Leading up to the new continuity kicking off in earnest, director and DC Studios Co-CEO James Gunn has provided insights into the upcoming second season of Peacemaker, shedding light on its relation to the broader DC Universe (DCU) and its connection to the highly anticipated Superman reboot.
The DCU is poised to kick off later this year with Creature Commandos, a seven-episode animated series featuring a group of supernatural misfits on a black ops mission overseen by Amanda Waller. However the real kick-off is the Superman film (previously titled Superman: Legacy) and how it establishes the Man of Steel’s new status quo in the rebooted DC Universe.
It seems Peacemaker Season Two is going to be a direct follow-up to the events in that 2025 film. In a recent update shared on his official Threads account, Gunn confirmed that filming for the second season of the Max (formerly HBO Max) series is slated to commence this summer. Notably, he disclosed plans to shoot both Peacemaker and the upcoming Superman movie concurrently.
The series, which features WWE Superstar John Cena portraying the All-American anti-hero, occupies a unique position within the DCU timeline. While the first season ties into The Suicide Squad (2021) and the older DC Extended Universe (DCEU), Gunn revealed that season 2 will diverge from this continuity, aligning instead with the broader DCU and integrating with the 2025 Superman film.
Furthermore, Gunn assured fans that the core ensemble cast, referred to as “Team Pacemaker,” including Cena, Jennifer Holland, Danielle Brooks, and Freddie Stroma, among others, will reprise their roles for the forthcoming season.
Responding to inquiries regarding the placement of Peacemaker Season 2 within the DC Universe continuum, Gunn confirmed the validity of John Cena’s revelation on Howard Stern’s show that filming would occur in tandem with Superman.
The source is kind of iffy but this is true… John Cena shared this on Howard Stern last week. To answer your follow-up questions: yes, we’ll be shooting Superman & Peacemaker simultaneously; yes, I’ve written all the episodes; but, no, in the interest of getting the show out there I won’t be able to direct them all (only some); & yes, Waller’s still happening & Jeremy & Christal are hard at work writing great stuff, but the schedule was impacted by the strikes so it’ll come after Peacemaker
Gunn clarified that he had penned all episodes for the second season but would not direct every installment due to scheduling constraints. He also confirmed ongoing development of Waller, indicating that its release would follow the second season of Peacemaker.
Addressing concerns about continuity, particularly regarding the character development of Christopher Smith (aka Peacemaker), Gunn assured fans that certain narrative threads would remain consistent, particularly in Christopher’s trajectory following the events depicted in The Suicide Squad and Season 1 of Peacemaker.
The (Spoiler alert!) death of Rick Flag (played by Joel Kinnaman) at the hands of Peacemaker is particularly key to the character, showcasing Christopher’s guilt over killing a hero and questioning his own morals.
Moreover, Gunn divulged that the timeline for Peacemaker Season 2 would follow the events of the Superman reboot, indicating that the series would be influenced by the film’s narrative arc. Speculation arises as to whether characters from Peacemaker might make appearances in the Superman movie, given Gunn’s suggestion that the new DCU would adopt a narrative structure akin to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s phase-based approach in the form of chapters.
Peacemaker Season 2 is poised to chart new territory for the DC Universe, but how will the change of the canon from Season 1 shape the future of the character? Which major and minor elements would be retained in Gunn’s overhaul of Warner Bros. Discovery’s superhero franchise?
