The DCU Is Hurting Itself by Omitting a Major DCEU Character From Its Biggest Story

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Reviving a whole movie series is incredibly difficult. There are many things to think about, like whether to keep actors who are perfect for their roles, or which characters should be cut. The DC Universe is mostly starting fresh, breaking away from everything in the previous DC Extended Universe to head in a new direction. But one piece carries over: the story started by James Gunn in The Suicide Squad. Peacemaker’s story wasn’t finished, so Gunn is continuing it with the 11th Street Kids in his new DCU series.

Peacemaker Season 2 is really leaning into its ties with the DC Universe, even bringing back Rick Flag to deal with the consequences of his death in The Suicide Squad. Some characters are still deeply affected by this tragic event and hold Peacemaker responsible, but they aren’t the only ones struggling with loss. There’s at least one other DC Universe character that Peacemaker seems to be overlooking who has a right to seek some kind of resolution before Peacemaker’s story concludes.

Katana Has Rick Flag’s Back in the DCEU

Flag is in a difficult situation in Suicide Squad. Knowing a large-scale threat is coming, Amanda Waller activates her Task Force X program and places her trusted aide in command. The first step is a visit to Belle Reeve prison, which proves fruitful as Waller quickly finds plenty of individuals to send against the problem. Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Deadshot (Will Smith), and the other recruits all receive implants and are flown to Midway City. Although everyone is required to participate in the mission, one person is an exception: Katana. Flag presents her as his personal bodyguard, authorized to eliminate any teammate who gives him trouble.

Suicide Squad doesn’t tell us why Katana is so devoted to Flag, but it’s clear she sees him as a friend. She remains loyal to him even after discovering that A.R.G.U.S. is behind everything happening in Midway. She’s willing to go to great lengths for him, even battling the extremely powerful Enchantress, who is possessing Flag’s girlfriend and trying to conquer the world. The fight ultimately succeeds, and everyone on Task Force X receives a reward. However, Katana vanishes after the events of Suicide Squad and isn’t seen in the sequel. This makes sense, considering The Suicide Squad introduces many new characters, but Peacemaker focuses on the people Flag left behind – and Katana should be among them.

Peacemaker Owes Katana Just as Much as Anyone Else

Peacemaker Season 2 centers around Smith’s attempts to redeem himself for past errors. However, many aren’t convinced he’s genuinely changed. Rick Flag Sr. is relentlessly pursuing Peacemaker, looking for any misstep to use against him. Driven by his mission, the new leader of A.R.G.U.S. even manages to persuade Emilia Harcourt, one of Peacemaker’s closest allies, to betray him. As the story unfolds, we learn Harcourt has her own personal motivations for joining the team, as Flag was the only true friend she had. They shared a connection before he was deployed to Corto Maltese, where Flag hinted at wanting to pursue a romantic relationship with Harcourt. She hesitated, not wanting to cause problems with June Moone, and put the idea aside. Sadly, Flag died soon after, leaving Harcourt heartbroken.

Adding Harcourt to the story definitely makes Peacemaker’s narrative more engaging, but it might not be the most beneficial move for the Suicide Squad franchise overall. James Gunn is keen to emphasize that the Suicide Squad films still hold importance, yet it’s difficult to believe that when a character with a strong connection to Flag is absent, especially when Flag is a central figure. Perhaps the better approach would have been for Flag to contact Katana initially, integrating her into the team instead of collaborating with Harcourt, who doesn’t seem as motivated as she once was. Katana wasn’t involved in saving the world alongside Peacemaker, and she could have easily dealt with Peacemaker by delivering his head to Flag Sr.’s desk without much effort.

Peacemaker Season 2 is streaming on HBO Max.

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2025-09-30 04:11