Summary
- The DCU starts anew with Gunn's God and Monsters series, featuring the Creature Commandos and the mascot Ultrabunny.
- Ultrabunny arose from a missed opportunity to show Wile E. Coyote in “Suicide Squad”.
- Ultrabunny has the potential to become a popular character in the DCU, potentially leading to additional projects.
James Gunn ushers in a new era for superhero franchises The DC Universe dives headfirst into Chapter One: God and Monsters. Hoping to recapture the world-building magic of the MCU's first phase, the DCU doesn't officially begin with Creature Commandos. Along with the cartoon shown in the Creature CommandosThe opening credits have already seen the surprise appearance of the DCU's own unofficial mascot.
While there is some confusion as to which parts of the old DCEU will be carried over into the new canon, Creature Commandos already tied to himself Peacemaker and Suicide squad. Adult animation Anna also resurrected a throwaway Easter egg from a close cousin of the DCU. Like Disney has Mickey Mouse and McDonald's has Ronald McDonald, the Ultrabunny seems to be cemented as the mascot of the DCU.
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Who is Ultrabunny?
Ultrabunny first appeared in 2022 as an eared rabbit with a nameplate Suicide Squad but officially appeared in DCU canon thanks to a blink-and-you'll-miss-it nod Creature Commandos episode 2. “The Tourmaline Necklace” on December 5 fleshed out Indira Varma's “Bride” past and her tragic backstory with Eric Frankenstein (David Harbour). As the episode jumped through history and the Bride's many run-ins with Eric, he flashed back to the 90s by dressing him in a black Ultrabunny t-shirt.
Gunn told BBC Radio 1 in 2021 how Ultrabunny started as a joke when he wanted to put Rick Flagg Jr. Joel Kinnaman in a comedy Wile E. Coyote T-shirt for Suicide squad. Although Warner Bros. also owns Looney Tunes characters, Gunn says the studio was concerned about splattering the iconic cartoon character with blood. On top of that, he said he felt a little “weird” including the character:
“If it was Mickey Mouse, that would be fine, or if it was Wile E. and we were doing a Disney movie, I would be fine, but doing a Warner Bros. movie. with Wile E., I felt a little weird. Also, I'm working on a Wile E. movie, so all these different things are coming together, and I just wasn't sure about it.”
Instead, Gan created Ultrabunny and has since shared his original image (shown above). With Ultrabunny working as Wile E. Coyote's understudy, fans may notice some similarities, such as the pair holding funny signs. For the original image, Gunn considered sayings like “the future in a cage” and “Elvis to the rescue” before settling on “Obstacles are opportunities.”
Similar to how Invincible There is Science Dog in the comics and Seance Dog in the Amazon animated series (guilt rights issues), Ultrabunny is a fictional character that exists in the DCU world, e.g. An itchy and scratchy show Art The Simpsons. Gunn played up the importance of Ultrabunny by posting on Threads and telling fans:
Ultrabunny is one of the most famous cartoon characters in the DCU universe. He also appeared in The Peacemaker.
The fact that Gunn called “one of the most famous” suggests that there are other cartoon characters. Or has Gunn already created his own global superhero team of anthropomorphic animals? At least the audience knows Superman, and the rest of us might want to relax with a weird cartoon after a hard day of saving the world.
Attentive viewers noticed how Eric Frankenstein's Ultrabunny T-shirt differs from the one worn by Rick Flagg Jr. in Suicide squad. At the time, Flagg changed into a yellow t-shirt with Ultrabani holding a sign reading “obstáculos son opportunidades”. (That's Spanish for “obstacles are opportunities.”) The character made a surprise return when Evan Calcatero (Lenny Jacobson) donned an Ultrabunny T-shirt in Peacemaker season 1, while Vigilante (Freddie Strom) has an Ultrabunny figure on the hood of his car. The ultra rabbit that appears in the Creature Commandos ties the DCU canon together even more.
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The DCU already has its own mascot
Ultrabunny is something of a mystery, his name and clothing suggest that he possesses some sort of superpower. There is also the joke that his slogan was the slogan of the production Suicide squad. Whether or not Gunn even gave a backstory remains to be seen, but fans seem to have responded well to his inclusion, Ultrabunny has the potential to be his own DCU character. Plus, it sounds like a great merchandising opportunity – just look at how popular it is Mandalorian's Grog became.
Chapter One: Gods and Monsters is expected to be the first installment of the ever-expanding DCU, adding some weird and wonderful characters that the DCEU never got around to including, as well as some brand new creations. Creature Commandos wasting no time in nodding to the wider world, with David Carensuet's Superman presumably at least mentioned before the end credits. Given Ultrabunny's popularity, it's expected that he'll be featured in many other characters' fashions, but what if he's destined for more?
In addition to the already completed first chapter, Ultrabunny can participate in his own project. Although a full-scale Ultrabunny movie seems unlikely after Warner Bros. canceled the film directed by Wile E. Coyote Coyote vs Acme after it was completed, Hann's mention of its popularity suggests that he has a plan. Also, if Gunn can pull it off and offer Warner Bros. the right project, the output of the Ultrabunny can fill that Coyote-shaped hole. If not, the series is in spirit Creature Commandos can also work.
There are probably a lot more important characters to worry about, like the casting of Batman as God and monsters, and the encouraging arrivals of fan favorites like Booster Gold, Martian Hunter and Wonder Woman further down the line. Even if the Ultrabunny will never be more than a joke that Gunn made because he couldn't use Wile E. Coyote, he could become a recurring Easter egg like Pixar's iconic Pizza Planet trucks. Still, imagine what Gun could do with his foul-mouthed take on the Justice League's animalistic homage.
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