Although they have yet to appear in live-action in theDC Universe, James Gunn has utilized the Justice League in his DC shows,Creature CommandosandPeacemaker, to pull the exact same trick. So far, the DCU’s Justice League is a speck on the horizon, with only a handful of the iconic team’s main players being cast in live-action so far. David Corenswet’s Superman will soar onto the scene in July’sSuperman, while the two remaining members of the Big Three, Batman and Wonder Woman, have yet to be cast.
Nevertheless, James Gunn has confirmed that the team will make an appearance atsome point in the DCU’s future. This stands to reason, given that a Batman and, more recently,a Wonder Woman movie have been confirmedas part of the DCU’s release slate. Further cementing his intentions with the League wastheir appearance inCreature Commandosas part of a hellish vision that actually mirrors an older iteration of the team inPeacemaker.
Peacemaker Season 1 & Creature Commandos Both Cleverly Use Some Huge Cameos In Their Respective Stories
The Justice League Appear While Obscured
Peacemakerseason 1 is tentatively canon to the DCU, despite being released as a DCEU production in 2022. This does come with a significant caveat, however, as a conspicuous sceneat the end ofPeacemakerseason 1included theJustice League as they appeared in the DCEUat that point. The scene sees the Justice League turn up in the aftermath of the Battle of Cloverdale Ranch, far too late to have had an impact on Project Butterfly. OnlyJason Momoa’s Aquaman and Ezra Miller’s Flash are seen as the other members are bathed in shadow.
At the time, the Justice League inPeacemakerisbathed in shadow as the actors were unavailable or unwilling to reprise their roles for the scene.
This shadowy cameo mirrors the Justice League’s cameo inCreature Commandos. Here, Circe subjects Amanda Waller to an apocalyptic vision in which the Justice League is dead, defeated during Ilana Rostivic’s global conquest. Once again,most of the Justice League are silhouetted because the characters haven’t yet been cast in the DCU, andthe events ofCreature Commandosare canon to the DCU’s wider narrative.
Peacemaker & Creature Commandos' Major DC Hero Cameos Work To Make Their Main Heroes Look Better
The Justice League Looks Incompetent By Comparison
On both occasions, James Gunn has pulled the same trick. The Justice League arrives too late inPeacemaker, having inadvertently left the responsibility of quelling the threat of Project Butterfly down to Peacemaker and the 11th Street Kids.Their tardiness makes them look incompetent compared to the vastly less powerful teamof antiheroes that comprise Amanda Waller’s clandestine task force.
The same can be said for the Justice League’s deaths inCreature Commandos. Evidently, if Circe’s vision is to be believed, the immensely powerful team was insufficient in quelling the threat of Ilana Rostovic, allowing her to amass enough power through a similar complacency to their DCEU predecessors. Instead,it is left up to Waller’s Task Force M to kill Rostovic before this future can come about, making this team (or perhaps Amanda Waller herself) appear far more competent by comparison.
Peacemaker’s Justice League Is No Longer Canon
I think the decision to feature the Justice League cameos in successive DC shows was both intentional and genius. The Justice League’s first appearance in the DCU mirrors their last appearance in the DCEU by having them bathed in shadow. One notable difference, however, is that they are alive in one franchise and dead in the next. This is most likely an entirely intentional choice by James Gunn,marking the start of his new venture by signaling that the Justice League that appeared in his previous one are “dead” by virtue of them being written out of canon.
Instead, I think James Gunn’s mirrored Justice League cameos in Peacemaker season 1 and Creature Commandos were specifically designed for this creative reason, and I’m glad he pulled it off.
It symbolically draws a line beneath concerns around the Justice League’s canonicitywith regard toPeacemakerseason 2. James Gunn has teased a major cameo inPeacemaker, but without Batman orWonder Woman being cast in the DCU, it’s unlikely that this will be the Justice League once again (although Superman is possible). Instead, I think James Gunn’s mirrored Justice League cameos inPeacemakerseason 1 andCreature Commandoswere specifically designed for this creative reason, and I’m glad he pulled it off.
Peacemaker
Cast
Peacemaker is a television series expanding on the character from the film The Suicide Squad. Released in 2022, it follows the titular character, a determined anti-hero who upholds peace through extreme measures, as he confronts personal and external challenges in the aftermath of his previous mission.
Creature Commandos
Creature Commandos follows the exploits of a secret team of incarcerated monsters recruited for perilous missions unsuitable for humans. Released in December 2024, the film explores themes of redemption and collaboration as the monstrous squad is tasked with handling threats that present dire challenges beyond human capability.
