Summary
James Gunn is ushering in a new era for superhero franchises as theDC Universedives headfirst into “Chapter One: God and Monsters.” Hoping to recapture the world-building magic of the MCU’s Phase One, theDCUis officially off the starting blocks withCreature Commandos. Alongside a cartoon featured inCreature Commandos’ opening credits, there’s already been the surprise appearance of the DCU’s own unofficial mascot.
While there’s some confusion about which parts of the old DCEU will be brought over into the new canon,Creature Commandoshas already tied itself toPeacemakerandThe Suicide Squad. Gunn’s adult animation has also resurrected a throwaway Easter egg from the DCU’s not-so-distant cousin. Like Disney has Mickey Mouse and McDonald’s has Ronald McDonald, it looks like Ultrabunny has cemented himself as the DCU’s mascot.
Who is Ultrabunny?
As a floppy-eared rabbit holding a sign, Ultrabunny first appeared in 2022’sThe Suicide Squadbut has officially appeared inDCU canonthanks to a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it nod inCreature Commandosepisode 2. December 5’s “The Tourmaline Necklace” fleshed out the past of Indira Varma’s the Bride and her tragic backstory with Eric Frankenstein (David Harbour). As the episode jumped through history and the Bride’s many run-ins with Eric, a flashback to the ’90s featured him wearing a black Ultrabunny t-shirt.
Gunn toldBBC Radio 1in 2021 how Ultrabunny started out as a joke where he wanted to put Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag Jr. in a comedic Wile E. Coyote tee forThe Suicide Squad. Although Warner Bros. also owns the Looney Tunes characters, Gunn says the studio was concerned about splattering the iconic cartoon character with blood. Added to that, he said he felt a little ‘weird’ including the character:
“If it was Mickey Mouse it would be okay, or if it was Wile E. and we were making a Disney movie I would be okay, but making a Warner Bros. movie with Wile E., I felt a little weird. Plus, I’m working on a Wile E. movie, so it’s like all these different things coming together and I just wasn’t sure about it.”
Instead, Gunn created Ultrabunny and has since shared his original drawing (seen above). With Ultrabunny working as a stand-in forWile E. Coyote, fans might spot some similarities, like the pair holding amusing signs. For the original drawing, Gunn mulled over sayings like “the future is plaid” and “Elvis saves” before settling on“obstacles are opportunities.”
Similar to how theInvinciblecomics have Science Dogand Amazon’s animated series had Seance Dog (blame rights issues), Ultrabunny is a fictional character who exists in the world of the DCU, likeThe Itchy & Scratchy ShowinThe Simpsons. Gunn has hyped the importance of Ultrabunny, posting onThreadsand telling fans:
Ultrabunny is one of the more famous cartoon characters in the world of the DCU. He’s shown up in Peacemaker too.
The fact that Gunn has said ‘one of the more famous’ suggests there are other cartoon characters out there. Has Gunn already designed his own in-world superhero team of anthropomorphic animals? At least audiences know Superman and the rest might like to kick back with the odd cartoon after a hard day saving the world.
Observant viewers have noticed howEric Frankenstein’s Ultrabunny tee is different from the one worn by Rick Flag Jr. inThe Suicide Squad. Back then, Flag changed into the yellow tee that featured Ultrabunny holding a sign that reads, “obstáculos son oportunidades.” (This is Spanish for “obstacles are opportunities.”) The character unexpectedly returned when Evan Calcaterra (Lenny Jacobson) wore an Ultrabunny t-shirt inPeacemakerseason 1, while there’s an Ultrabunny action figure on the hood of Vigilante’s (Freddie Stroma) car. Ultrabunny appearing inCreature Commandosfurther ties together the canon of the DCU.
The DCU Already Has Its Own Mascot
Ultrabunny is something of a mystery, with his name and outfit suggesting he at least has some sort of superpower. There’s also the gag that his slogan was the production slogan forThe Suicide Squad. Whether Gunn has even given him a backstory remains to be seen, but with fans seemingly responding well to his inclusion, Ultrabunny has the potential to become a DCU character all of his own. Also, it sounds like a great opportunity for merchandising – just lookhow popularThe Mandalorian’s Grogu became.
“Chapter One: Gods and Monsters” is expected to be the first part of an ever-expanding DCU that will add some of the weird and wonderful characters that the DCEU never got around to including, as well as some brand-new creations.Creature Commandoshas wasted no time in nodding to the wider world, withDavid Corenswet’s Supermantipped to at least get a mention before the final credits roll. Given Ultrabunny’s popularity, he’s expected to feature in the fashion of many other characters, but what if he’s destined for more?
Beyond the already packed Chapter One, Ultrabunny could feature in a project of his own. Even though a full-blown Ultrabunny movie seems unlikely in the aftermath of Warner Bros.scrapping the Wile E. Coyote-ledCoyote vs. Acmeafter it was completed, Gunn’s mention of his popularity suggests he has a plan. Also, if Gunn can pull it off and pitch the right project to Warner Bros., an Ultrabunny outing could fill that Coyote-shaped hole in. If not, a series in the vein ofCreature Commandoscould also work.
There are arguably a lot more important characters to worry about, like thecasting of Batman for God and Monsters, as well as hopeful arrivals of fan-favorites like Booster Gold, Martian Manhunter, and Wonder Woman further down the line. Even if Ultrabunny never amounts to more than a joke drawing 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 Gunn could do with his own foul-mouthed take on an animalistic Justice League homage.
