DC Studios boss James Gunn may have just revealed how he will draw the line between the DCU and the Snyderverse with one key decision. Gunn’s new interconnected DC canon was not a completely fresh start for the comic book universe, with The Suicide Squad director bringing over elements from the past iteration of the franchise as a part of his new vision. 

While it has been murky how/why these select few DCEU characters are now popping up in the DCU, Gunn seemingly confirmed his strategy for addressing the legacy franchise as a part of the recently released fifth episode of Peacemaker Season 2. 

Season 2, Episode 5 of the hit HBO Max series opened at the funeral of Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag Jr.—a Snyderverse character featured in both Suicide Squad movies who has now been brought over to the DCU. Here, X user DCU Brief spotted that Kinnaman’s dearly departed Task Force X leader sports a different middle name than the version of the character seen in the DCEU. 

While the Snyderverse version of Rick Flag Jr. had the middle name Rogers (as confirmed by a trading card released in parallel with the film), his Peacemaker Season 2 memorial revealed this take on the hero was named Bill. 

This further proves the theory that these DCU characters are not the same versions that appeared in the Snyderverse. Instead, the Gunn’s new interconnected canon seems to take place in a separate timeline/reality, with (to steal a term from Marvel) variants of some DCEU characters. 

Flag’s middle name change could be the first indication of how Gunn will differentiate these legacy characters from the last attempt at a on-screen DC universe from their new versions. 

It is a tiny detail that most fans will miss, but it provides enough of an identifiable mark for those willing to look to discern that this is not the same character from prior franchise versions. 

Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag Jr. is expected to return later this season in Peacemaker, as John Cena’s fledgling super travels to another world where everything seems too good to be true. Peacemaker Season 2 continues on HBO Max, with new episodes hitting the service on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.

Why Is the DCU Using DCEU Characters?

Some fans have found it confusing to watch James Gunn introduce his new DCU. While the DC Studios boss’ vision for a new DC canon has been branded as a fresh start for the franchise, it has kept the door open to revisiting select elements from the now-defunct Snyderverse. 

Characters like Peacemaker and Rick Flag Jr. have been perfect examples of this. They arrive in the DCU with all the baggage of their past on-screen adventures, even though those other projects are now not seen as canon. 

In the early goings, it seems as though Gunn is picking and choosing what he brings over to his new DC world without rhyme or reason. Because of this, no one project or character from the Snyderverse should be seen as canon, but rather specific elements. 

Essentially, unless it is expressly stated by Gunn or in the DCU itself, it is not DC canon (read more about the DCU/DCEU canon question here). 

For example, Rick Flag Jr.’s death at the hands of Peacemaker on Corto Maltese is canon. But that does not necessarily mean every character, narrative beat, and line of dialogue from The Suicide Squad is.