The DCEU Finally Has Its Own Version Of Ant-Man

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Peacemaker episode 3

Peacemaker episode 3 has confirmed the existence of the DCEUs version of Ant-Man. Comic book movie audiences are now very familiar with Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang in the MCU, who doubles as the size-changing super. But DC comics have their own version of shrinking hero, and a quick joke from Peacemaker (John Cena) in his HBO Max show introduces the character to the Extended Universe.

The existence of such a character in both the Marvel and DC comics and film franchises is not totally surprising. There are several superhero archetypes that Marvel and DC have both followed over the years. These include archetypes of the strongman and speedsters; Marvel has Captain America and Makkari of the Eternals in these roles while DC has Superman and the Flash. The “person who shrinks” is simply another of these archetypes but Peacemaker has now revealed that the DC counterpart to Marvel’s Ant-man exists in the film universe.

In the opening scene of Peacemaker episode 3, the title character states his discomfort with “homunculi” in reference to the newly introduced character Judomaster. After explaining that a homunculus is a tiny person, he directly name drops Doll Man, a DC comics character who can make himself smaller. Although not as well known as Ant-Man, the character existed as early as 1939, making him the original shrinking superhero.

Previously the property of Quality Comics, Doll Man was acquired by DC when Quality went out of business. He was officially introduced into the DC comic universe in the mid-70s, along with a few other Quality characters, as part of the Freedom Fighters (the DC network TV shows introduced a variation of this group). He is slightly different from Ant-Man in that he is able to shrink to as small as six inches by pure will, rather than by using scientific means. Similar to Ant-Man, he retains the strength of a full-sized man even when he is at his smallest.

James Gunn is known for his use of lesser-known characters in both the MCU and the DCEU. Prior to the release of The Suicide Squad in 2021, Peacemaker himself was not widely known so it is fitting for Gunn to use the show as a place to name-drop an even lesser-known character into the DCEU. Since Gunn enjoys making movies featuring superhero teams, it could be possible for him to actually bring Doll Man to the screen along with the other Freedom Fighters. But for now, it is unknown what Gunn’s future is in the DCEU, so audiences will have to be satisfied with Peacemaker’s canonization of the shrinking super to the film universe.

Peacemaker streams Thursdays on HBO Max