Warning: spoilers ahead!
Peacemaker has officially entered James Gunn’s all-new DC Universe – but not without some revisions.
The Season 2 premiere of the HBO Max series erases one of its most talked-about moments: the DCEU Justice League cameo that capped off Season 1.
Peacemaker: quick links
The story so far
When Peacemaker debuted in 2022, it ended with a bit of a crossover. After Chris Smith/Peacemaker (John Cena) and his A.R.G.U.S. team survived an alien invasion, the Justice League finally showed up.
Only half the team appeared: Henry Cavill’s Superman and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman were shown in silhouette, while Jason Momoa and Ezra Miller reprised their roles as Aquaman and the Flash.
The gag leaned into the lead character’s crass humour, with Aquaman forced to deny a persistent rumour about his sex life.
Three years later, however, that version of the League no longer exists in DC’s official continuity. Since Gunn took over as co-chair and co-CEO of DC Studios, the Zack Snyder-era DCEU has been phased out in favour of a new shared universe.
While Gunn has confirmed that much of the first season remains canon, that Justice League cameo definitively does not.
Instead, the Season 2 opener begins with a recap that swaps out the Snyderverse League for the ‘Justice Gang’, the team that audiences were introduced to in Gunn’s Superman.
The line-up now includes Superman (David Corenswet), Supergirl (Milly Alcock), Mister Terrific (edi Gathegi), Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern, and Hawkgirl. In the scene, Nathan Fillion (Guy) and Isabela Merced (Hawkgirl) are the only actors physically present, while the others are in silhouette.
The gag plays out in a similar rhythm to the original, though with fresh material: In Season 1, Peacemaker heckled Aquaman with fish-related insults, prompting a foul-mouthed response from Momoa. In Season 2, the insults are redirected toward Guy Gardner, with Peacemaker claiming that Green Lantern has a reputation as a ‘puke freak’ after an unfortunate mid-flight accident.
What’s canon – and what’s not – in Peacemaker Season 2
The new DCU officially begins with Creature Commandos, Superman (2025), and Peacemaker Season 2. Matt Reeves’ The Batman, the upcoming sequel, and the accompanying HBO series The Penguin are part of a separate Batman-centric cinematic universe, and not canon in the DCU.
Still canon in the new DCU:
- Chris Smith/Peacemaker (John Cena) and his backstory.
- The events of The Suicide Squad (Gunn, 2021) that led directly into Peacemaker Season 1.
- A.R.G.U.S. and its surviving members (Harcourt, Vigilante, Adebayo, Economos).
- The alien ‘butterfly’ invasion storyline from Season 1.
- Peacemaker’s dysfunctional friendships.
- References that tie into Creature Commandos and Superman.
No longer canon in the new DCU:
- The Season 1 cameo of the Justice League (Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash).
- Direct references to Snyderverse continuity (e.g. Bat-Mite, Green Arrow jokes may be discarded).
- Aquaman’s fish-related rumour gag, replaced by the ‘puke freak’ Guy Gardner storyline.
- Any implication that the Snyder-era Justice League exists in Gunn’s DCU timeline.
Watch the trailer for Peacemaker Season 2:
Speaking on Peacemaker: The Official Podcast, Gunn admitted that the change was a ‘conscious’ retcon to better align with the DCU’s new timeline.
‘Almost all of Peacemaker is canon with the exception of Justice League,’ he said. ‘The appearance of the Justice League is totally wrong and doesn’t fit. So we have a plan for it.’ That plan turned out to be a simple one.
As reported in IGN, Gunn has long argued against over-complicating canon. ‘Normies don’t care about all this canon stuff so intimately,’ he said at a press roundtable.
‘It doesn’t matter if it’s not completely consistent in the past. So I thought the simple way was really the best, which is just saying, yeah, this world is a little different.’
Why the original cameo is gone
For fans who enjoyed the original cameo, the change may feel like a loss. Gunn, however, framed it as an economic necessity.
As reported in The Nerds of Color, he joked at Comic Con: ‘I wish I could “Lucas” the shit out of this, but I can’t because it’s too expensive. We’d rather spend the money on a few more Supergirl VFX shots.’
Importantly, the original ending of Season 1 remains available on HBO Max, meaning the Snyderverse version isn’t gone entirely – it’s just no longer recognised as canon.
The show’s future beyond Season 2 isn’t yet confirmed, but the series has become a key part of Gunn’s vision. Whether fans embrace the Justice Gang as their new DC super-team remains to be seen – though, given the show’s irreverent tone, it’s unlikely Gunn will treat the debate too seriously.
Peacemaker (seasons 1 and 2) is currently streaming on HBO Max in Australia.
