James Gunn Confirms the Fate of ‘Black Adam’ and ‘Shazam’ in the DCU
Few people in Hollywood field as many questions about their own universe as James Gunn. Since taking over DC Studios, he has regularly logged on to Threads to untangle the DCU’s continuity, and each answer tends to ripple through the superhero conversation. The latest round of DCU canon answers is one of his most revealing yet.
The backdrop is a busy one for DC Studios. The DCU launched in December 2024 with the animated ‘Creature Commandos,’ ‘Clayface’ arrives in theaters Oct. 23 as the studio’s latest release, and ‘Man of Tomorrow’ is on the way next summer. With so many projects spread across film and television, questions about what counts and what doesn’t are inevitable.
This time, a user fired off a list of questions, and Gunn joked that it was 5 questions rather than 3 before answering them in order. He said Batman’s suit hasn’t been designed yet, which settles the question of whether it will share a texture with Superman’s suit. When asked whether Wally West is active in the DCU, he replied with a simple ‘who knows?’, and when asked whether he will write and direct a ‘Teen Titans’ movie, he said no.
The most definitive answer came last. Asked whether ‘Black Adam,’ the Justice Society and the ‘Shazam!’ movies are canon, Gunn answered with a flat no. It wasn’t the first time he had made the point, but it is a clear confirmation that those stories sit outside the DCU.
That position is consistent with what Gunn has said for years. He previously told Den of Geek that ‘Black Adam’ and ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ are not canon, even though both films feature cameos from characters from his ‘Peacemaker’ series. He later clarified on Threads that the remark wasn’t a dig at the films, but a continuity statement.
The two films belong to the earlier DC Extended Universe, which began in 2013 with ‘Man of Steel’ and ended in 2023 with ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.’ Gunn has said that nothing is canon until his own slate begins, which means the DCEU’s events don’t carry over.
The ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ post-credits scene makes the situation messier. In it, Peacemaker characters Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) and John Economos (Steve Agee) try to recruit Shazam into the Justice Society, a group introduced in ‘Black Adam.’ That is the kind of crossover that muddies the waters, which explains why Gunn keeps drawing a line between the two continuities.
There is also a business reason. The sequel to ‘Black Adam,’ along with ‘Wonder Woman 3’ and a second Henry Cavill ‘Man of Steel’ film, was shelved when Gunn and Safran took over, and ‘Black Adam’ and ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ both underperformed at the box office. Dwayne Johnson said at the time that his character wouldn’t be part of the first chapter of the new DCU.
Gunn did draw a distinction for Blue Beetle. He said the character is canon, but the movie is not something the studio has said is part of the DCU. That squares with previous reports that Xolo Maridueña will keep playing Jaime Reyes in the new universe, including a reported return in ‘Man of Tomorrow.’
It also leaves a key detail open. The 2023 film’s mid-credits scene revealed that Ted Kord, a previous Blue Beetle, was still alive, but if the movie isn’t canon, any friendship between Ted and the original hero before his disappearance remains a blank slate for the DCU to define.
The Batman answer is arguably the most intriguing. The DCU’s version of the Dark Knight is set to debut in ‘The Brave and the Bold,’ a story about Batman and his son, Damian Wayne, with Andy Muschietti directing and Christina Hodson writing the screenplay. Gunn has said the project is not on hold, and one report suggests it won’t reach theaters before 2029.
No actor has been officially cast as Batman, and Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman Part II’ is meant to live in a separate universe. A suit that hasn’t been designed yet is entirely consistent with a movie that is still years away.
Taken together, the replies show a studio that is being careful about what it commits to. Gunn is happy to confirm a handful of characters, but he is just as willing to say no when a project doesn’t belong.
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