James Gunn has always been a big fan of teams. Except for Super, every other superhero film he directed has featured a team of superheroes working together in some capacity. Even better, he knows how to bring the squad members together without any form of proper buildup. Check out Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad, or Superman. Gunn never spends too much time explaining each character’s origin. He simply walks them onto the ground for them to play.
Given Gunn’s love for superhero teams, he was always expected to structure the DCU around groups rather than individuals. The DC Studios co-chair has done exactly that. Predictably, he is also focusing more on smaller teams rather than larger ones. There is no Justice League or Teen Titans yet. Gunn appears to be more interested in squads that never got much attention in the past. That’s a great move considering that there is so much to explore.
A few other teams have been hinted at but have yet to appear. A movie about The Authority is reported to be in the works, while the entire Bat-family is rumored to be part of The Brave and the Bold. Additionally, the Justice Society of America (JSA) was hinted at through the “300-year legacy” of superheroes shown in Superman, with figures like Jay Garrick and Wildcat appearing on the mural.
So far, these are the teams in existence.
Top Trio
In Season 2 of Peacemaker, Christopher Smith heads to the Quantum Unfolding Chamber (QUC) (a near-infinite room that connects to other universes in his home) and enters an alternate Earth where his brother Keith never died as a child. He also learns that in this world, his father, Auggie Smith (Blue Dragon), and an alternate version of himself are part of a superhero group called Top Trio, protecting citizens from various threats.
A Series Exclusive Team
Trust James Gunn to be creative. There are many superhero groups to pick from in DC Comics, yet the filmmaker chose to create a new team for the series. Top Trio doesn’t exist on the pages, but its inclusion makes sense since it helps accentuate the “What If?” aspect of Chris’ life. What if he grew up in a perfect family, with a sibling and a responsible dad? Well, the alternate version of Chris was revealed to have been overly aggressive and violent, so maybe Peacemaker is just Peacemaker. The environment doesn’t matter.
In the comics, Chris only joins three groups: The Suicide Squad, Checkmate, and Shadow Fighters. His time with Checkmate is especially notable. Chris becomes an integral part of a special-forces unit, tasked with hunting terrorists, but as always, his violent behavior becomes too extreme. He eventually dies during a battle with the villain Eclipso in Eclipso #13.
Justice Gang
The Justice Gang doesn’t appear in the comics either. The prototype version of the Justice League, is first seen in Superman, consisting of Guy Gardner, aka Green Lantern, Kendra Saunders, aka Hawkgirl, and Michael Holt, aka Mister Terrific. The group — funded by Max Lord’s company LordTech — assists Superman in stopping Lex Luthor’s plans. The gang later recruits Metamorpho.
Likely To Morph into the Justice League
The Justice Gang feels like a consolation prize to DC fans for not getting proper Justice League stories in the DCEU. Inevitably, compared to the more popular group featuring Batman and The Flash, this version stands on its own as a fun adventure-loving squad.
The Justice Gang has also been useful in providing a major retcon. At the beginning of Peacemaker’s second season, a “previously on” trailer reveals that it was members of this particular group who showed up late in the aftermath of “Project: Butterfly,” not the DCEU’s Justice League as initially shown. The video further reveals that Superman and Supergirl are members. In another hilarious segment, Peacemaker tries to be recruited into the group only to be mocked by Lord, Gardner, and Saunders — another reminder that he has always needed to belong and feel loved.
Task Force X, aka, The Suicide Squad
Task Force X is a black-ops government program that uses incarcerated dangerous supervillains and metahumans for “off the books” missions. The team is dubbed “The Suicide Squad” because most of the missions always end with most of the members dead. The group is a subsidiary of A.R.G.U.S. (Advanced Research Group Uniting Super-Humans) under the supervision of Amanda Waller.
Waller’s Toys
James Gunn confirmed early on that his DCEU projects, The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, would be canon in his rebooted DCU, paving the way for The Suicide Squad to play. Thanks to the creative choice, fans have already been treated to a major, intriguing arc involving Chris and Rick Flag Jr. When Chris heads to “Nazi World,” he meets an alternate version of Rick Flag. Jr. whom he killed in The Suicide Squad. He somehow gets to have a double victory over the man by winning the heart of that universe’s version of Emilia Harcourt.
At the moment, the possibilities remain endless as the group is set to feature in the upcoming series, Waller. Could Bloodsport, King Shark, and Harley Quinn make a return? It’s highly likely, considering how good they were in the movie. Could we see new members? In the comics, popular DC villains like Manchester Black, Penguin, and Bane have all been part of Task Force X at some point.
Green Lantern Corps
The Green Lantern Corps is an intergalactic peacekeeping force founded by the ancient Guardians of the Universe, consisting of several individuals dubbed Green Lanterns. Selected from across the universe, they wield devices powered by their willpower (Power Rings). These gifted individuals serve as an intergalactic law enforcement body, overseeing various space sectors of the galaxy, including the one containing Earth.
Enter the Space Cops
Lantern fans have waited too long for days like these (let’s assume that one bad Ryan Reynolds movie never happened). After years of being ignored in live-action, the men in green are finally getting their moment. Superman gave us a tiny Lantern serving, with Guy Gardner revealed to have been assigned as the Green Lantern protector of Sector 2814. He was recruited by billionaire Maxwell Lord to be part of the Justice Gang, which Gardner himself named, and appointed himself the leader.
DC fans will get to enjoy more Green Lantern adventures in the upcoming 2026 series starring Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as Hal Jordan and John Stewart, respectively. There’s every reason to be excited as the “Space Cops” seem set for incredible characterization. According to James Gunn, the show’s tone and style were inspired by popular detective shows True Detective and Slow Horses. The latter’s James Hawes was even hired to direct the first two episodes.
Creature Commandos
Amanda Waller is unable to use Task Force X at the moment due to sanctions by Congress. “Technically, Congress said A.R.G.U.S. can’t use incarcerated human beings as mission operatives any longer,” she tells Rick Flag. Sr. That’s where Task Force Monster (Task Force M), aka the Creature Commandos, comes in. The specialized military unit consists of monstrous inmates with unique abilities, first under the leadership of General Rick Flag, Sr, who is later succeeded by the Bride.
Perfect Replacements
The Creature Commandos feel like a side group, since Amanda Waller and Rick Flag Sr. are the only members that look likely to appear frequently down the line. Still, Creature Commandos, the first show in the new universe, was essential, helping to set the tone of the DCU. The animated series also opened the gates to the supernatural and occult mythology, paving the way for characters like Constantine and Swamp Thing.
Gunn was never going to leave such a group unexplored, either. Guardians of the Galaxy proved that he is a big fan of creatures, treating them as not just scary beings but intelligent characters with lots of potential. Will we ever have a scenario where Superman meets this crew? Gunn is full of surprises, so we’ll wait and see.
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