DC Studios Officially Abandons Canon With New Streaming Release

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DC Studios is working to build a connected universe of films and shows, but its most recent release broke from the established timeline, even though it included characters from previous projects. James Gunn’s DC Universe has begun with shows like Creature Commandos, Superman, and Season 2 of Peacemaker. While Supergirl is scheduled for release in June 2026, DC Studios has already delivered other projects that aren’t officially part of the main storyline.

DC Studios launched a new animated short called Krypto Saves the Day: Package Pandemonium on November 28th. The short is the newest addition to a series featuring Krypto, the Superdog, who first appeared in Superman.

The short film took place during Christmas and featured Krypto pursuing a delivery driver. As seen in the movie Superman, Krypto is known for causing mischief. When he used his X-ray vision and spotted a T-bone steak in the driver’s package, he chased him throughout the city, creating chaos as he went.

Krypto accidentally toppled a Christmas tree, and it fell onto the ice rink people were skating on, breaking it. Luckily, he was able to use his superpowers – his strength and super breath – to repair the ice.

In the end, Krypto—who later becomes an important character on Supergirl—realized his error and discovered the delivery driver was actually bringing the steak to Clark Kent. It turned out Clark was giving the steak to Krypto as a gift.

Just when it looked like Krypto was finally settling down after a day of chasing delivery drivers, he spotted Santa Claus and his sleigh. The episode ended with Krypto taking off into the sky in pursuit!

Even though the recent animated short featuring Clark Kent and his dog Krypto was made by DC Studios, it doesn’t fit into the main DC Universe (DCU) storyline. While Krypto’s design is based on the dog from the original Superman movie, these stories are separate and don’t connect to any other events in the DCU.

James Gunn has already stated that the animated ‘Krypto’ shorts won’t be considered official parts of the new DC Universe timeline. When a fan asked if they fit into the DCU’s story, Gunn replied, “No. I love ’em tho.”

Besides those short films, there’s also a Superman: Welcome to Metropolis book that isn’t considered official canon. Released before the Superman movie came out, it introduced David Corenswet’s version of the character and gave some backstory, but James Gunn has confirmed it doesn’t fit into the main storyline either.

What Is the Point of the Krypto Shorts?

Some DC fans are puzzled by the creation of the Krypto shorts, especially since they aren’t considered official parts of the DC Universe. Plus, because they’re available for free on YouTube, DC Studios isn’t making much money from them.

Basically, the Krypto projects are lighthearted, fun stories meant for kids and dedicated fans, without needing to fit perfectly into the established DC universe. They’re also a great way to introduce young children to the world of DC, and hopefully turn them into fans of the main stories if they enjoy these shorts.

These shorter stories also allow for more creative freedom outside the main storyline, and that’s a good thing. When everything is officially ‘canon,’ it can become overwhelming for fans to follow all the details and keep track of the timeline. Sometimes, stories that aren’t part of the official canon are actually more fun to experience.

Creating these short films is also a smart financial move for DC Studios. While they’re brief and don’t need voice actors – they’re entirely visual – production still involves costs. Ultimately, DC Studios can likely deduct those expenses as a tax write-off.

Given the success of the Krypto shorts – they’ve already been viewed millions of times – it’s likely DC Studios will create more short-form content featuring characters outside the main DC Universe. The popularity of Krypto suggests there’s an audience for these kinds of projects, making further series probable.

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2025-12-14 15:35