James Gunn Says Batman Casting Is Close and The Suicide Squad Is Canon
The Bat-Signal is warming up.
James Gunn has a Batman update, and it's a good one. On a new one-off podcast from DC Studios, Gunn said Batman still hasn't been cast, but "it won't be too long before we're casting Batman" (SuperHeroHype). He also settled a question fans have argued about for years by declaring that The Suicide Squad is officially part of the DCU (ComicBookMovie).
The episode is called The Suicide Squad: Is It Canon? The Official Podcast (GamesRadar+), and Gunn recorded it with his wife Jennifer Holland, who plays Emilia Harcourt, and Steve Agee, who plays John Economos (ComicBookMovie).
When will the DCU finally cast Batman?
Soon, according to Gunn. He said the casting "isn't very far away," and he shut down rumors that Batman will pop up in other projects before then (he used a much less polite word for those rumors) (SuperHeroHype).
He also said age matters for the role, because whoever gets it will likely play Batman for at least the next decade. "Batman and Superman are around the same age," Gunn said, adding that "they're future best pals" (SuperHeroHype). The DCU's Batman will debut in The Brave and the Bold, which Andy Muschietti is directing.
Is The Suicide Squad really DCU canon now?
Mostly, yes. After checking with Holland and Agee, Gunn said, "I think that The Suicide Squad is within the canon of the DCU. It's decided." He went even further and called it "the first canon film in the DCU" (ComicBookMovie).
That's a little confusing, since Gunn has called Superman the first DCU film in the past (GamesRadar+). Most likely, he means the big events now officially count, like Peacemaker's introduction and the death of Rick Flag Jr., since Peacemaker season 2 already builds on both of them (GamesRadar+).
What's the Harley Quinn asterisk?
Gunn said the one "small asterisk" is Harley Quinn's future (ComicBookMovie). He loves Margot Robbie's version of the character, but he doesn't know if she wants to come back. If she does, he said he'll "bend over backwards to explain that in the world," and if she doesn't, he could recast the role without explaining what happened to this Harley (GamesRadar+).
Is a Polka-Dot Man show actually happening?
Not yet, but it has come up. Gunn said a series about Abner Krill's mother and their family of superpowered kids is "not in active development," though he admitted it has been discussed (ComicBookMovie). (We would absolutely watch this.)
My read is that this is the most fun DC news in a while. Making The Suicide Squad canon gives the DCU a great foundation, and a Batman close to Superman's age opens the door to a real friendship between the two. Now Gunn just has to find the right Bruce Wayne (no pressure at all).
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Images are official stills from The Suicide Squad and Superman, from Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Studios.
