Explaining Ultrabunny: The unofficial mascot of the DCU

Summary

• The DCU begins anew with Gunn's “God and Monsters” series, featuring the Creature Commandos and the mascot Ultrabunny.
• Ultrabunny came from a missed opportunity to play with Wile E. Coyote in The Suicide Squad.
• Ultrabunny has the potential to become a popular DCU character, which could lead to spin-off projects.

James Gunn ushers in a new era for superhero franchises that DC Universe dives head first into “Chapter One: God and Monsters.” Hoping to recapture the world-building magic of the MCU's Phase One, the DCU is officially off the starting blocks with Creature Commandos. Alongside a cartoon with i Creature Commandosopening credits, there's already been a surprise appearance by the DCU's own unofficial mascot.

There is some confusion as to which parts of the old DCEU will carry over into the new canon, Creature Commandos has already joined Master of Peace and The Suicide Squad. Gunn's adult animation has also resurrected a one-off Easter egg from the DCU's not-so-distant cousin. Like Disney has Mickey Mouse and McDonalds has Ronald McDonald, it looks like Ultrabunny has cemented himself as the mascot of the DCU.

Who is Ultrabunny?

As a rabbit with floppy ears holding a sign, Ultrabunny first appeared in 2022 The Suicide Squad but has 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 gave concrete results of Indira Varma's bride and her tragic background with Eric Frankenstein (David Harbour). As the episode jumped through history and the Bride's many encounters with Eric, a flashback to the 90s showed him in a black Ultrabunny t-shirt.

Gunn told BBC Radio 1 in 2021 how Ultrabunny started as a joke where he wanted to put Joel Kinnaman's Rick Flag Jr. in a comical Wile E. Coyote shirt for The 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. Beyond that, he said he felt a little “strange” including the character:

“If it was Mickey Mouse, it would be okay, or if it was Wile E. and we were going to do a Disney movie, I'd be fine, but to do a Warner Bros. movie with Wile E., I felt a little weird . Also, I'm working on a Wile E. movie, so it's like all these different things come together and I just wasn't sure.”

Instead, Gunn created Ultrabunny and has since shared his original drawing (see above). With Ultrabunny as a stand-in for Wile E. Coyote, fans may spot some similarities, such as the pair holding amusing signs. For the original drawing, Gunn considered sayings such as “the future is plaid” and “Elvis saves” before deciding “Obstacles are opportunities.”

Similar to how Invincible series has Science Dog and Amazon's animated series had Seance Dog (debt rights issues), Ultrabunny is a fictional character that exists in the world of the DCU, who The Itchy & Scratchy Show in The Simpsons. Gunn has been hyping the importance of the Ultrabunny, posting on threads and telling fans:

Ultrabunny is one of the more famous cartoon characters in the world of the DCU. He has also appeared in Peacemaker.

The fact that Gunn has said “one of the more famous” suggests that there are other comic book characters out there. Has Gunn already designed his own superhero team in the world of anthropomorphic animals? At least the audience knows Superman and the rest might like to kick back with the odd cartoon after a hard day saving the world.

Attentive viewers have noticed how Eric Frankenstein's Ultrabunny shirt differs from the one worn by Rick Flag Jr. The Suicide Squad. Then Flagga changed to the yellow t-shirt where Ultrabunny held a sign with the text “obstáculos son opportunidades.” (This is Spanish for “obstacles are opportunities.”) The character made an unexpected return when Evan Calcaterra (Lenny Jacobson) wore an Ultrabunny t-shirt in Master of Peace season 1, while there is an Ultrabunny action figure on the hood of Vigilante's (Freddie Stroma) car. Ultrabunny appears in Creature Commandos further 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 that he at least has some kind of superpower. There's also the gag that his tagline was the production tagline for The Suicide Squad. Whether or not Gunn has even given him a backstory remains to be seen, but with fans seeming to respond well to his inclusion, Ultrabunny has the potential to become a DCU character all his own. It also sounds like a great opportunity for merchandising – just look at how popular it is The Mandalorians Grogu became.

“Chapter One: Gods and Monsters” is expected to be the first installment 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 Commandos has wasted no time nodding to the outside world, with David Corenswet's Superman tipped to at least get a mention before the final credits roll. Given Ultrabunny's popularity, he's expected to feature in many other characters' fashions, but what if he's destined for more?

In addition to the already packed Chapter One, Ultrabunny can be involved in a project of his own. Although a full-scale Ultrabunny movie seems unlikely in the wake of Warner Bros. scrapped Wile E. Coyote-led Coyote vs. Acme after that was done, Gunn's mention of his popularity suggests he has a plan. Plus, if Gunn pulls it off and pitches the right project to Warner Bros., an Ultrabunny outing could fill the coyote-shaped hole. If not, a series in the same vein as Creature Commandos could also work.

There are arguably far more important characters to worry about, like the casting of Batman for God and Monsters, as well as the hopeful arrivals of fan favorites like Booster Gold, Martian Manhunter, and Wonder Woman further down the line. While Ultrabunny never becomes more than a joke drawing that Gunn did 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 badass take on a beastly Justice League homage.