James Gunn reluctantly confirms when the only non-chronological DCU movie

Less than one week after James Gunn confirmed that his 2021 movie The Suicide Squad is canon to the DCU, the DC Studios boss has swapped up the timeline yet again, finally confirming when new movie Clayface is set.

Over on Instagram Threads, ComicBookCollide posted their take on the DCU timeline, starting with Lanterns' past timeline in 2016, followed by Clayface in 2021, The Suicide Squad in early 2022, Peacemaker season 1 in late 2022, and so on. Gunn replied, "Timelines give me anxiety, but I think this looks pretty good."

So, with confirmation from Gunn, the updated DCU timeline is as follows:

• Lanterns – set in 2016
• Clayface – set in 2021
• The Suicide Squad – set in Spring 2022
• Peacemaker season 1 – set in Fall 2022
• Blue Beetle – set in 2023
• Creature Commandos – set in 2024
• Superman – set in 2025
• Peacemaker season 2 – set in 2025
• Supergirl – set in 2026
• Lanterns flash-forward – set in 2026

As for projects still in the works, the proposed timeline slots Creature and Commandos season 2 in between Peacemaker season 2 and Supergirl. While 2027 Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow and upcoming HBO mockumentary The People vs. Gorilla Grodd take place pretty much in present time, and will slot in after Lanterns (2026).

Now, we already knew that Clayface had broken the DCU's trend of releasing projects in chronological order, as Gunn had already confirmed that despite it releasing in 2026, the horror movie takes place before Superman. Up until that point, all DCU Chapter One releases took place in the present time in relation to when they hit the big screen.

Right now, it doesn't really matter when Clayface takes place, as it is a standalone story exploring the Batman villain's origin in Gotham City, with no mention of the wider universe. However, as the DCU grows and Gotham widens with projects such as The Brave and the Bold, we'll want to keep track of what happens when.

Clayface is out in cinemas now. For more, check out our guide on need to head to our guide on how to watch the DC movies in order, and keep up with upcoming DC movies on the way.