While there are plenty of comic book projects in the works, the DC side of things has been going through major changes. The former DCEU (which is streaming with an HBO Max subscription) ended with Aquaman 2, and co-CEO James Gunn has crafted a new shared universe. The first slate of projects is titled Gods and Monsters, with the debut movie being Superman. And Gunn recently responded after fans poked holes in the blockbuster’s narrative.
Fans who spent years watching the DC movies in order were invested when Superman hit theaters, and helped to kickstart a new shared universe. The movie’s opening title cards claimed that David Corenswet’s title character just “lost his first fight”, but some fans thought that ignored how Idris Elba’s Bloodsport shot Supes with a Kryptonite bullet prior to The Suicide Squad. James Gunn responded to this on Threads, posting:
A lot of people are saying this. But is being shot by someone at long distance while you’re not looking ‘losing a fight’? I don’t see Abraham Lincoln having ‘lost a fight’ with John Wilkes Booth
Well, there you have it. The Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker isn’t taking any guff from fans who thought that Superman either ignored or retconned The Suicide Squad. Because Bloodsport attempting an assassination on the Man of Steel doesn’t count as a “fight” according to Gunn.
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While I wasn’t expecting Abraham Lincoln’s name to be brought up in the director’s argument, I totally get what he was saying. Superman didn’t actually come to blows with Bloodsport, and was instead targeted and shot by the villain, who was famously played by Idris Elba in The Suicide Squad.
While Peacemaker Season 2 retconned Justice League and the DCEU, it sounds like Bloodsport’s history with Kal-El is still canon. Otherwise, why would James Gunn have to clarify that the Superman opening narration wasn’t incorrect? We’ll just have to wait and see if Idris Elba gets to return to the shared universe and reprise his role from The Suicide Squad.
We’re still very early into the DCU’s life in theaters and on the small screen. The second movie is coming this summer with Supergirl, and fans are eager to see what crossovers are going to be coming down the line. Hopefully, that means some characters from The Suicide Squad come back… other than the ones that have already appeared on Peacemaker.
The next DC movie hitting theaters is Supergirl, which will be released on June 26th as part of the 2026 movie release list. For now, both Superman and The Suicide Squad are streaming over on HBO Max.