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When Creature Commandos hit our screens last year, it was hailed as the start of the start of the new on-screen shared DC Universe that would finally rival the MCU. James Gunn has since clarified that, while the HBO Max animated series is part of the same continuity as future DC projects, it isn’t really the start of the DCU – that is a job for Superman.

The shift came during an interview in the lead-up to James Gunn’s take on Superman, which explained that Creature Commandos won’t feed into the larger storytelling of the DCU’s initial phase, which is called 'Gods and Monsters.' Superman, along with Peacemaker season two, are “both pretty important in terms of getting to the bigger story,” James Gunn explained.

That certainly doesn’t mean that Creature Commandos is relegated to non-canon status or takes place in another universe like Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Instead, it simply doesn’t feed into the larger story that Gunn and DC Studios are looking to tell with this stage of their new universe. If you enjoyed it, great! If not, you don’t have to think about it again. Either way, life is good, right?

It does beg the question of what ongoing storyline Superman is going to kick off and how it will feed into the larger DCU going forward. We know that Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner (and his terrible, comics-accurate bowl cut) will be in both, so maybe something with the Green Lantern Corps? Or a focus on the newly confirmed Wonder Woman movie for a focus on the “Gods” portion of this phase?

We’ll find out when the DCU kicks off (for real this time) when Superman soars into cinemas on July 11, 2025.

James Gunn's Superman movie is out now - and we have a lot to say about it. You can also read about Superman's S-Shield through the ages, how Superman and Clark Kent keep their secret identity secret, our recs for best Superman comics, and how to watch all his TV series and movies in order.