{
  "id": "dcu",
  "title": "DC Universe — DC Studios",
  "description": "A focused chronology of the new DC Studios screen universe containing Clayface, Creature Commandos, Superman, Peacemaker, Supergirl and Lanterns. Licensed prose, comics, cartoons and the Superman attraction remain visible with separate canon qualifications. This is a quick-start research edition, not all DC continuities.",
  "continuities": [
    {
      "id": "dcu",
      "label": "DC Studios — main history & qualified connections",
      "note": "Clayface belongs to the same DCU as Creature Commandos and Superman. Lanterns depicts two periods in this history, not two universes. Peacemaker’s dimension travel is part of its continuing narrative. Older DCEU events are retained only as established by the new projects; licensed prequel / promotional stories do not automatically become screen canon."
    }
  ],
  "entries": [
    {
      "id": "lanterns-2016",
      "title": "Lanterns — Season 1, the 2016 story",
      "type": "TV series",
      "date": "2016; the earlier period of the eight-episode season",
      "order": 2016,
      "canon": "Confirmed canon",
      "release": "August–October 2026",
      "description": "Hal and John investigate the earlier case.",
      "note": "Mundy explicitly supplies this year. One complete season has two temporal blocks; the later reference below is not another season. Exact scene / episode interleaving not audited.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "lanterns",
        "lanterns-clock",
        "lanterns-edition"
      ],
      "continuity": "dcu",
      "railLabel": "2016",
      "segment": false,
      "confidence": "Relative / stated chronology",
      "inspection": "Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected",
      "estimated": false,
      "productUrl": "https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-07-29/everything-we-know-about-lanterns-so-far",
      "productName": "View official series information",
      "productMatch": "Exact DC Studios series / HBO Max information, not the 2011 Green Lantern film. Choose the containing eight-episode season.",
      "actionLabel": "View official series information"
    },
    {
      "id": "suicide-inherited",
      "title": "The Suicide Squad — retained Corto Maltese history",
      "type": "Film",
      "date": "est. early 2020s; before Project Butterfly",
      "order": 2021.8,
      "canon": "Assumed canon",
      "release": "2021",
      "description": "The mission supplies Rick Flag’s death and Peacemaker’s injuries.",
      "note": "A contextual predecessor, not wholesale import of every DCEU detail. DC explicitly retains Flag’s murder; old screen calendars need reconciliation with the new history.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "peacemaker"
      ],
      "continuity": "dcu",
      "railLabel": "est. early 2020s",
      "segment": false,
      "confidence": "Evidence-based estimate",
      "inspection": "Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected",
      "estimated": true,
      "productUrl": "https://www.dc.com/movies/the-suicide-squad-2021",
      "productName": "View official title / viewing options",
      "productMatch": "Corresponding rights-holder title page; subscription, theatrical or regional offers may apply. No exact Amazon product matched unless separately linked.",
      "actionLabel": "View official title / viewing options"
    },
    {
      "id": "peacemaker1",
      "title": "Peacemaker — Season 1, Episodes 1–8, retained events",
      "type": "TV series",
      "date": "est. early 2020s; Project Butterfly",
      "order": 2022.2,
      "canon": "Confirmed canon",
      "release": "2022",
      "description": "Chris joins the team confronting the Butterflies.",
      "note": "Canon label refers to the retained story. DC excludes the original Justice League cameo and certain hero references. Neither the old 2022 release nor the real three-year wait proves the new fictional year.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "peacemaker"
      ],
      "continuity": "dcu",
      "railLabel": "est. early 2020s",
      "segment": false,
      "confidence": "Evidence-based estimate",
      "inspection": "Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected",
      "estimated": true,
      "productUrl": "https://www.dc.com/tv/peacemaker-2022-present",
      "productName": "View official title / viewing options",
      "productMatch": "Corresponding rights-holder title page; subscription, theatrical or regional offers may apply. No exact Amazon product matched unless separately linked.",
      "actionLabel": "View official title / viewing options"
    },
    {
      "id": "clayface",
      "title": "Clayface — Matt Hagen’s origin",
      "type": "Film",
      "date": "Modern era; before Creature Commandos; exact year unstated",
      "order": 2023.8,
      "canon": "Confirmed canon",
      "release": "October 2026",
      "description": "A disfigured actor pursues a treatment with monstrous consequences.",
      "note": "Safran establishes its earlier position and the same Matt Hagen. No exact year is shown according to released-film reporting. Interleaving with Lanterns 2016 and inherited early history is not settled; this is an overlapping window immediately preceding the Commandos anchor.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "clay",
        "clay-order",
        "clay-clock"
      ],
      "continuity": "dcu",
      "railLabel": "Modern era",
      "segment": false,
      "confidence": "Relative / stated chronology",
      "inspection": "Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected",
      "estimated": false,
      "productUrl": "https://www.dc.com/movies/clayface-2026",
      "productName": "View official title / viewing options",
      "productMatch": "Corresponding rights-holder title page; subscription, theatrical or regional offers may apply. No exact Amazon product matched unless separately linked.",
      "actionLabel": "View official title / viewing options",
      "eraWindow": true
    },
    {
      "id": "commandos",
      "title": "Creature Commandos — Season 1, Episodes 1–7",
      "type": "TV series",
      "date": "est. late 2024–early 2025; modern Task Force M mission",
      "order": 2024.9,
      "canon": "Confirmed canon",
      "release": "2024–2025",
      "description": "Waller’s monster team undertakes the Pokolistan mission.",
      "note": "Main present-day plot grouped. Older character histories occur inside these episodes; release dates alone do not date them. Modern window is a qualified reconstruction, not seven separate years.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "cc",
        "cc-launch",
        "cc-episodes"
      ],
      "continuity": "dcu",
      "railLabel": "est. 2024–2025",
      "segment": false,
      "confidence": "Evidence-based estimate",
      "inspection": "Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected",
      "estimated": true,
      "productUrl": "https://www.dc.com/tv/creature-commandos-2024",
      "productName": "View official title / viewing options",
      "productMatch": "Corresponding rights-holder title page; subscription, theatrical or regional offers may apply. No exact Amazon product matched unless separately linked.",
      "actionLabel": "View official title / viewing options"
    },
    {
      "id": "peacemaker2-opening",
      "title": "Peacemaker — Season 2, earlier opening scene",
      "type": "TV segment",
      "date": "Six months before the season’s main story; est. early 2025",
      "order": 2025,
      "canon": "Confirmed canon",
      "release": "2025",
      "description": "Chris encounters the alternate dimension before the main time jump.",
      "note": "Optional embedded segment, separated because episode one contains an explicit six-month transition. Calendar remains estimated.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "peacemaker-jump"
      ],
      "continuity": "dcu",
      "railLabel": "6 months earlier · est. 2025",
      "segment": true,
      "confidence": "Evidence-based estimate",
      "inspection": "Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected",
      "estimated": true,
      "productUrl": "https://www.dc.com/tv/peacemaker-2022-present",
      "productName": "View official title / viewing options",
      "productMatch": "Corresponding rights-holder title page; subscription, theatrical or regional offers may apply. No exact Amazon product matched unless separately linked.",
      "actionLabel": "View official title / viewing options"
    },
    {
      "id": "superman",
      "title": "Superman — James Gunn film",
      "type": "Film",
      "date": "est. 2025; three years into his public superhero career",
      "order": 2025.4,
      "canon": "Confirmed canon",
      "release": "2025",
      "description": "Superman faces a manufactured international crisis.",
      "note": "The three-year public-career interval is reported from the opening text. Calendar and exact days remain estimated pending direct date-prop inspection.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "superman",
        "superman-clock",
        "amazon-superman"
      ],
      "continuity": "dcu",
      "railLabel": "3 years active · est. 2025",
      "segment": false,
      "confidence": "Evidence-based estimate",
      "inspection": "Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected",
      "estimated": true,
      "productUrl": "https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F9YGDWWB",
      "productName": "Superman (2025) — digital film with Bonus X-Ray",
      "productMatch": "Exact corresponding digital product route recovered from Amazon’s own film guide. No current price / region / availability promise.",
      "actionLabel": "View on Amazon"
    },
    {
      "id": "peacemaker2",
      "title": "Peacemaker — Season 2, Episodes 1–8, main story",
      "type": "TV series",
      "date": "est. 2025; after Superman and six months after the opening scene",
      "order": 2025.55,
      "canon": "Confirmed canon",
      "release": "2025",
      "description": "Chris’s choices across dimensions threaten his team and the wider world.",
      "note": "Main season stays together. Its dimension travel does not require a second franchise selector. The exact calendar and nested flashbacks remain scene-audit tasks.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "peacemaker",
        "peacemaker-jump",
        "peacemaker-order"
      ],
      "continuity": "dcu",
      "railLabel": "6-month jump · est. 2025",
      "segment": false,
      "confidence": "Evidence-based estimate",
      "inspection": "Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected",
      "estimated": true,
      "productUrl": "https://www.dc.com/tv/peacemaker-2022-present",
      "productName": "View official title / viewing options",
      "productMatch": "Corresponding rights-holder title page; subscription, theatrical or regional offers may apply. No exact Amazon product matched unless separately linked.",
      "actionLabel": "View official title / viewing options"
    },
    {
      "id": "supergirl",
      "title": "Supergirl — Kara and Ruthye’s journey",
      "type": "Film",
      "date": "est. 2026; contemporary cosmic story after Superman",
      "order": 2026.3,
      "canon": "Confirmed canon",
      "release": "June 2026",
      "description": "Kara accompanies Ruthye on an interstellar quest.",
      "note": "Released film, not its source comic’s exact history. Calendar is qualified; the 2021–2022 Woman of Tomorrow comics are inspiration, not a DCU prequel.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "supergirl"
      ],
      "continuity": "dcu",
      "railLabel": "est. 2026",
      "segment": false,
      "confidence": "Evidence-based estimate",
      "inspection": "Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected",
      "estimated": true,
      "productUrl": "https://www.dc.com/movies/supergirl-2026",
      "productName": "View official title / viewing options",
      "productMatch": "Corresponding rights-holder title page; subscription, theatrical or regional offers may apply. No exact Amazon product matched unless separately linked.",
      "actionLabel": "View official title / viewing options"
    },
    {
      "id": "lanterns-2026",
      "title": "Lanterns — Season 1, the 2026 story",
      "type": "TV series",
      "date": "2026; ten years after the earlier investigation",
      "order": 2026.6,
      "canon": "Confirmed canon",
      "release": "2026",
      "description": "The same season returns to the later mystery.",
      "note": "Same eight-episode product as the 2016 block. Shared record avoids double-counting the containing season. Exact year and interval come from Mundy’s interview.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "lanterns-clock",
        "lanterns-edition"
      ],
      "continuity": "dcu",
      "railLabel": "2026 · 10 years later",
      "segment": false,
      "confidence": "Relative / stated chronology",
      "inspection": "Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected",
      "estimated": false,
      "productUrl": "https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-07-29/everything-we-know-about-lanterns-so-far",
      "productName": "View official series information",
      "productMatch": "Exact DC Studios series / HBO Max information, not the 2011 Green Lantern film. Choose the containing eight-episode season.",
      "actionLabel": "View official series information",
      "shared": true
    },
    {
      "id": "junior-novel",
      "title": "Superman: Welcome to Metropolis — junior prequel novel",
      "type": "Novel",
      "date": "Modern era; Clark’s early Metropolis career, before its film-inspired story",
      "order": 2022.7,
      "canon": "Non-canon connected",
      "release": "June 2025",
      "description": "Clark starts his Daily Planet life and investigates a mystery.",
      "note": "Official licensed prequel, explicitly excluded from screen canon by Gunn. Broad early-career window, not a fabricated exact date or another obligatory main-film chapter.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "novel",
        "noncanon"
      ],
      "continuity": "dcu",
      "railLabel": "Modern era · early career",
      "segment": false,
      "confidence": "Relative / stated chronology",
      "inspection": "Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected",
      "estimated": false,
      "productUrl": "https://prhcomics.com/book/?isbn=9798217027095",
      "productName": "View official book edition",
      "productMatch": "Exact 144-page prequel, ISBN 9798217027095. A verified Amazon ASIN was not recovered; no invalid ISBN conversion.",
      "actionLabel": "View official book edition",
      "eraWindow": true,
      "storyGroup": "junior-prequel"
    },
    {
      "id": "junior-audio",
      "title": "Superman: Welcome to Metropolis — audiobook",
      "type": "Audiobook",
      "date": "Modern era; same early-career prequel story",
      "order": 2022.7,
      "canon": "Non-canon connected",
      "release": "June 2025",
      "description": "The prequel is presented in audio.",
      "note": "Same story and position as the print edition, with its own official edition link. The audio release is not a later fictional adventure.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "audio",
        "noncanon"
      ],
      "continuity": "dcu",
      "railLabel": "Modern era · early career",
      "segment": false,
      "confidence": "Relative / stated chronology",
      "inspection": "Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected",
      "estimated": false,
      "productUrl": "https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/776506/superman-welcome-to-metropolis-by-david-lewman/",
      "productName": "View / sample official audio edition",
      "productMatch": "Publisher lists the 2h40m audio edition. Select audiobook; full recording not inspected.",
      "actionLabel": "View / sample official audio edition",
      "eraWindow": true,
      "storyGroup": "junior-prequel"
    },
    {
      "id": "friendship",
      "title": "Superman: A Friendship Unleashed #1 — Milk-Bone comic",
      "type": "Comic",
      "date": "Modern era; an established Superman and Krypto share a day",
      "order": 2025.41,
      "canon": "Promotional only",
      "release": "2025",
      "description": "A licensed adventure celebrates the hero and his dog.",
      "note": "Legal opening pages show space play followed by Metropolis. No fictional year on the inspected pages. The July 2025 indicia date is publication metadata. Full issue still requires inspection before making a stronger placement.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "milkbone",
        "milkbone-production"
      ],
      "continuity": "dcu",
      "railLabel": "Modern era · daylight",
      "segment": false,
      "confidence": "Relative / stated chronology",
      "inspection": "Visually inspected the legally exposed advertisement and first two narrative pages from the publisher’s public preview. Remaining interior not inspected.",
      "estimated": false,
      "productUrl": "https://www.dcuniverseinfinite.com/comics/book/superman-a-friendship-unleashed-1-2025/87c273d4-58c0-4a1e-b0a0-db21a2d86420/c",
      "productName": "Read official comic / preview",
      "productMatch": "Exact official comic page; reading availability and account / region requirements may vary. No dog-biscuit product substituted for a verified readable comic edition.",
      "actionLabel": "Read official comic / preview",
      "eraWindow": true
    },
    {
      "id": "experience",
      "title": "Superman Experience: Defenders Unite — playable attraction",
      "type": "Interactive attraction / audio",
      "date": "Modern era; a film-inspired mission with no confirmed screen-year placement",
      "order": 2025.65,
      "canon": "Promotional only",
      "release": "April 2026",
      "description": "Visitors train for an original defense mission.",
      "note": "Original story includes an in-character Daily Planet audio prologue and interactive action. Film-inspired Darkseid scenario is not evidence of a canonical screen invasion. Audio is included in the attraction, not counted as a separately released drama.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "experience",
        "experience-interior"
      ],
      "continuity": "dcu",
      "railLabel": "Modern era · mission",
      "segment": false,
      "confidence": "Relative / stated chronology",
      "inspection": "Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected",
      "estimated": false,
      "productUrl": "https://supermanexperience.com/",
      "productName": "View official experience",
      "productMatch": "Exact attraction information / tickets. No unrelated disc or comic product substituted; no booking made.",
      "actionLabel": "View official experience",
      "eraWindow": true
    },
    {
      "id": "experience-comic",
      "title": "Superman: Defenders Unite / Superman Experience #1 — custom comic",
      "type": "Comic",
      "date": "Modern era; qualified attraction-related story window",
      "order": 2025.65,
      "canon": "Promotional only",
      "release": "2026",
      "description": "The licensed experience has an exclusive comic.",
      "note": "Official announcements use two titles for Josh Trujillo’s custom comic / convention edition. One inventory record pending interior comparison; neither a duplicate new story nor canon Darkseid debut is assumed.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "experience",
        "experience-comic"
      ],
      "continuity": "dcu",
      "railLabel": "Modern era · mission",
      "segment": false,
      "confidence": "Relative / stated chronology",
      "inspection": "Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected",
      "estimated": false,
      "productUrl": "https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-07-08/dc-unveils-lineup-for-comic-con-international-2026",
      "productName": "View official comic edition information",
      "productMatch": "Exact on-site / convention comic record. No public legal full interior or exact Amazon product recovered.",
      "actionLabel": "View official comic edition information",
      "eraWindow": true
    },
    {
      "id": "krypto-school",
      "title": "Krypto Saves the Day! — School Bus Scuffle",
      "type": "Animated short",
      "date": "Modern era; a school-day outing",
      "order": 2025.1,
      "canon": "Non-canon connected",
      "release": "2025",
      "description": "A chase disrupts the school run.",
      "note": "Independent seasonal cartoon; Gunn excludes this series from main screen canon. Named season / occasion is the story clock; upload year is not assigned as a fictional year.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "krypto-inventory",
        "krypto-season1",
        "noncanon"
      ],
      "continuity": "dcu",
      "railLabel": "Modern era · school day",
      "segment": false,
      "confidence": "Relative / stated chronology",
      "inspection": "Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected",
      "estimated": false,
      "productUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22oJVJYaAJI",
      "productName": "Watch on YouTube",
      "productMatch": "Corresponding original DC Kids embed recovered from the official-upload inventory. Full playback not inspected.",
      "actionLabel": "Watch on YouTube",
      "eraWindow": true
    },
    {
      "id": "krypto-halloween",
      "title": "Krypto Saves the Day! — Halloween Havoc",
      "type": "Animated short",
      "date": "Halloween night; exact year unstated",
      "order": 2025.83,
      "canon": "Non-canon connected",
      "release": "2025",
      "description": "Krypto tangles with a Halloween cat.",
      "note": "Independent seasonal cartoon; Gunn excludes this series from main screen canon. Named season / occasion is the story clock; upload year is not assigned as a fictional year.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "krypto-inventory",
        "krypto-season1",
        "noncanon"
      ],
      "continuity": "dcu",
      "railLabel": "Halloween",
      "segment": false,
      "confidence": "Relative / stated chronology",
      "inspection": "Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected",
      "estimated": false,
      "productUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDlOUWA6h40",
      "productName": "Watch on YouTube",
      "productMatch": "Corresponding original DC Kids embed recovered from the official-upload inventory. Full playback not inspected.",
      "actionLabel": "Watch on YouTube",
      "eraWindow": true
    },
    {
      "id": "krypto-christmas",
      "title": "Krypto Saves the Day! — Package Pandemonium",
      "type": "Animated short",
      "date": "Christmas season; exact year unstated",
      "order": 2025.98,
      "canon": "Non-canon connected",
      "release": "2025",
      "description": "A holiday delivery causes trouble.",
      "note": "Independent seasonal cartoon; Gunn excludes this series from main screen canon. Named season / occasion is the story clock; upload year is not assigned as a fictional year.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "krypto-inventory",
        "krypto-season1",
        "noncanon"
      ],
      "continuity": "dcu",
      "railLabel": "Christmas",
      "segment": false,
      "confidence": "Relative / stated chronology",
      "inspection": "Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected",
      "estimated": false,
      "productUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp_R-JZnVPM",
      "productName": "Watch on YouTube",
      "productMatch": "Corresponding original DC Kids embed recovered from the official-upload inventory. Full playback not inspected.",
      "actionLabel": "Watch on YouTube",
      "eraWindow": true
    },
    {
      "id": "krypto-coast",
      "title": "Krypto Saves the Day! — Coastal Catastrophe",
      "type": "Animated short",
      "date": "Summer beach day; exact year unstated",
      "order": 2026.2,
      "canon": "Non-canon connected",
      "release": "April 2026",
      "description": "A beach snack leads to chaos.",
      "note": "Independent seasonal cartoon; Gunn excludes this series from main screen canon. Named season / occasion is the story clock; upload year is not assigned as a fictional year.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "krypto-inventory",
        "krypto-season1",
        "noncanon"
      ],
      "continuity": "dcu",
      "railLabel": "Summer · modern era",
      "segment": false,
      "confidence": "Relative / stated chronology",
      "inspection": "Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected",
      "estimated": false,
      "productUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEdtEmqtORc",
      "productName": "Watch on YouTube",
      "productMatch": "Corresponding original DC Kids embed recovered from the official-upload inventory. Full playback not inspected.",
      "actionLabel": "Watch on YouTube",
      "eraWindow": true
    },
    {
      "id": "krypto-season2",
      "title": "Krypto Saves the Day! — Season 2, Episodes 1–2",
      "type": "Animated shorts",
      "date": "Modern era; Supergirl / Krypto adventures",
      "order": 2026.4,
      "canon": "Non-canon connected",
      "release": "September–October 2026",
      "description": "Space Busted and Robo-Pal continue the cartoon adventures.",
      "note": "Both released episodes are inventoried together within a qualified broad era. They are not later main-film incidents. Additional season-two stories are not asserted released at this audit.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "krypto-season2",
        "krypto-robo",
        "krypto-current",
        "noncanon"
      ],
      "continuity": "dcu",
      "railLabel": "Modern era · space / city",
      "segment": false,
      "confidence": "Relative / stated chronology",
      "inspection": "Source / inventory checked; full work not inspected",
      "estimated": false,
      "productUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13bqYACTrHw",
      "productName": "Watch Space Busted on YouTube",
      "productMatch": "Exact official first episode; second episode has its own access link.",
      "actionLabel": "Watch Space Busted on YouTube",
      "eraWindow": true,
      "productLinks": [
        {
          "productUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTiLDcY2t18",
          "productName": "Watch Robo-Pal on YouTube",
          "productMatch": "Exact official second episode; stream and YouTube release dates can differ.",
          "actionLabel": "Watch Robo-Pal on YouTube"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": "clay",
      "title": "DC — Clayface (2026)",
      "url": "https://www.dc.com/movies/clayface-2026",
      "kind": "Primary",
      "note": "Official film, Matt Hagen premise and October 23, 2026 US theatrical date. Released at this audit; no invented home-video ASIN."
    },
    {
      "id": "clay-order",
      "title": "Peter Safran — same Clayface / earlier story",
      "url": "https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/horror-movies/clayface-and-creature-commandos-matt-hagen-are-officially-the-same-character-according-to-dc-boss/",
      "kind": "Producer interview / secondary host",
      "note": "Direct producer interview reported from EW: same Matt Hagen; film precedes Creature Commandos. No calendar year confirmed by this statement."
    },
    {
      "id": "clay-clock",
      "title": "Clayface — released-film placement review",
      "url": "https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/dc-movies/clayface-dc-timeline/",
      "kind": "Secondary / released-film inspection",
      "note": "Contemporary film inspection reports no printed year. Supports retaining the known relative placement without substituting the October 2026 release."
    },
    {
      "id": "cc",
      "title": "DC — Creature Commandos official series",
      "url": "https://www.dc.com/tv/creature-commandos-2024",
      "kind": "Primary",
      "note": "Corresponding seven-episode animated series, rather than the unrelated 2014 DC Nation shorts or a comics miniseries."
    },
    {
      "id": "cc-launch",
      "title": "DC — Creature Commandos launches the new universe",
      "url": "https://www.dc.com/blog/2024/12/05/david-harbour-comes-alive-as-creature-commandos-undead-frankenstein",
      "kind": "Primary",
      "note": "DC explicitly identifies this as the new shared universe’s launch. Does not date every historical flashback."
    },
    {
      "id": "cc-episodes",
      "title": "Creature Commandos — episode edition inventory",
      "url": "https://dcanimated.com/creature-commandos/guides/episodes/",
      "kind": "Secondary / episode inventory",
      "note": "Seven episodes released December 2024–January 2025. Broadcast dates are kept distinct from the modern mission’s estimated calendar."
    },
    {
      "id": "superman",
      "title": "DC — Superman (2025)",
      "url": "https://www.dc.com/movies/superman-2025",
      "kind": "Primary",
      "note": "Official film identity and edition / viewing destination. Actual complete film not inspected in this audit."
    },
    {
      "id": "superman-clock",
      "title": "Superman — opening-text chronology",
      "url": "https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/superhero-movies/where-does-superman-take-place-in-the-dcu-timeline/",
      "kind": "Secondary / film opening inspection",
      "note": "Contemporary inspection reports thirty years since Clark’s arrival and three years since his public debut. Calendar remains estimated; no exact May day asserted."
    },
    {
      "id": "amazon-superman",
      "title": "Amazon — corresponding James Gunn film",
      "url": "https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/superman-james-gunn-amazon-prime-video",
      "kind": "Primary",
      "note": "Amazon’s own product route identifies Superman with Bonus X-Ray, B0F9YGDWWB. Historic article prices are not copied as current offers."
    },
    {
      "id": "peacemaker",
      "title": "DC — Peacemaker continuity explanation",
      "url": "https://www.dc.com/blog/2025-08-21/everything-you-need-to-know-before-watching-peacemaker-season-two",
      "kind": "Primary",
      "note": "Official explanation retains nearly all S1 events, excludes original Justice League cameo / certain references, and confirms Rick Flag’s death as relevant history. Publication’s three-year viewing gap is not automatically fictional elapsed time."
    },
    {
      "id": "peacemaker-view",
      "title": "DC — Peacemaker series / editions",
      "url": "https://www.dc.com/tv/peacemaker-2022-present",
      "kind": "Primary",
      "note": "Corresponding original series and viewing information; exact Amazon season editions not matched in this pass."
    },
    {
      "id": "peacemaker-jump",
      "title": "Peacemaker S2 — six-month opening jump",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peacemaker_season_2",
      "kind": "Secondary / episode inventory",
      "note": "Episode-one inventory distinguishes its earlier scene and later six-month caption. Full episode / every flashback not directly inspected."
    },
    {
      "id": "peacemaker-order",
      "title": "Peacemaker S2 — placement after Superman",
      "url": "https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/dc-tv-shows/when-is-peacemaker-season-2-set-in-dcu/",
      "kind": "Secondary / episode inspection",
      "note": "Separates the earlier opening scene from the later continuing story; contemporary reporting supports the post-Superman position. No exact uninspected prop day adopted."
    },
    {
      "id": "supergirl",
      "title": "DC — Supergirl (2026)",
      "url": "https://www.dc.com/movies/supergirl-2026",
      "kind": "Primary",
      "note": "Official Kara / Ruthye journey and June 26, 2026 release; a released film at this audit, not an upcoming placeholder."
    },
    {
      "id": "lanterns",
      "title": "DC — Lanterns official launch / trailer details",
      "url": "https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-07-29/everything-we-know-about-lanterns-so-far",
      "kind": "Primary",
      "note": "Official August 16 premiere and two-month John / Hal training interval. Editorial theories about villains are not imported as confirmed plot."
    },
    {
      "id": "lanterns-clock",
      "title": "Chris Mundy — the 2016 and 2026 stories",
      "url": "https://ew.com/lanterns-dc-space-cops-drama-dueling-timelines-exclusive-11971022",
      "kind": "Primary creator interview",
      "note": "Direct showrunner interview supplies 2016 and 2026, ten years apart. Superman lies between these periods. These are exact stated years, not release-year estimates."
    },
    {
      "id": "lanterns-edition",
      "title": "Lanterns — eight-episode inventory",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanterns_(TV_series)",
      "kind": "Secondary / edition inventory",
      "note": "Eight episodes completed October 4, 2026. Used for the released-season inventory; detailed scene timecodes remain open."
    },
    {
      "id": "novel",
      "title": "PRH — Superman: Welcome to Metropolis",
      "url": "https://prhcomics.com/book/?isbn=9798217027095",
      "kind": "Primary",
      "note": "Official David Lewman prequel junior novel, 144 pages, June 3, 2025. ISBN 9798217027095 is not an Amazon ASIN and is not converted to an invented ten-digit product code."
    },
    {
      "id": "audio",
      "title": "PRH — Welcome to Metropolis audio edition",
      "url": "https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/776506/superman-welcome-to-metropolis-by-david-lewman/",
      "kind": "Primary",
      "note": "Publisher records June 24, 2025 audio, 2h40m. Same story position as the print prequel, not another sequel. Full audio not inspected."
    },
    {
      "id": "noncanon",
      "title": "James Gunn — junior novel / Krypto canon statements",
      "url": "https://thedirect.com/article/james-gunn-dc-studios-projects-canon",
      "kind": "Creator statements / secondary host",
      "note": "Reproduces Gunn’s original Threads answers excluding the junior prequel and Krypto cartoons from main screen canon. Original post links recovered but did not load. This does not make every licensed item canon."
    },
    {
      "id": "milkbone",
      "title": "DC Universe Infinite — A Friendship Unleashed #1",
      "url": "https://www.dcuniverseinfinite.com/comics/book/superman-a-friendship-unleashed-1-2025/87c273d4-58c0-4a1e-b0a0-db21a2d86420/c",
      "kind": "Primary",
      "note": "Actual legally exposed preview images checked: advertisement and first two narrative pages. Captions identify the upper atmosphere and Metropolis; no story-year caption on those pages. July 2025 is indicia publication information, not the fictional date. Remaining pages not inspected."
    },
    {
      "id": "milkbone-production",
      "title": "DC — 2025 Comic-Con partner comic announcement",
      "url": "https://www.dc.com/blog/2025/07/11/dc-unveils-lineup-for-comic-con-international-2025",
      "kind": "Primary",
      "note": "Official DC announcement identifies the 12-page Milk-Bone narrative and film partnership. Regional archive access may vary."
    },
    {
      "id": "experience",
      "title": "WBD / DC — Defenders Unite attraction and original comic",
      "url": "https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-04-07/warner-bros-discovery-global-experiences-and-dc-studios-announces-all-new-superman-experience-defenders-unite-attraction",
      "kind": "Primary",
      "note": "Original interactive storyline and an on-site Josh Trujillo comic officially announced. Opening April 18, 2026 is not the fictional year."
    },
    {
      "id": "experience-interior",
      "title": "DC — attraction narrative walkthrough",
      "url": "https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-06-01/defenders-unite-a-look-at-superman-s-new-immersive-experience",
      "kind": "Primary",
      "note": "First-hand official account includes the Daily Planet audio prologue, training and Darkseid mission. It is a film-inspired experience, not evidence that Darkseid has already invaded the screen DCU. Full attraction / comic not inspected."
    },
    {
      "id": "experience-comic",
      "title": "DC — Superman Experience #1 convention edition",
      "url": "https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-07-08/dc-unveils-lineup-for-comic-con-international-2026",
      "kind": "Primary",
      "note": "Official convention edition credits Josh Trujillo / Bruno Abdias / Bernard Chang. April announcement calls the custom comic Defenders Unite; exact interior / edition identity remains to be compared, so not counted twice."
    },
    {
      "id": "krypto-inventory",
      "title": "Krypto Saves the Day! — episode inventory",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krypto_Saves_the_Day!",
      "kind": "Secondary / episode inventory",
      "note": "Four first-season shorts and the released S2 Space Busted / Robo-Pal stories. Seasonal settings differ; real upload dates are not fictional years."
    },
    {
      "id": "krypto-season2",
      "title": "DC Kids — Space Busted, official complete short",
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13bqYACTrHw",
      "kind": "Primary",
      "note": "Exact official September 2026 upload and premise. Full playback not inspected; compatible region / platform applies."
    },
    {
      "id": "krypto-robo",
      "title": "DC Kids — Robo-Pal, official complete short",
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTiLDcY2t18",
      "kind": "Primary",
      "note": "Exact official video recovered from the contemporary release page; not an audio-only soundtrack or unofficial mirror."
    },
    {
      "id": "krypto-current",
      "title": "Apple TV — Robo-Pal licensed episode",
      "url": "https://tv.apple.com/us/episode/robo-pal/umc.cmc.4iswqhtxf8jpo0ji4xr9nv6na",
      "kind": "Primary",
      "note": "Licensed S2:E2 identity / original story. Official YouTube upload can occur later than initial streaming release."
    },
    {
      "id": "krypto-season1",
      "title": "Superman Homepage — official six-short embed inventory",
      "url": "https://www.supermanhomepage.com/krypto-saves-the-day-season-2-episode-2-robo-pal/",
      "kind": "Secondary / official-upload inventory",
      "note": "Contains original DC Kids embeds for the four S1 shorts and first two S2 episodes. Full shorts not watched; inventory / original URLs recovered."
    },
    {
      "id": "profiles-book",
      "title": "PRH — Superman: Friends and Foes!",
      "url": "https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/776507/superman-friends-and-foes-by-random-house-illustrated-by-random-house/",
      "kind": "Primary",
      "note": "24-page film companion / character introduction. Full interior not inspected; not asserted to contain a distinct additional plot."
    }
  ],
  "scope": [
    {
      "title": "All DC Comics / DCEU / Reeves Batman / Joker / animation histories",
      "type": "Other universes",
      "status": "Outside this focused screen-continuity guide",
      "note": "Clayface is DCU despite Matt Reeves producing it. This does not import The Batman, Joker, the entire DCEU, every LEGO / animated game or thousands of source comics. Inherited events and explicit licensed connections are considered individually.",
      "sources": [
        "clay",
        "peacemaker"
      ]
    },
    {
      "title": "Source comics, new film-cover editions and the Clayface sampler",
      "type": "Print inspiration",
      "status": "Not automatically DCU narrative",
      "note": "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, All-Star Superman, Creature Commandos comics and classic Clayface reprints inspire / promote the films but do not occur as earlier chapters of their screen history. A new cover or edition is not a new screen-universe adventure.",
      "sources": [
        "supergirl",
        "cc",
        "noncanon"
      ]
    },
    {
      "title": "Superman: Friends and Foes! / activity and reference books",
      "type": "Licensed companions",
      "status": "Edition verified; distinct additional narrative not established",
      "note": "The film character book and puzzle / activity companions are recorded rather than silently turned into independent dated adventures. Full interiors could reveal a retelling; if so, group it with Superman and its specific edition link.",
      "sources": [
        "profiles-book",
        "novel"
      ]
    },
    {
      "title": "Older flashbacks, future projects and retired promotions",
      "type": "Coverage boundary",
      "status": "Quick-start main-story scope",
      "note": "Historical character origins inside Creature Commandos, detailed Peacemaker nested memories, future announced films / seasons and every retired campaign script have not received a full interior audit. No future release year is used as a story date. This guide does not claim an exhaustive every-scene DCU history.",
      "sources": [
        "cc-episodes",
        "peacemaker-jump",
        "lanterns-edition"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "audit": {
    "checked": "2026-10-25",
    "status": "Research edition — verification gaps disclosed",
    "checks": [
      "Reviewed the released main-project inventory through October 25, 2026, including the newly released Clayface and completed Lanterns season. Kept one screen history rather than separate universes for temporal jumps.",
      "Checked producer confirmation: Clayface precedes Creature Commandos and is the same Matt Hagen. No exact year or unproved placement before Lanterns 2016 imposed.",
      "Verified explicit Lanterns 2016 / 2026 dates and ten-year interval from the original Mundy interview. One complete season has two temporal positions and is counted once.",
      "Separated Peacemaker’s six-month opening jump as an optional segment. Official DC explanation controls inherited canon; three years between broadcasts does not equal three fictional years.",
      "Compared actual legal Milk-Bone preview pages; distinguished July 2025 indicia from the story. Attraction original narrative / audio and comic edition confirmed by DC announcements; inaccessible interiors qualified.",
      "Gunn’s negative canon answers govern the junior novel and Krypto shorts. Print and audiobook share a story group. Actual seasonal short settings retained without treating upload years as fictional dates.",
      "Original TV / comic / book / film access destinations matched. Amazon Superman product recovered from Amazon’s own article; no invented ASIN from 979 ISBNs. Current marketplace configuration remains authoritative.",
      "Pre-build table reviewed for scope, duplicate season / comic-edition counts, estimates, canon, exact date claims, missing current releases and access limitations before page generation."
    ],
    "gaps": [
      "Full screen works not watched in this pass. Computer Use stopped at browser URL verification before any media inspection or publication. Date-prop and responsive / live-site checks need a working browser in a subsequent turn.",
      "Clayface’s exact year and interleaving with Lanterns 2016 remain unconfirmed. Modern-era overlapping window is intentional; real October 2026 release is not a calendar placement.",
      "Creature Commandos / Superman / Supergirl / Peacemaker calendar windows remain estimates where only relative or secondary scene evidence is available. Detailed older origins / dimension-local histories are outside this quick main-story pass.",
      "Milk-Bone: only the advertisement and first two story pages in the publisher preview were inspected. Attraction comic full interior / title-variant comparison and complete junior novel / audio remain open. No uninspected book is called undated as a definitive fact.",
      "Remaining short playback, season-two additions after the audit, retired promos and story content of companion books need direct verification. Source comics / profile books are not silently added as canon episodes.",
      "Exact Amazon editions for several TV seasons / newer films / books not matched in this pass; corresponding official access / publisher information provided. Stock and region not guaranteed."
    ],
    "publishReady": true
  }
}