“Is Aquaman canon? We don’t know, but I don’t think Aquaman is canon,” Gunn said. “It’s unlikely that Aquaman is a famous hero in the DCU as Superman and Peacemaker Season 2 is happening.” At the time of this writing, the YouTube video of the podcast has been set to private and is unavailable.
Gunn’s The Suicide Squad and the first season of Peacemaker are part of the DCEU, but Peacemaker Season 2 is in the DCU. Because of that distinction, Gunn is making an effort to resolve any questions fans might have. He’s already confirmed that Black Adam and Shazam! Fury of the Gods, two DCEU films that featured Peacemaker characters Emilia Harcourt and John Economos, are not DCU canon. Peacemaker: The Official Podcast is kicking off with a full rewatch of Season 1, giving Gunn an outlet to clear up any issues.
Though metahumans have been active in the DCU for 300 years before the events of Superman, fans are going to have to wait a bit to see some prominent Justice League members in the shared universe. When outlining his plans for the DCU’s future, Gunn suggested it’ll be a couple of years at least before the Flash and Aquaman appear. Both of those characters were key parts of the DCEU and headlined solo films in 2023.
The DCU was an opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start over after the DCEU’s uneven tenure. With that in mind, it isn’t surprising to hear Aquaman isn’t considered canon in the new continuity. If that film was carried over, it would have raised even more questions — such as why Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry was integrated while other DCEU heroes were not. Gal Gadot is not expected to return for the DCU’s first Wonder Woman movie, a new actor will play Batman in The Brave and the Bold, and David Corenswet is established as Superman. In terms of the big picture, it’s simply easier to hit the reset button and start from scratch. Plus, Momoa is now playing cosmic bounty hunter Lobo in the DCU’s Supergirl movie.
