Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Peacemaker

  • James Gunn Addresses the Future of ‘Peacemaker’ and Its Cast Following Major Season 2 Cliffhanger

    James Gunn Addresses the Future of ‘Peacemaker’ and Its Cast Following Major Season 2 Cliffhanger

    According to James Gunn, the events of last night’s Peacemaker Season 2 finale will have major repercussions for the DCU’s ongoing narrative…just not for the next season of Peacemaker.

    The finale ended Rick Flag Sr. getting uns revenge for for the death of his son at the hands of Peacemaker. After starting a new organization, Checkmate, with the 11th Street Kids and a couple of new friends, John Cena‘s Chris Smith was stranded by Flag on a planet called “Salvation.” In an interview with Deadline, Gunn explained that while both Checkmate and Salvation are “two important aspects” of the DCU’s future even though they won’t be explored in a third season of Peacemaker.

    “Well, those are the two things that were always a part of this season,” said Gunn of the intriguing new planet and the anti-A.R.G.U.S. startup. “So when we sat down, even before I sat down with the writers room in DC, I had sort of mapped out what I thought the general story was, and two important aspects to that were Checkmate and especially Salvation, so those were things that I had pitched to everybody before we ever came into DC and then after we came into DC and we met with the writers room and worked things out a little bit more. That was always pretty instrumental in the overall, overarching story that I’m telling in the DCU, but also connected to it as well.”

    Despite being introduced in Peacemaker, the next steps for both Checkmate and Salvation won’t be explored in a third season of the streaming series because, according to Gunn, he has no current plans for additional seasons. “This is about the wider DCU and other stories in which this will play out right now,” said Gunn. “That doesn’t mean that there won’t be [a third season of Peacemaker]. I don’t want to never say never, but right now, no, this is about the future of the DCU. It’s an important character.”

    Gunn maintains that Peacemaker will remain an important character in the DCU and indicated that Checkmate will be “a part of what’s going to happen” in the growing shared universe. Given that Gunn previously stated the streaming series serves as a prequel to his next project, the 2027 film Man of Tomorrow, it seems as though fans can count on the characters to return, though for now the DC Studios’ co-chair chose to remain quiet in that front, calling that information a “secret.”

    Source: Deadline

  • How the  Pivotal ‘Peacemaker’ Cameo Shapes the Future of the DCU

    How the  Pivotal ‘Peacemaker’ Cameo Shapes the Future of the DCU

    Despite the growing exasperation surrounding the interconnected nature of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC Studios’ co-chair James Gunn has gone balls-deep into a shared narrative in the first year of the all-new, all-different DC Universe.

    Before the DCU began in earnest with Creature Commandos, Gunn confusingly canonized a pair of his own pre-DCU projects, Peacemaker and The Suicide Squad. For good measure, the DC boss then retconned the Justice League out of the first season of Peacemaker, replacing them with the Justice Gang + 2 and establishing a timeline for the young universe that places the events of Superman squarely between the first and second seasons of the HBO Max streaming series. And he’s accomplished all that while telling you that you don’t have to watch any one project in order to understand the shared narrative…

    While it’s becoming clear that last bit probably won’t hold 100% true, so far it hasn’t presented a problem because through three DC Studios projects, Gunn has not missed and the connectivity has been minimal…until the most recent chapter of Season 2 of Peacemaker.

    In what was likely one of the heaviest cameos ever in the superhero genre, “Ignorance is Chris” featured an appearance by Nicholas Hoult‘s Lex Luthor. Fresh off his thrashing at the mouth of Krypto, Luthor, aided by a cane, limped his way to a meeting with Rick Flag Sr. at Belle Reve, where the former finds himself serving a 265-year sentence for all his naughty tricks. In the moment–and especially because Gunn has teased that this season of Peacemaker serves as a prequel to Man of Tomorrow–the cameo felt weighty; however, according to Gunn, it is nothing less than a pivotal moment for the young DCU.

    While discussing the cameo–which was filmed during production in Superman–on Peacemaker: The Official Podcast, Gunn called the meeting between Luthor and Flag “a really important moment for ..the entire DCU.”

    So, we have a really important moment, for not only Peacemaker but the entire DCU. Rick Flag, the Head of A.R.G.U.S., strikes a deal basically with Lex Luthor in exchange for [him] finding where Peacemaker’s portal might be. He is going to move him from a prison with metahumans to a prison with no metahumans. From Belle Reve, where they are now, to Van Kull, both prisons from the comics.

    -James Gunn on Lex Luthor’s appearance in Peacemaker Season 2

    And so, in the words of one of the only people in the world with an idea of where the DCU is headed, a cameo made in a streaming series is a fulcrum for what’s to come. Of course, pragmatically speaking, general audiences won’t know the difference between Belle Reve and Van Kull nor will they really remember Flag even appeared in Superman. In that sense, Gunn isn’t really playing with fire and is staying true to his promise not to include cameos for the hell of it. Still, it’s a bold move to include world-altering events in a TV-MA streaming series that’s not supposed to be necessary viewing.

    With two episodes left in the current season of Peacemaker, ample time remains for a little more context to be added to just exactly what Flag’s deal with Luthor will mean but it’s hard to imagine Luthor being outmaneuvered by Flag, especially since the latter continued to devolve into a blunt instrument in each episode. Moving Luthor to Van Kull–which is located in Metropolis in DC Comics continuity–brings the evil genius right back to his home turf in time for whatever plans Gunn has for him next.

    Source: Peacemaker: The Official Podcast with James Gunn

  • ‘Peacemaker’ Delivers an Absolutely Phenomenal DCU Cameo

    ‘Peacemaker’ Delivers an Absolutely Phenomenal DCU Cameo

    As he was making the rounds promoting Season 2 of Peacemaker, James Gunn touted the sixth and eighth episodes of the HBO Max streaming series as perhaps his favorite work on an incredibly impressive superhero resume. More recently, the DC Studios co-chair and Superman Saga creator has described the sophomore season of Peacemaker as a prequel to his next film, Man of Tomorrow…and now fans can understand where Gunn was coming from on both counts.

    Episode 6 of Peacemaker Season 2, “Ignorance is Chris”, sees Frank Grillo‘s Rick Flag Sr. grow frustrated with the inability to track down John Cena‘s Christopher Smith on the alternate Earth he’s chosen to call home and turn to the DCU’s resident expert on the subject: Lex Luthor!

    Serving a 265-year sentence in Belle Reve for his actions as seen in Superman, Luthor trades a chance at redemption to help Flag locate Peacemaker.

    Given that Superman stands as the only DCU film, there certainly weren’t a lot of characters from which to choose for cameos; however, even given a full roster of characters, Luthor is one of the greatest villains in all of comics and using him in this way is a major fLex.

    Luthor may not be back in Peacemaker but his appearance teases just how connected and comic booky Gunn’s DCU will be…and it’s phenomenal!

  • A ‘Peacemaker’ Timeline Tidbit May Have Set the Stage for the Return of Another Member of Suicide Squad

    A ‘Peacemaker’ Timeline Tidbit May Have Set the Stage for the Return of Another Member of Suicide Squad

    Less than a year into its existence, the all-new, all-different DCU has already gone and developed a particularly bad case of canon-itis. While it should be simple given only Creature Commandos, Superman and Season 2 of Peacemaker have been produced as part of the DC Studios’ slate, references in those projects have canonized projects made prior to the DCU’s inception.

    In a 2024 interview, DC Studios’ co-chair James Gunn–who created each of the DCU’s first three projects–muddied the timeline waters of the all-new DCU by explaining that the events of a pair of projects he created as part of the now defunct DCEU would be considered canon to the new connected universe…kind of.

    “Now in Creature Commandos, you’ll hear them talk about things that happened in The Suicide Squad or Peacemaker. Well then, those things automatically become canon,” said Gunn, before explaining that his previous statement was only mostly true.”The truth is almost all of Peacemaker is canon with the exception of Justice League… which we will kind of deal with in the next season of Peacemaker.”

    The appearance of the Justice League was indeed dealt with in the next season of Peacemaker, or rather before it ever began. During a “Previously in the DCU” opening ahead of Peacemaker‘s Season 2 premiere, the Justice League was replaced with the Justice Gang plus two (Superman and Supergirl). Without further explanation, Gunn added that the events of Peacemaker Season 1 took place before the events of Superman and that while Superman and Supergirl were not part of the Gang, the Man of Steel and his Kryptonian cousin has been able to “team up with them a lot like they did in Superman.” And in light of a recent timeline cue, that is interesting indeed.

    Only CC forward is pure canon; Peacemaker is almost entirely consistent with that canon other than the Justice League; The Suicide Squad has a lot of consistencies but I think of it as an imperfect memory.

    -James Gunn

    The truth is that canon doesn’t matter…until, of course, it does..and at some point, it might. And so while the entirety of The Suicide Squad is not canon, parts of it certainly are. In both Creature Commandos and Season 2 of Peacemaker, the death of Rick Flag Jr. at the hands of Christopher Smith during the mission to Corto Maltese has been addressed, meeting Gunn’s admittedly arbitrary and amorphous canon guidelines.

    “For instance, Rick Flag Jr was killed because we heard Rick Flag Sr talking about it in Creature Commandos, not because we saw it in The Suicide Squad,” Gunn explained. And now, it’s clear why Jr.’s death has to mentioned: it had to matter.

    The latest episode of Peacemaker, “Another Rick Up My Sleeve,” saw Joel Kinnaman back in the role of Flag Jr., kind of. As part of Peacemaker’s dimension hopping adventure, the character has found himself in an alternate timeline where a romance with Emilia Harcourt could be in the cards should she chose to leave an established relationship with a very different Flag. That’s all very interesting and will certainly matter eventually, but it was Kinnaman’s brief appearance as the OTHER Flag that set an important point on the DCU’s developing timeline.

    In a flashback scene featuring Harcourt and the now-dead Flag, it was established that the mission to Corto Maltese took place three years ago. And because canon only matters when it matters, that matters because it coincides with Kal-El announced himself as Superman…and may well have put a target on his back.

    In The Suicide Squad–which is, of course, not canon except for the parts that are–it is established that Idris Elba‘s Robert DuBois, aka Bloodsport, finds himself in Belle Reve after having taking his shot at Superman with a Kryptonite bullet.

    Gunn has claimed that he’s “always looking for a place to put Bloodsport,” and the timeline tidbit in the latest episode of Peacemaker might have made that possible. Fans had previously expressed uncertainty about how Bloodsport’s attack on Superman could be reconciled within the DCU and Gunn looks to have addressed that by setting The Suicide Squad and Superman in the same year.

    Superman reveals that Lex Luthor was well aware of Kryptonite and its effects on Kryptonians but Rick Flag Sr. also mentions that “there’s none left on the planet.” Without thinking too hard, it certainly does not mean there was none three years earlier, meaning–if Gunn chooses to make it so–Bloodsport’s attempted hit on Superman could become one of those things we hear talked about in Peacemaker, thus canonizing it into the DCU and allowing Elba to step back into the role.

    With Gunn having written both Peacemaker and Superman, it seems highly unlikely that the three year span since Superman became active coincidentally intersects so neatly with the time since the mission on Corto Maltese. Indeed, given that Gunn was working on both projects simultaneously, it seems rather intentional. Perhaps Elba will be one of the big surprises Gunn has been hyping; perhaps he’s not involved at all. However, the tiny timeline tidbit has provided all the opportunity necessary to get Elba‘s Bloodsport, a character who first appeared in a Superman comic, back in the game.

  • James Gunn Addresses the Growing Hype around the Final Episodes of ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2

    The first episode of the second season of Peacemaker received high praise after it debuted on HBO Max, allowing the DCU to continue gathering momentum as it gets rolling. But according to series creator and DC Studios’ co-chair James Gunn, fans–and even critics who were sent early screening packages for the show–have a lot to look forward to

    In an interview with Screen Rant, Gunn explained that he was behind the decision to only let the press screen the first five episodes of the new season, claiming the remaining three simply held too many surprises to risk letting them into the wild.

    “I am the one who’s keeping the three episodes away from everybody because there are too many surprises in those last three episodes,” explained Gunn. “Especially 6 and 8, they are just crazy, my favourite things I’ve ever done of anything.”

    Gunn may have recently given away one of the surprises by all but confirming that Blue Beetle will appear in the sophomore season but the appearance of one hero would hardly be enough to keep three episodes from the screening package. What could have Gunn so excited? With him serving as the creative CEO of DC Studios and also as the creator of the four-film Superman Saga, it’s nearly impossible to say; however, given when Peacemaker filmed, it is potential appearances by David Corenswet or Milly Alcock should not be counted out.

    Source: Screen Rant

  • James Gunn Seemingly Confirms a Surprising Hero Will Make His DCU Debut in ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2

    Recently, DC Studios co-chair and Peacemaker creator James Gunn has drawn parallels between how John Cena‘s Christopher Smith was able to move from an “in-between universe” into the DCU and his plans for Blue Beetle, who made his big-screen debut in 2023.

    “Peacemaker was always in a weird place. People say he was part of the DCEU but he wasn’t really,” said Gunn in an interview with Rotten Tomatoes.”He was part of this “in-between Universe” of DC when there was nobody really making sure that everything was connected and at a time when they were going to rewrite everything with The Flash.We were kind of able to do whatever we wanted and we had that brash ending, which I loved, it was one of my favorite things from the whole season, but it just didn’t fit in with the DCU. And Peacemaker, there’s hardly anything else that you need to change for him, he can slide very easily into the DCU, same with Blue Beetle. They just kind of fit in very nicely, we just have to retcon a couple of things,” the DC boss explained. And it seems as though heat have had Blue Beetle on his mind for a reason.

    In an additional portion of the Rotten Tomatoes interview, Gunn seems to all but confirm that Blue Beetle will appear in an upcoming episode of Peacemaker Season 2.

    After the interviewer shares his love for the character with Gunn and expresses his desire to see Blue Beetle appear in Peacemaker, a grinning Gunn “Well, you know, I won’t say you’re not in luck.”

    Given Season 2’s use of the Multiverse as a primary plot device, a number of options are in play, including following up on the disappearance of Ted Kord, the original Blue Beetle, that was mentioned in the 2023 film. Whatever the path, it’s certain that the film’s star Xolo Maridueña, who has been teasing his character’s DCU future, will play some role.

    New episodes of the second season of Peacemaker debut weekly on Thursdays on HBO Max.

  • James Gunn Explains ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2’s Big Retcon

    James Gunn Explains ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2’s Big Retcon

    Before the DCU officially got underway with Creature Commandos in December 2024, DC Studios co-chair James Gunn had already muddied the canon waters. In what seemed to be an odd choice at the time, Gunn explained that events from The Suicide Squad or Season 1 of Peacemaker would “automatically become canon” when they were talked about in Creature Commandos.

    Released in 2021, The Suicide Squad introduced John Cena‘s Peacemaker to fans as part of a second team of degenerates sent by Amanda Waller to Corto Maltese. The events of The Suicide Squad, including the death of Rick Flag at the hands of Peacemaker, serve as the set up for Season 1 of Peacemaker. With Amanda Waller, who was featured in both projects, and Rick Flag’s father both appearing in Creature Commandos, and again in Season 2 of Peacemaker, a clear line of continuity seemed to be established from one project to the next…but then Gunn threw in a twist.

    “The truth is almost all of Peacemaker is canon with the exception of Justice League… which we will kind of deal with in the next season of Peacemaker,” Gunn teased in a November 2024 interview.

    Gunn was, of course referring to the season finale of the first season of Peacemaker, which featured some high profile cameos following the episode’s big battle. As Peacemaker and his crew walked away from the ashes of the barn battle, four members of the Justice League arrived on the scene. But with the DCEU dead and buried, how could they exist if Peacemaker is DCU canon?

    Ahead of the Season 2 premiere of Peacemaker, social media scooper My Time To Shine Hello shared word that Gunn’s decision to “deal with it” was to erase the Justice League entirely, replacing them with the Justice Gang during a “Previously in the DCU” opening. And that’s exactly how it went down, almost.

    3 CENTURIES AGO, the first superpowered beings, known as METAHUMANS, appeared on Earth, ushering in a new era of GODS AND MONSTERS.

    3 DECADES AGO, an extraterrestrial baby was sent in a spacecraft to Earth, and adopted by Kansas farmers.

    3 YEARS AGO, the baby, now grown, announced himself as SUPERMAN, the most powerful metahuman of all.

    3 WEEKS AGO, Superman stopped the country of BORAVIA from invading JARHANPUR, sparking controversy around the world

    3 HOURS AGO, a metahuman called the HAMMER OF BORAVIA attacked Superman in the city of METROPOLIS.

    3 MINUTES AGO, Superman lost a battle for the first time.

    While Mister Terrific, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Superman and Supergirl did appear, the latter two were NOT members of the Justice Gang at that time because as Gunn reminded fans on Threads, the events of Peacemaker Season 1 happened “before Superman.” That also explains the absence of Metamorpho, who teamed up with the heroes, and why Clark was so familiar with those characters in Superman. According to Gunn, the Man of Steal and his cousin have been able to “team up with them a lot like they did in Superman,” in the three years since Clark announced himself as Superman.

    To recap, the events of Peacemaker Season 1 take place in the new DCU continuity before Superman and, as made clear by Rick Flag Sr.’s reference to the “Luthor incident,” Season 2 takes place after the events in Metropolis. Easy as that!

  • Reactions Call ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 a Winning and Violent Next Chapter for the DCU

    Reactions Call ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 a Winning and Violent Next Chapter for the DCU

    Nearly three years after the first season caught audiences by surprise and became regarded as one of the best shows of 2022, the second season of Peacemaker is almost finally here. Ahead of the August 21st debut, DC Studios held a red carpet premiere on August 13th in New York City and now reactions and reviews have begun to land online.

    Through the first 34 reviews, Season 2 of Peacemaker held a 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, enough to make sure the project earned the Certified Fresh label. Critics largely praised series star John Cena‘s continued work as the damaged hero Christopher Smith and lauded James Gunn‘s work in making the Multiverse work for the DCU.

    Screening packages which were sent out to select members of the media only contained the first five episodes with Gunn claiming that not even his publicist could see the final three because they contained such major spoilers.

    While some journalists levied some minor criticisms against the new season, the consensus seems to be that it’s going to be a wildly entertaining, funny and violent ride.

  • ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 Rumored to Retcon a Major Season 1 Appearance

    ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 Rumored to Retcon a Major Season 1 Appearance

    Season 1 of Peacemaker ended with an idea so crazy, James Gunn didn’t think he’d get away with it. John Cena‘s Christopher Smith mocked the Justice League often in the first season of the streaming series, including accusing Jason Momoa‘s Aquaman of fucking fish, so when the heroes showed up following the sesson finale’s big battle, it was a fantastic surprise for fans and it gave hope that DCEU would expand…but we know how that turned out.

    With an all-new, all-different DCU already on the way before the Justice League cameo, fans wondered how Gunn would work the now defunct heroes into the “new canon.” The short answer is that he didn’t, even though the rest of the first season of Peacemaker will remain integral to the new continuity. Gunn explained that the integration of Season 1 of Peacemaker into the DC would be “pretty straightforward, with the exception of the appearance by a certain group at the end,” though he never explained how it was that Smith and the audience would forget what they had seen. Now, a new rumor clarifies that dilemma.

    According to prolific social media scooper My Time To Shine Hello, the Justice League cameo is retconned before Season 2 of Peacemaker actually begins in earnest.

    “The first episode of Peacemaker Season 2 opens with ‘Previously in the DCU,’ claimed MTTSH. “It’s mostly all season 1 footage, but there are a couple of changes. Danielle Brooks’ character now talks about calling in the Justice Gang, and they reshot the Justice League cameo from the finale,” potentially revealing Gunn’s plan to follow up on the success of Superman by including the metahuman heroes who worked alongside Kal-El to defeat Lex Luthor…oh, plus one major addition.

    Instead of Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and The Flash, the intro will reveal Smith meeting with the Justice Gang AND Milly Alcock’s Supergirl. “Now, it’s Mister Terrific, Superman, [Guy Gardner], Hawkgirl, and Supergirl (all but [Green Lantern] and Hawkgirl are in shadow),” claimed MTTSH, revealing that the Maiden of Might will likely join the team at some point…when she’s not hammered.

    With under two weeks until the streaming premiere of Peacemaker Season 2 on. August 21st, it’s very possible that MTTSH has delivered solid intel as screening packages for the series have likely been sent out to select members of the media.

  • What to Expect from the Future of the DCU and When To Expect It

    What to Expect from the Future of the DCU and When To Expect It

    Beginning in 2024, James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Studios will launch the DC Universe. In an effort to make more cohesive shared universe, the DCU will connect streaming series, video games and films through narrative threads. Though Gunn and Safran are building a new, interconnected continuity, there will still be DC projects produced outside of this continuity (such as Matt Reeves Batman Epic Crime Saga) under the Elseworlds banner.

    What’s next for DC Studios? Who’s recently joined the cast of your most anticipated series or film? Where can you find the teasers and trailers? Look no further, true believers. Everything you need to know about the future of the DCU has been collected for you here. Click on each logo to learn what we currently know about the upcoming DCU projects.

    Chapter One: Gods and Monsters

    Elseworlds

    Projects set outside of the main DCU continuity, the Elseworld projects allow artists to tell stories without attempting to weave them into the DCU’s narrative tapestry.