PEACEMAKER: James Gunn Breaks Down [SPOILER]'s Return And Whether SUICIDE SQUAD Is Now DCU Canon

PEACEMAKER: James Gunn Breaks Down [SPOILER]'s Return And Whether SUICIDE SQUAD Is Now DCU Canon

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has broken down the latest episode of Peacemaker, explaining that big return, the DCEU references, and whether it means David Ayer's Suicide Squad should be considered canon.

By JoshWilding - Sep 07, 2025 12:09 PM EST
Filed Under: Peacemaker

The latest episode of Peacemaker is titled "Another Rick Up My Sleeve," and features the return of Joel Kinnaman's Rick Flag Jr. In the cold opening, it's revealed that he and Emilia Harcourt were sleeping together shortly before he was dispatched to Corto Maltese in The Suicide Squad.

That was where he died (at Chris Smith's hands), and the scene also confirms that Rick was cheating on June Moon. That makes her and 2016's Suicide Squad canon, and seeing as he's worried that breaking up with the former Enchantress could send her over the edge again, it's apparent June can still access her powers. 

When Peacemaker seeks out the alternate reality Emilia Harcourt, he learns that she's dating a very much alive Rick Flag Jr. However, he's a bit of a bumbling goof and clumsily watches as his girlfriend flirts with Peacemaker.

During a recent Peacemaker watchalong with fans on Threads, Gunn expanded on some of the creative decisions he made with Rick in the DCU.

Explaining that he told Jennifer Holland about Harcourt's history with Flag Jr. before season 1 started shooting, Gunn also said that he always imagined the Task Force X leader as a "nice guy," but a "womaniser." 

Later praising Joel Kinnaman's comedic chops, the filmmaker dialled back expectations about Suicide Squad being DCU canon, by saying that Peacemaker's DCEU references were him just making inferences to certain characters or events. 

As for why the parallel Earth's Rick is so different, Gunn noted, "For the same reasons Harcourt and Peacemaker and Auggie are all different. It's the Butterfly Effect in action. Subtle differences in their lives produces different people."

When Gunn relaunched the DCEU as the DCU, he decided to keep certain characters and story arcs in place, despite fully rebooting many other franchises and superheroes (Superman, for example). That's proven to be somewhat confusing, as the DCU has ended up being more of a "soft reboot" than a true fresh start for the franchise. 

You can hear more from Gunn in the Threads posts below. 

Peacemaker season 2 follows Chris Smith, the vigilante superhero, as he struggles to reconcile his past with his newfound sense of purpose while continuing to kick righteous evildoer butt in his misguided quest for peace at any cost. He discovers an alternate world where life is everything he wishes it could be. But this discovery also forces him to face his traumatic past and take the future into his own hands.

Season 2 stars John Cena, Danielle Brooks, Freddie Stroma, Jennifer Holland, Steve Agee, Frank Grillo, Sol Rodríguez, David Denman, Brey Noelle, and Tim Meadows. 

James Gunn wrote all eight episodes of Peacemaker and directed three, including the first episode. Gunn, Peter Safran, and Cena serve as executive producers. Greg Mottola, Peter Sollett, and Alethea Jones also direct.

In our review of Peacemaker season 2, we wrote, "Peacemaker season 2 feels like a wholly superfluous addition to the new DCU, and lacks the stakes and emotion that made season 1 so special. Fortunately, it’s buoyed by some fun surprises for fans and another exceptional turn from John Cena."

Three episodes of Peacemaker season 2 are now streaming on HBO Max.

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Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 9/7/2025, 12:34 PM
This Gunn Guy Is so good Breaking down stuff
AnthonyVonGeek
AnthonyVonGeek - 9/7/2025, 12:36 PM
Someone should tell Gunn that if he has to explain every decision he’s made than he’s most likely made the wrong decisions.
OmegaBlack13
OmegaBlack13 - 9/7/2025, 12:51 PM
@AnthonyVonGeek - Tbh it’s really not much different from how reboots have always worked in the comics. DC has never really done a clean 100% reboot, even if they act like they have. Characters (usually Batman) still have an undetermined amount of their history intact and they kind of just establish what’s still there as time goes on. Not saying that’s not confusing on its own or even that that aspect should have been adapted, just saying it’s hardly unprecedented.
TheVisionary27
TheVisionary27 - 9/7/2025, 12:56 PM
@OmegaBlack13 - No Gunn is yapping too much having to justify every creative decision. It’s silly and unnecessary. He needs to keep quiet and just get on with it. No other director or producer or filmmaker talks this much about upcoming projects. Shows a lack of confidence in his work. Show don’t tell needs to be applied.
Gambito
Gambito - 9/7/2025, 1:28 PM
@AnthonyVonGeek - only has to explain because people ask him!!
bobevanz
bobevanz - 9/7/2025, 1:42 PM
@AnthonyVonGeek - blame the dumbasses who need context for everything
McMurdo
McMurdo - 9/7/2025, 12:39 PM
User Comment Image
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 9/7/2025, 12:39 PM
Interesting…

Harcourt & Flagg were already friends before they slept together so this was a person she obviously cared about (maybe the only one back then) so it certainly adds layers to her dislike for Chris in S1 rather then just being annoyed by the kind of person he was & thinking Waller was punishing them for their actions in TSS which I like since perhaps she feels that she might be betraying him if she does get together with the man that killed him.

Also he is cherry picking but that’s fine since he wouldn’t be the first creative to ever do that so as of right now , Rick & June Moone/Enchantress have dated in the DCU which is a world that’s already established to have metahumans but SS itself being in continuity is up in the air until James says otherwise (they could have met a different way in this universe etc).

Also him saying that that Flagg & Auggie being different in that universe due to subtle differences in their lives makes me wish we would see those or learn about them unless this Earth being run by Nazis is true which it could certainly be.
HelloBoysImBack
HelloBoysImBack - 9/7/2025, 1:04 PM
Gunn is so insecure
bobevanz
bobevanz - 9/7/2025, 1:44 PM
@HelloBoysImBack - coming from you, that's rich
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 9/7/2025, 1:09 PM
DC is my thing. Superman my favorite. I don't have major issues with the DCU.

Mostly, I just wish Gunn would SHUT TF UP.

Dude, there's something to be said about mystery and silence. It speaks volumes. GUNN speaks in volumes too much.
Ghoul
Ghoul - 9/7/2025, 1:36 PM
What if Gunn gets David Ayer back to do a new suicide squad fixing all the loose ends and doing it his way. Could even try again with will smith, some good humor between him and bloodsport….who knows this could lead to a cool fix
bobevanz
bobevanz - 9/7/2025, 1:45 PM
99% of people don't know or care about the little things. They don't even know Gunn is talking on threads. Just the perpetually online clowns think it's a problem
Forthas
Forthas - 9/7/2025, 1:48 PM
What should have been a simplified process to recalibrate the DC film universe has turned into a confusing mess filled with orgies, Jor-El the conqueror, a weak Superman begging his enemies for validation, and rampant nepotism and cronyism, and unfunny slapstick jokes. This rivals even the lowest point in the old DCEU.
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