Keeping track of Superhero universes and their timelines, character histories, and overlapping realities has turned into somewhat of a sport for fans. What begins as a story about one hero can quickly become an elaborate exercise in connecting every project with a shared fictional address.

And while DC has recently found itself under scrutiny for how its new universe fits together, James Gunn has a reminder for anyone treating these questions as uniquely its problem. The filmmaker’s latest response has given some food for thought to those who think Marvel’s sprawling universe is not immune to the continuity questions now following DC.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has spent years expanding beyond theatrical releases, from television series and spin-offs to alternate realities being injected into an increasingly crowded narrative space. The result has given audiences plenty to dissect, from how Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fits alongside the films to where The Defenders and Agent Carter belong in the larger chronology.

James Gunn knows this particular headache from the other side of the superhero studio spectrum, having directed Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy before taking charge of DC Studios.

"I was asked this s*** constantly at Marvel," the filmmaker commented on Threads. 

That history came up when Gunn responded to a now-deleted comment beneath his Threads post about the new podcast, The Suicide Squad: Is It Canon?. A preceding reply had rattled off several Marvel properties while questioning the continuity debate surrounding DC, prompting Gunn to offer a rather succinct recollection of his own time at the studio. The problem, apparently, travels remarkably well between comic-book universes.

Is Wanda Maximoff Dead in The MCU? Will The Scarlet Witch Appear in 'Vision Quest?'

His comment arrived alongside a more substantial attempt to settle one of DC’s lingering questions, this time with a podcast devoted to the evidence.

The new DC podcast, The Suicide Squad: Is It Canon? brings James Gunn together with Jennifer Holland and Steve Agee to revisit the 2021 film and examine its place in the current DCU. Amongst other things, its central task is more specific to establishing whether the film can coexist with the new universe Gunn is building. 

Gunn ultimately considered The Suicide Squad part of the DCU, calling it the first canon film in the new universe, with one notable question mark surrounding Margot Robbie’s future as Harley Quinn. He also addressed timeline discrepancies, including Bloodsport’s history with Superman, while arguing that fans need to ease up on expecting everything to align perfectly. The podcast may not answer every question about DC’s future, but it does establish Gunn’s priorities of continuity matters, just not at the expense of telling a good story.

“Isn’t Very Far” — James Gunn Teases DCU Batman Casting With One Fair-Shot Promise

Which studio do you think has more continuity problems? Let us know in the comments.