James Gunn's Superman will expand the DCU in a big way as it crosses over with three past and future streaming TV show releases. The summer blockbuster has been touted as the "true beginning of the DCU," which will tell an interconnected superhero saga across movies, TV shows, animation, and games.
The superhero epic will truly launch the DCU into action, but things already started up last year on Max with Creature Commandos. In the years to come, the tale will expand with Peacemaker Season 2, Lanterns, Waller, and more, with Superman already promising to tease some of these streaming projects.
How Superman Movie Connects to 3 DCU TV Shows
Creature Commandos - Rick Flag Sr.
DC Studios may be touting Superman as the "true beginning of the DCU," but it wasn't the first project in the new universe to be released. The blue brand's latest journey began with Creature Commandos on Max in December 2024.
That series introduced actor Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., a high-ranking ARGUS agent who heads up Task Force M. Under a year later, Flag Sr. will make his live-action debut in Superman where he will still be played by Grillo.
During Creature Commandos, Flag Sr. was severely injured after an encounter with Clayface, which left him recovering in the hospital with a broken back.
While Superman is unlikely to link closely with the seven-episode animated series, Flag Sr. could reference his severe injuries, the events of Creature Commandos, or members of Task Force M, both past and present.
Creature Commandos has officially been renewed for Season 2 (read the latest release update) which, much like Superman, is expected to be written by James Gunn, which could leave room for it to tease Task Force M's next mission.
Peacemaker Season 2 - Rick Flag Sr.
But before Rick Flag Sr. returns for Creature Commandos Season 2, Frank Grillo's ARGUS agent will return this August on Max in Peacemaker Season 2.
As most will be aware, the DCU regular is the father of Joel Kinnaman's Rick Flag Jr., whom John Cena's Peacemaker killed in The Suicide Squad. So, regardless of what brings the DC superspy to Max for Peacemaker Season 2, there's no doubt they will come to blows at some point over their entangled past.
As James Gunn will write both Superman and Peacemaker Season 2, perhaps the 2025 blockbuster will offer a tease of Rick Flag Sr. setting his sights on John Cena's Christopher Smith in the upcoming Max series.
Grillo is expected to recur in more DCU projects as its own Nick Fury, as the actor promised that Rick Flag Sr. will be "integrated into so many of the stories."
Going beyond Peacemaker Season 2, Rick Flag Sr. will link together more projects, including Creature Commandos Season 2 and, based on a rumor from scooper MyTimeToShineHello, Waller starring Viola Davis.
Lanterns - Guy Gardner
Superman will introduce the DCU as a world already populated by heroes, some of whom have lost their ways and will be guided back to a more hopeful, heroic path by the Man of Steel, setting some of them up for more appearances to come.
These heroes will operate as the Justice Gang, a team led by Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner, a member of the Green Lantern Corps. The Justice Gang's superhero suits all seem to bear the LordTech logo, indicating an affiliation with Maxwell Lord.
Read more about Guy Gardner and the Green Lantern with DC's worst haircut.
Deadline recently confirmed Fillion will reprise Guy Gardner in HBO's Lanterns, which stars Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre's Jon Stewart.
In the aftermath of Superman, the Justice Gang may end their affiliation with the morally ambiguous billionaire, starting a new chapter of their heroic journeys.
Fillion teased to Collider that Gardner is "90% flawed and doesn’t care," but by the time Lanterns rolls around, it wouldn't be surprising to see him a little more invested in his heroism, albeit while keeping some of his A-hole qualities.
Lanterns will focus on a dark, Earth-based mystery as Jon Stewart and Hal Jordan investigate a murder in the American heartland. As Guy Gardner is also an Earth-based Green Lantern, he could equally be roped into their investigation, but it's unclear how many episodes of the HBO series he will appear in for now.
Will Superman Really Set Up Many DCU Projects?
James Gunn has already teased to the press that Superman only has "maybe two little things, two moments" that set up future characters and storylines. The director has been open that everything in the DCU will work as a standalone, so any future set-up ought to be subtle and minimal.
Fans also shouldn't expect any crazy Superman sequel or general DCU set-up after the credits roll, as James Gunn told Phase Hero that the movie will only "sort of" feature a post-credit scene. The filmmaker teased how he likes to offer "something that's fun for the fans" but not necessarily teasing for the future.
It may be too soon for the DCU to start telling any larger tale that spans multiple projects, as it first needs to introduce its key players. Superman will be an important piece of that as it debuts new heroes and supporting characters who will return in other movies and TV shows.
