A few weeks ago, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hit theaters as one of the final 2023 movie releases, and with it, the DC Extended Universe era of the DC movies in order came to an end. However, the DCEU isn’t completely gone, as characters like John Cena’s Peacemaker and Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller are sticking around in the new DC Universe shared continuity. In fact, the Peacemaker show is still on track to air its second season to Max subscribers someday, and and creator James Gunn addressed why the series is sticking around, noting that he “has a way in.”
This started in a Threads… well, thread, when a fan asked James Gunn if Peacemaker Season 2 is going to be “totally different” from Season 1 because of the reboot or will only have “slight changes,” to which the Guardians of the Galaxy director said he’d “have to wait and see how that works out!” Another fan then asked if it will be “confusing” to have the second season set in a different universe, and also wondered why Gunn didn’t just have it be a “new show.” The creative responded:
Because it’s my favorite thing to do, it’s the biggest original Max show ever, and I have a way in. It won’t be confusing.
Those are valid reasons for James Gunn wanting to keep Peacemaker going, although regarding it being the “biggest original Max show ever,” I don’t doubt that the streaming service would have ensured that the show keep running to keep those large viewership numbers up, new shared continuity or not. But what’s especially intriguing is Gunn saying he has a “way in.” This indicates that rather than Peacemaker Season 2 simply ignoring the new DC landscape it’s operating in, there will be something within it acknowledging the changed status quo.
So what’s coming up? Will the Peacemaker characters themselves be aware of how things have changed and address it in some kind of fourth wall-breaking way, or will it be something intended strictly for the audience and keep the characters in blissful ignorance. Either way, given that James Gunn is also steering the entire DC Universe ship as co-head of DC Studios with Peter Safran, not to mention his exemplary writing skills, particularly when it comes to superhero media, I’m hopeful he’ll handle this transition smoothly and look forward to seeing what he’s crafted.
When we left off with John Cena’s Christopher Smith in the Peacemaker Season 1 finale’s ending, he and his allies had vanquished the threat of the Butterflies, and right before the Justice League showed up, which included Jason Momoa’s Aquaman and Ezra Miller’s Flash. If that scene is revisited in Season 2, I can’t help wondering if it will be altered to fit within the new DC Universe, whether it’s through new actors playing those characters or different superheroes (such as the one’s appearing as members of Superman: Legacy’s cast) taking their place. The finale also saw Amanda Waller being outed as the person behind Task Force X and Project Butterfly, but that aftermath will be explored sooner in the spinoff Waller, another one of the upcoming DC TV shows.
Although it will be a while until Peacemaker Season 2 premieres on Max, James Gunn fans should remember that the filmmaker is also the writer and director behind Superman: Legacy, the first upcoming DC movie set within the DC Universe. It’s set for release on July 11, 2025, and once Gunn’s done working on the reboot, he’ll shift his attention back to Peacemaker.
