James Gunn has finally given DC fans a clear answer about one of the most confusing questions in the rebooted DC Universe: Is 2021’s The Suicide Squad still part of the story? The DC Studios co-head addressed the topic head-on in a new one-off podcast titled The Suicide Squad: Is It Canon? The Official Podcast, released on Friday, October 30, 2026, on HBO Max, the official DC and HBO YouTube channels, and major podcast platforms. Gunn hosted the special episode alongside Jennifer Holland (Emilia Harcourt) and Steve Agee (John Economos and the voice of King Shark). The podcast was made to answer a question fans have asked since the film arrived in theaters, and Gunn did not hold back.
A Podcast Built to Settle the Canon Debate
The DCU officially began with the animated series Creature Commandos in late 2024. Since then, Gunn has had to explain which characters and events from the old DCEU still count in the new timeline. Peacemaker season 1 was eventually labeled “mostly canon,” and its second season, released in 2025, was fully canon. The Suicide Squad, however, sat in a stranger spot. The film came out before the DCU existed, but it introduced characters like Peacemaker and Weasel who later appeared in DCU projects. That made the canon question impossible to ignore.
Gunn announced the podcast on social media with a direct message to fans.
“To celebrate DC Super-Villain month, we’ve decided to lay down the law on whether The Suicide Squad is canon in the DCU – and discuss other behind-the-scenes fun facts along the way in a new Official The Suicide Squad ‘Is It Canon?’ Podcast.”
The episode was framed as a guide for viewers. HBO Max encouraged audiences to stream The Suicide Squad before tuning in, and the podcast included set stories, messages from cast members, and answers to fan-submitted questions.
What Gunn Said About The Suicide Squad’s Place in the DCU
Gunn did not leave room for doubt about the film’s overall status.
“I think that The Suicide Squad is within the canon of the DCU. It’s decided,” Gunn said on the podcast. “I’d say we have one small asterisk, which is what exactly is the future of Harley Quinn?”
He went a step further and gave the film a title that raised eyebrows across the fan community.
“Not only is The Suicide Squad canon, but it’s the first canon film in the DCU, and that everybody should go watch it right now on HBO Max.”
That comment caused confusion because Gunn had previously said Blue Beetle was the first DCU character and Superman (2025) was the first DCU film. The podcast clarified that The Suicide Squad fits into the new timeline more easily than expected, especially because it sets up Peacemaker and the death of Rick Flag Jr., which feeds into Rick Flag Sr.’s storyline in Peacemaker season 2.
Harley Quinn: The One Asterisk in the Canon
The biggest exception Gunn named was Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie in The Suicide Squad and several other DC films. Gunn explained that Harley’s canon status is harder to lock down because her history is tied to the Joker, and the Joker has not been established in the DCU yet. Only Batman has appeared in the new universe so far, through a brief cameo in Creature Commandos.
“I think Harley is actually one of the more difficult things in this to justify as being canon in the DCU,” Gunn admitted. “Harley’s relationship to the Joker is specific. We definitely haven’t established the Joker yet in the DCU at all. Obviously Joker is a part of Harley’s past.”
Gunn made it clear that Harley is a character he plans to use in the DCU regardless of who plays her. The question is whether Robbie wants to return.
Margot Robbie’s Return Hangs Over the Decision
Gunn repeatedly praised Robbie during the podcast, calling her “one of my favorite actors to work with” and saying she was “so good in the movie”. But he also acknowledged that Robbie’s career has changed dramatically since she first played Harley in 2016’s Suicide Squad. Following the global success of Barbie, Gunn described her as “kind of the biggest female star in the world”.
“I don’t know if she wants to play Harley again. She may be over that,” Gunn said. “If Margot wants to play her, I’ll bend over backwards to explain that in the world. But if she doesn’t, then I might go with somebody else where I don’t have to be attached to what happens to Harley in this movie.”
Gunn even joked that Robbie holds the final say over how much of the film becomes official DCU history.
“What I’m saying is Margot is the one who has to decide whether or not Suicide Squad is canon.”
What Else the Podcast Covers
The special episode went beyond Harley Quinn. Gunn, Holland, and Agee discussed several characters from the film, including Bloodsport, Ratcatcher 2, King Shark, and Amanda Waller. The trio shared stories from the set and answered fan questions about which moments from the movie still count in the DCU timeline. The podcast also featured messages from unnamed cast members connected to The Suicide Squad, though the identities of those speakers were not revealed ahead of the release.
The conversation arrived at a time when DC Studios is moving forward with a packed slate. Gunn has finished the assembly cut of Man of Tomorrow, the sequel to 2025’s Superman, which will see Superman and Lex Luthor team up against Brainiac. A second season of Creature Commandos is also in the works. The canon podcast was a way to close a chapter on the old DCEU while the new DCU continues to grow.
Mixed Reactions From Fans
Fan response to the podcast announcement was not unanimous. Some questioned why a separate podcast was needed to explain the franchise’s continuity.
“The fact that you have to explain things just shows you made a bad universe,” one fan wrote on X.
Another comment was more critical of the approach.
“Your DCU is so ridiculously all over the place that you need extra podcasts just to make stuff up and try to explain things. I’d recommend starting to make good movies instead.”
Not everyone was negative. Some fans welcomed the behind-the-scenes conversation and the chance to hear Gunn explain his thinking directly. One supporter wrote, “Dude, this is gonna be so fun, can’t wait to check it out”. Most of the discussion, however, centered on one name: Margot Robbie. Fans want to know whether Harley Quinn will have a future in the DCU, and Gunn’s answers left that door open but not settled.
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The podcast is available to stream on HBO Max, YouTube, and podcast platforms. The Suicide Squad is also streaming on HBO Max for viewers who want to revisit the film before or after listening.
Stay tuned to VvipTimes for more DCU updates, casting news, and plain-English breakdowns of the stories shaping the new DC Universe.
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