Fans know James Gunn as the filmmaker who brought the outrageous humor of “Guardians of the Galaxy” and the action-packed grit of “The Suicide Squad”. Now, Gunn is steering the whole DC Universe in a new direction.

A still from The Suicide Squad (2021)
His DC journey began with The Squad and continued with “Peacemaker”, which featured John Cena as the titular anti-hero. Peacemaker’s over-the-top patriotism and unwavering commitment to achieving peace, even through violent means, resonated with audiences. However, fans might feel a little betrayed learning that the first season of the HBO Max series was not canon in the new DC Universe!

John Cena’s Peacemaker Season 1 Is Not Canon To DC Universe, Confirms James Gunn

James Gunn is rather active on his Threads handle and often takes time to discuss his projects with the fans. Recently, he took to the platform to clarify some rumors about the future DCU projects including Superman: Legacy, Peacemaker, and Waller. This led to some follow-up questions.

When a fan pressed for confirmation on season one’s place in the DCU, Gunn delivered a revelation we all were afraid of: “Season one isn’t canon”.

A still from The Peacemaker
John Cena‘s dedication to his roles is undeniable, and his efforts were instrumental in making Peacemaker a hit. So, the news that the first season isn’t considered canon within the DCU might come as a surprise. Cena is known for not being seen, something his ambitious series will have to suffer in the grand scheme of DCU.

However, there’s a silver lining for fans: James Gunn confirmed that “S2 is full DCU not DCEU” meaning Peacemaker’s future adventures will be firmly woven into the fabric of the DC Universe.

James Gunn Revealed the Current Status of The Upcoming DCU Projects

A still from The Peacemaker
James Gunn’s original Thread talked about the current status of Superman Legacy, Waller and Peacemaker Season Two. 

“The source is kind of iffy but this is true 😂. John Cena shared this on Howard Stern last week. To answer your follow-up questions: yes, we’ll be shooting Superman & Peacemaker simultaneously; yes, I’ve written all the episodes; but, no, in the interest of getting the show out there I won’t be able to direct them all (only some); & yes, Waller’s still happening & Jeremy & Christal are hard at work writing great stuff, but the schedule was impacted by the strikes so it’ll come after Peacemaker”

A few major takeaways from this were Superman and Peacemaker will be both shot simultaneously and thus, Gunn will not be able to direct every episode for the second season. However, he has, in fact, written all the episodes.

Further, he confirmed that Waller is in progress. The show will focus on Amanda Waller, the director of A.R.G.U.S. and the brain behind Suicide Squad. Lastly, Gunn stated that the schedules for the upcoming projects were all messed up due to the recent writer’s strike.

The first season of Peacemaker can be streamed on HBO Max.