James Gunn addresses his recent comments onBlack AdamandShazam: Fury of the Gods. Following theDCUreboot, both Black Adam and Shazam are expected to be recast. BySuperman’s July 2025 release, it may still be too early to introduce a new version of the Wizard’s champions, as Dwayne Johnson and Zachary Levi’s portrayals are still too fresh in the audience’s minds.
On a July 21st interview withDen of Geek, James Gunn was asked whether Emilia Harcourt and John Economos' appearance inBlack AdamandShazam: Fury of the Godsis canon, to which Gunn responded,“They’re not canon! I hate it!”Two days later,Gunn clarified his comments onThreads, explaining that he doesn’t hate the movies, but his characters' role in them:
“This is the kind of nonsense you have to look out for in these posts. I never said I hated either of those films - I said I didn’t like the way the 11th Street Kids were included, as I don’t think Harcourt was ever the warden of an underwater prison, and I don’t think Waller had anything to do with the Justice Society.”
What James Gunn’s Black Adam And Shazam 2 Comments Mean
James Gunn Didn’t Oversee The Peacemaker Characters' DCEU Cameos
James Gunn makes it clear that he had no creative input inthe 11th Street Kids' return. As Gunn explains, John Economos and Emilia Harcourt’s link to Amanda Waller’s “Black Site” and the Justice Society were never acknowledged or set up by the DCEU, let alonePeacemakerorThe Suicide Squad. ByBlack Adam, Harcourt was already reluctant to work with Waller.
James Gunn created his versions of the Suicide Squad and the 11th Street Kids for the DCEU, back when a reboot wasn’t in the cards for Warner Bros. Before the creation of DC Studios, James Gunn didn’t have absolute control over his DC characters, meaning that Emilia Harcourt and John Economos could be used in other projects without Gunn’s involvement.
The events ofThe Suicide SquadandPeacemakerseason 2will likely be mostly canon in the DCU. However, Jennifer Holland’s Emilia Harcourt and Steve Agee’s John Economos likely won’t have any ties to Black Adam, Shazam, or the Justice Society anymore. Their return inPeacemakerseason 2 and beyond belongs to a slightly different continuity.
Our Take On James Gunn’s Black Adam And Shazam 2 Comments
Harcourt & Economos' DCEU Cameos Prove How Disorganized The Franchise Used To Be
Emilia Harcourt and John Economos' cameo appearance inBlack AdamandShazam: Fury of the Gods' post-credits sceneis clear proof that the DCEU had no clear direction. Individual writers and directors seem to have been setting up future stories on the fly.What’s worse, James Gunn didn’t know where his own characters were heading.
What exactlyBlack AdamandShazam: Fury of the Godswere setting up is unclear. Black Adam probably would have met Task Force X, and Shazam probably would have joined a new iteration of the Justice Society. However, none of that was guaranteed in the DCEU, either.
