A recent episode of the Peacemaker Season 1 podcast, hosted by James Gunn, dropped a fascinating tidbit regarding Chukwudi Iwuji, who portrayed the stern and effective Clemson Murn in the initial season.
Significant transformations are underway in the DC Universe, steered by DC Studios’ co-CEO, James Gunn. The establishment of what officially belongs to the DC canon remains a work in progress. However, the consensus is that projects directly involving Gunn, such as The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, are included in the new continuity, albeit with some discrepancies.
These inconsistencies generate some confusion. For instance, the first season of Peacemaker showcased cameos from Justice League characters who are now considered outside of the main DCU timeline. This notably involves Jason Momoa’s Aquaman, a character effectively reimagined within the refreshed DCU. (Momoa is rumored to be taking on the role of Lobo and will be appearing in the upcoming Supergirl movie.)
Regarding Iwuji’s Clemson Murn, Jennifer Holland, who plays Emilia Harcourt in Peacemaker, inquired whether the character would remain part of the DCU continuity. Gunn confirmed that Clemson Murn is, indeed, considered canon. However, there are nuances.
“I believe Clemson Murn is canon,” Gunn stated. “Though, the face associated with the character might not be. We could, if desired, cast [Chukwudi Iwuji] in a different role within the DCU. Alternatively, Chukwudi could portray another character that isn’t human.”
In season one, Murn was possessed by an extraterrestrial butterfly species known as Ik Nobe Llok. Tragically, he suffered a violent end, ultimately killed by Queen Eek Stack Ik Ik. This fact suggested that Iwuji would not be joining the main cast for the upcoming second season.
However, Gunn’s revelation that Murn’s physical appearance may not be definitive and that Iwuji might return as an entirely different character opens a wide spectrum of possibilities – both for Iwuji as an actor and for the future of Clemson Murn as a character, perhaps in a radically different form.
This announcement further suggests that other actors from Peacemaker or The Suicide Squad could potentially appear as new characters within the DCU. While it might seem strange to imagine Margot Robbie as anyone other than Harley Quinn, Gunn’s recent comments indicate that she, along with actors like Idris Elba, could return to the DCU landscape in unforeseen ways.