James Gunn has shared that he won’t rush to bring Darkseid to the big screen as the ultimate villain of the DC Universe (DCU). The DC Studios president prefers to explore lesser-known characters, crafting unique versions that easily win over audiences. That’s why it wouldn’t be surprising if Gunn holds off on introducing the Justice League for now, despite them being one of DC’s most iconic superhero teams.
The ending of Peacemaker season 2 has only fueled this speculation, featuring the mysterious planet Salvation. This could be the bridge for Gunn to bring Suicide Squad back to theaters, rather than paving the way for Darkseid and the Justice League as many had expected.
Salvation is a planet discovered by Rick Flag Sr. and the ARGUS organization while investigating Chris Smith’s Quantum Unfolding Chamber. It was later turned into a prison to hold rebellious metahumans, individuals with superpowers, since facilities like Belle Reve and Arkham Asylum were no longer able to contain such prisoners.
Additionally, in the final scene of Peacemaker season 2, Rick Flag captures Chris Smith and makes him the first prisoner on Salvation, as revenge for his son’s death in The Suicide Squad. However, Salvation is far from empty, as eerie monster sounds coming from the nearby forest reveal.
In the original comics, Amanda Waller and Rick Flag also discover a world they thought was distant and lifeless, intended to eliminate supervillains and metahumans completely. There, exiled criminals form factions to survive and uncover that the planet is actually a training ground for Darkseid’s Parademon army.
Notably, in the comics, Salvation also serves as the prison for Suicide Squad members after they help Rick Flag capture other supervillains. This makes it the perfect setup for the Suicide Squad to return and officially join the DCU, just like Peacemaker.
Instead of undertaking a government-sanctioned secret mission like previous films, Suicide Squad will reunite with Peacemaker to fight, survive, and find a way off Salvation. The isolated alien planet setting gives James Gunn the freedom to craft his own story.
Salvation could also connect Suicide Squad with Creature Commandos, the animated project and the first series in the DCU. In other words, it’s where Task Force X and Task Force M meet, marking the DCU’s first major crossover event.
So far in the DCU, Rick Flag Sr. has appeared in both the Creature Commandos animated series and Peacemaker season 2, serving as a link between the live-action and animated worlds. This also gives fans a chance to see live-action versions of characters like G.I. Robot and Frankenstein.
Rather than rushing into a Justice League movie, the DCU’s first big crossover event might focus on the most unconventional villains and antiheroes, the strange and monstrous beings of the Gods and Monsters world, the title of James Gunn’s first chapter in the DCU.