probability see Aquaman in some unspecified time in the future within the DCU’s future, he isn’t a serious participant at this present level within the timeline. Given Gunn’s method to constructing the universe, like utilizing the Justice Gang versus the Justice League, possibly Arthur Curry hasn’t actually finished a lot superheroing but and we’ll get an origin story for him. So, if Aquaman is not a well-known hero but, Peacemaker technically is an even bigger hero than Aquaman. Now there’s a mind-twister. However what does this imply about the entire fish philandering factor?
So no, Aquaman would not get freaky with fish
Gunn goes on to say that if somebody “desires to do the ‘DCU lower'” of the primary episode of “Peacemaker” season 1, “you’ll be able to lower out Aquaman f***ing fish,” however that in any other case the episode is totally canon so far as he can bear in mind. Since Peacemaker appeared in “Superman” and we all know that Man Gardner (Nathan Fillion) will seem in “Peacemaker” season 2, it is form of good to know Gunn’s cleansing up the potential nitpicks from the primary season earlier than dropping the bathroom seat-helmeted character totally within the DCU.
Whereas the sex-with-fish jokes can completely go too far (and the 16-minute lower from the finale that apparently exists is approach an excessive amount of), among the finest issues it did was showcase Aquaman actor Jason Momoa’s willingness to be in on the joke. He is truthfully pitch-perfect as a really irritated Aquaman, and figuring out he wasn’t going to get to do way more within the DCU felt like a little bit of a waste. Fortunately, Momoa will likely be part of the DCU as a very totally different character (specifically, the intergalactic bounty hunter Lobo), and one has to marvel if maybe his willingness to get slightly foolish helped him make the leap from the DCEU to the DCU when different actors positively did not.
We’ll have to attend and see what else continues to be canon in “Peacemaker” when the second season premiere drops on HBO Max on August 21, 2025.
