James Gunn Clears the Air on How Much of David Ayer’s SUICIDE SQUAD Is DCU Canon
James Gunn, the filmmaker behind The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, recently addressed how much of David Ayer’s 2016 Suicide Squad actually counts as canon in the DC Universe.
The topic came up because Peacemaker Season 2 made some surprising nods to Ayer’s film, sparking curiosity among fans about what elements officially carry over.
During his appearance on Phase Zero: A Film & TV Podcast, host Brandon Davis noted how the show referenced Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag Jr. still having romantic ties to Cara Delevingne’s June Moone, also known as Enchantress, from Ayer’s movie.
In response, Gunn explained, “Yeah, I know. And then, sometimes I regret it, because it was like, obviously, our June Moone still has sorceress powers. He’s [Flag Jr.] cheating on her. It’s not the great love story it was presented as in David’s movie. So, it’s like there are some differences there.”
Gunn pointed out that in a world full of metahumans, it makes sense that Flag Jr. would gravitate toward someone extraordinary.
He described Flag Jr. as “this good-looking guy, who’s a soldier, and it seems like he would be attracted to a metahuman girl.”
Davis then pressed further, asking if more of Ayer’s Suicide Squad could be considered “loosely canon” or if “the further we go back, the blurrier it gets.”
Gunn revealed that even while making his own The Suicide Squad in 2021, he had conversations about what aspects of canon would carry over.
When Davis asked if that meant David Dastmalchian’s Polka-Dot Man might still be alive, Gunn was clear about his stance. He said he wouldn’t resurrect characters who had already died because “that becomes too confusing.”
However, he also acknowledged that actors like Nathan Fillion and Michael Rooker have returned in different roles despite their characters dying in the 2021 film. That leaves the door open for someone like Dastmalchian to pop back up in a brand-new role within the DCU.
So while Ayer’s Suicide Squad has some lingering influence, Gunn is making it clear that not every detail translates directly into DCU canon. The edges are blurry, and while familiar characters and references remain, Gunn is carving out his own path for the franchise moving forward.