Lanterns Reference Confirms a Major Piece of the New DCU’s Continuity
A brief mention of Starro in Lanterns appears to answer one of the biggest questions surrounding The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker, and James Gunn’s new DC Universe.
James Gunn’s new DC Universe has spent much of its early life surrounded by questions about continuity. The franchise has introduced a new starting point, recast familiar heroes, and separated itself from the previous DC film and television universe. At the same time, Gunn has repeatedly suggested that some earlier stories may still matter. That has left audiences wondering which characters, events, and productions remain part of the official history.
Lanterns has now provided one of the clearest answers yet. A casual reference from John Stewart in the sixth episode settles the status of a major event connected to the former DC continuity: the appearance of Starro in The Suicide Squad. The moment is not presented as a large crossover or an explanation of the franchise’s entire timeline. Instead, it arrives as an ordinary remark, which is precisely why it carries so much significance.
By mentioning Starro as something that exists within the world of Lanterns, John effectively confirms that the events surrounding the character are known in the new DCU. That gives audiences a meaningful piece of information about how James Gunn is handling the transition from the old DC screen universe to the new one. The answer is not a complete reset in which every previous story has been erased. It is also not a simple continuation in which every earlier film and series automatically remains valid.
The reference matters because Starro is one of the most recognizable elements of The Suicide Squad. In that film, the alien creature becomes the central threat facing the team, transforming what initially appears to be a conventional government mission into a battle against a giant extraterrestrial organism. Starro’s presence is impossible to dismiss as a minor detail. Any direct reference to the character therefore connects the new DCU to one of the specific events depicted in Gunn’s earlier work.
That connection has been especially important because The Suicide Squad occupies an unusual position in DC’s history. The movie arrived while the earlier shared universe was still active, but it did not function as a direct continuation of every story that came before it. It included returning characters, including Amanda Waller and Harley Quinn, while also introducing a largely new team and a new narrative direction. When Gunn later became one of the architects of the new DCU, fans were left to decide whether the film should be viewed as part of the old continuity, the new continuity, both, or neither.
The same uncertainty extended to Peacemaker, the television series that grew out of The Suicide Squad. The show brought back its title character and continued the consequences of his actions in the film. It also featured elements that appeared to tie it to the wider DC screen universe. However, the launch of the new DCU raised an obvious question: could Peacemaker remain canon if the world around it had changed?
That question became more complicated because the new continuity has not been introduced as a clean chronological restart with every detail explained immediately. Instead, the franchise has been moving forward while leaving selected pieces of its history in place. The approach allows the new DCU to preserve popular characters and stories without requiring audiences to accept every previous contradiction. It also creates uncertainty, because individual references can change the way earlier material is understood.
John Stewart’s line in Lanterns is therefore more than a piece of background dialogue. It functions as a continuity marker. The character does not need to explain the entire history of Starro, revisit the mission from The Suicide Squad, or name every person involved. The simple fact that Starro can be referenced as a known part of the setting is enough to establish that the creature’s existence, and by extension the event associated with it, belongs to the current universe’s history.
That does not necessarily mean that every detail from The Suicide Squad has been formally re-established. A reference to Starro does not automatically answer every question about the film’s supporting characters, its precise date, or how its events fit alongside the new DCU’s other projects. It does, however, show that the franchise is willing to carry forward at least part of that story. The film is no longer best understood as something that has been completely discarded by the reboot.
This distinction is central to the way the new DCU appears to be developing. Rather than treating canon as an all-or-nothing decision, the franchise can preserve certain events while adjusting the surrounding context. Familiar characters may have histories that overlap with earlier productions, but their lives can still move in new directions. Earlier stories can remain relevant without requiring the audience to treat the entire previous continuity as untouched.
The Starro reference also has a practical benefit for viewers. It gives the audience a way to understand the new DCU without requiring an immediate explanation of every connection. People who watched The Suicide Squad recognize the significance of the name, while viewers who did not can still follow the scene as a reference to an established threat. The dialogue works on both levels: it serves the episode in the moment and quietly provides information about the larger fictional world.
For longtime DC viewers, the moment may also clarify the status of Gunn’s relationship with the franchise. The Suicide Squad was created before the new DCU officially began, but its writer and director now has substantial creative authority over the connected universe. Keeping the film’s Starro incident in continuity allows Gunn to build on material that already reflects his tone, character work, and approach to the DC setting. It also means that the new franchise does not have to abandon every successful idea developed during the previous era.
The confirmation is particularly notable because it arrives through John Stewart rather than through a formal announcement. A studio statement can establish policy, but a character’s dialogue establishes how that policy works inside the story. John is not discussing the history of DC productions or explaining the franchise’s production changes. He is speaking from within the world, where Starro is apparently a recognizable part of the past. That makes the continuity decision feel natural rather than imposed from outside the narrative.
There is also a broader lesson in the way the information is delivered. Superhero universes often make continuity feel more complicated than it needs to be by stopping the story to explain every connection. Lanterns takes the opposite approach. A single reference can communicate that the characters share a world with events audiences already know. The result gives fans something to analyze without making the episode dependent on a lengthy explanation of the franchise’s history.
Still, the scene should not be treated as proof that every older DC production has been restored to the new canon. The confirmed point is narrower. Starro exists as part of the world’s history, and that supports the conclusion that The Suicide Squad’s central incident, or at least its occurrence, is recognized by the new DCU. It does not establish that all former films and shows remain connected in exactly the same form.
That limitation is important for Peacemaker. The series remains closely linked to The Suicide Squad because its lead character originated in the film and its story follows the aftermath of his actions. If the Starro event is acknowledged, the case for retaining at least some portion of Peacemaker’s background becomes stronger. But the reference alone does not resolve every issue involving the show’s continuity. It confirms a foundation, not an exhaustive list of which scenes, characters, or previous references carry over.
The approach may ultimately allow the new DCU to avoid one of the most common problems with cinematic universes: making entry into the franchise feel like homework. New viewers do not need to memorize an old timeline to understand the current stories. At the same time, returning viewers can see that their investment in earlier projects has not necessarily been discarded. The universe can acknowledge its past selectively, preserving meaningful events while giving new stories room to define themselves.
For Gunn, the decision also creates useful narrative flexibility. The new DCU can use the consequences of The Suicide Squad without becoming locked into every assumption that surrounded the earlier film. Starro can be part of the world’s shared history, while future stories remain free to introduce different versions of familiar heroes, villains, and institutions. This kind of selective continuity is less straightforward than a total reboot, but it can produce a richer setting if the rules remain consistent.
Lanterns has consequently answered a question that had been hanging over the franchise since the transition began. The new DCU has not erased Starro’s major appearance from existence. John Stewart’s reference places that piece of history inside the current canon and strengthens the connection between Gunn’s earlier DC work and his new universe.
The moment may be brief, but its implications are substantial. It suggests that audiences should not expect the new DCU to treat the past as either entirely valid or entirely meaningless. Instead, the franchise is choosing what to carry forward. In this case, the answer is clear: the Starro incident matters, The Suicide Squad remains relevant, and the boundaries of the new DCU are being defined one carefully placed reference at a time.