James Gunn Reveals a Highly Anticipated Superhero Series Is Officially DCU Canon

James Gunn has confirmed that the upcoming Mister Miracle animated series will be canon to the DCU. In June 2025, one month before the release of Superman, news broke that HBO had ordered an animated series based on Tom King and Mitch Gerads’ acclaimed Mister Miracle series. One question on many fans’ minds that was not immediately answered was whether the animated series would be part of the larger DCU, like Creature Commandos, or a standalone project like the upcoming My Adventures with Green Lantern.

James Gunn confirmed Mister Miracle‘s DCU canon status in a post on Instagram. Celebrating the 55th anniversary of Mister Miracles’ debut in DC Comics, the caption read, the character will soon “be seen in our DCU animated show.” Just in case there was any confusion, the co-CEO of DC Studios then confirmed that his own statement was accurate. Per DCU Updates, when one fan asked for clarification on if the Mister Miracle animated series would be canon to the DCU, Gunn replied, “Indeed.”

How ‘Mister Miracle’ Being Canon Impacts the DCU’s Future

Mister Miracle was created by Jack Kirby and debuted in his own solo series in 1971. Scott Free, the adopted son of Darkseid, left a bleak life on the planet Apokolips and eventually fled to Earth, becoming a master escape artist in the process. He is pursued and later falls in love with Big Barda, one of Darkseid’s Female Furies, who defects after developing feelings for Mister Miracle. A twelve-issue limited series titled Mister Miracle was published between 2016 and 2017, written by Tom King and drawn by Mitch Gerads. It was critically acclaimed upon release, winning the Eisner Award for Best Limited Series in 2019. King will serve as the series’ showrunner with Gerads involved in animation.

With Mister Miracle now officially DCU canon, it joins the slate of projects that includes Supergirl, Lanterns, Clayface, Man of Tomorrow, Creature Commandos Season 2, Booster Gold, The Brave and the Bold, and the upcoming Wonder Woman reboot. It is certainly a diverse slate of titles that encompasses the vast corners of the DCU. No release date is set for Mister Miracle, though production is underway, and reportedly, the series has begun casting. As with Creature Commandos, actors cast in Mister Miracle are also expected to reprise their roles in the live-action series.

Mister Miracle being DCU canon also means that the franchise will incorporate Darkseid, who Gunn previously ruled out as the big bad of the DCU following Zack Snyder’s use of the character. Darkseid is a significant part of the New Gods pantheon and also a key component of the Mister Miracle comic series that the show is adapting. Even though the Salvation Run arc that Gunn teased in Peacemaker Season 2 does tie into Darkseid in the comics, Gunn has ruled out any connections at the moment. It will be interesting to not only see how the DCU puts its own spin on Darkseid, but also to see him moving away from being the overriding threat of the universe to a more singular foe for Mister Miracle, with the potential of him becoming a franchise big bad ready to deploy if necessary.