James Gunn Reveals Big Change a Powerful DC Group (& What It Means for DCU)

Just like any adaptation, comic book movies are not strict, one-to-one retellings of the source material. Some tweaks and changes are typically made, as creatives exhibit their artistic license to put fresh spins on well-established concepts and characters. The DC Universe is no different. James Gunn’s Superman contains several changes from the comics, including Jor-El’s secret agenda to take over Earth, Krypto’s unruly behavior, and the creation of the Justice Gang. Another big change Gunn has implemented is ARGUS; in the comics, the organization’s goal is to unite superhumans, but the acronym has a different meaning in the new continuity.

On Threads, Gunn shared a picture of the DCU’s ARGUS logo, revealing the acronym stands for “Advanced Research Group of The United States.” When a fan asked why it was changed from the source material, Gunn had a sound explanation. “Well it’s not the first time it’s been changed, but in the DCU they aren’t so much uniting superheroes as they are attempting to keep them in check,” he said.

What James Gunn’s ARGUS Change Means for the DCU

Fans have already seen ARGUS’ mission to keep superheroes in check in action. In Superman, Rick Flag Sr. (who is the director of ARGUS) meets with Lex Luthor to discuss how to deal with the potential threat of Superman. Flag later arrests Superman once the truth behind Jor-El’s full message is publicly revealed. Before the Daily Planet exposed Luthor’s devious plot to gain land from Jarhanpur, ARGUS was very much working alongside Luthor and his PlanetWatch team to protect the world from Kryptonians.

Peacemaker sees Rick Flag Sr. dedicate resources to keeping tabs on Christopher Smith, who, of course, killed Flag’s son. ARGUS has been monitoring Peacemaker and made note of the dimensional anomaly that took place at his house, fearing that it could be another rift that would tear the planet apart. Even when ARGUS was overseeing the Corto Maltese operation, that was less about uniting superheroes for the greater good and more about using criminals for dangerous Task Force X missions. Amanda Waller kept close watch on the Suicide Squad and wouldn’t hesitate to activate a bomb implanted in the team members’ heads.

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The change to ARGUS in the DCU sheds light on the organization’s dynamic with metahumans. ARGUS won’t always be working with the likes of Superman and the Justice Gang; it exists more to keep an eye on super-powered individuals and ensure their actions don’t get out of hand. It makes sense that something like ARGUS has been established in the DCU. The opening text in Superman states metahumans have been around for centuries, so it’s only logical there’s a government agency designed to deal with them. ARGUS’ mission can change depending on the situation since it isn’t geared to unite superheroes. If there’s a metahuman criminal causing havoc, ARGUS can do what’s necessary to apprehend them.

It’ll be interesting to see how the portrayal of ARGUS develops as the DCU moves forward. The agency will surely have a large role to play throughout the rest of Peacemaker Season 2 as Flag continues his vendetta against Smith and tries to learn more about the dimensional gates in Peacemaker’s house. ARGUS’ role could vary from project to project depending on what’s needed. In Peacemaker, it has more of an antagonistic presence, with Smith under constant surveillance and Flag ready to strike at a moment’s notice. In Gunn’s planned Superman follow-up, ARGUS could aid Superman as he tries to save the world from another major threat. One of the cool things about ARGUS is it has that flexibility, allowing filmmakers to employ it however they choose.