The season 2 finale of Peacemaker is now streaming on HBO Max, and even though it was far from the cameo-fest some were expecting, the mostly character-focused episode did leave us with quite a bit to discuss.
James Gunn has previously revealed that the events of the finale will directly tie-in to Man of Tomorrow, and while "Full Nelson" didn't feature any overt connections to the upcoming Superman follow-up, it did give us some idea of where things might be heading in the DCU.
Major spoilers follow.
Peacemaker season 2 concludes with Chris Smith and the rest of the 11th Street Kids, along with Judomaster and A.R.G.U.S. Agents Sasha Bordeaux and Langston Fleury, founding Checkmate, and a pretty definitive "heel turn" from Rick Flag Sr. Still fuelled by rage and vengeance after the death of his son, Flag kidnaps Chris and strands his in Salvation, the Earth-like dimension he intends to use as a prison for the planet's Metahumans.
Gunn was asked how these events will ultimately connect to Man of Tomorrow on Threads.
“Where Chris is at the end, what’s happening between the government and the metahumans, Rick and Lex’s new partnership, and all their decisions… it’s all part of the future, MOT, and more.”
It certainly seems like Gunn is building towards his own take on DC Comics' Salvation Run, a six-issue miniseries that sees the government exile some of Earth's most dangerous metahuman criminals to the planet Cygnus 4019 (Salvation). Separate factions are formed as the villains struggle to survive and attempt to discover a means of escape.
This could ultimately lead to the DCU debut of Darkseid and the New Gods, as Salvation turns out to be a "training planet" for Apokolips in the comics.
We know that MOT will feature some sort of alliance between Lex Luthor and Superman, so it's possible that things get so out of control on Salvation that these bitter enemies are forced to work together to prevent a catastrophe. This is pure speculation, but could Brainiac - assuming he is Man of Tomorrow's big bad - end up being stranded on this prison planet?
“It's a very, very, very delicate balance when writing these things," Gunn said during an interview with Variety. "You’ve got to be able to tell the story in a way where people that already know the information are not going to be bored, and where people who don't know the information will get the information in an easy and simple way, but also not to be burdened down by too much sh*t. There needs to be an elegance to the storytelling. Too many mumbo jumbo things, to me, is always a thing that I [avoid]."
Be sure to share your own theories in the comments.
Peacemaker season 2 follows Chris Smith, the vigilante superhero, as he struggles to reconcile his past with his newfound sense of purpose while continuing to kick righteous evildoer butt in his misguided quest for peace at any cost. He discovers an alternate world where life is everything he wishes it could be. But this discovery also forces him to face his traumatic past and take the future into his own hands.
"The new season follows Christopher 'Chris' Smith, aka Peacemaker, the vigilante Super Hero as he struggles to reconcile his past with his newfound sense of purpose while continuing to kick righteous evil-doer butt in his misguided quest for peace at any cost.
In season 2, Peacemaker discovers an alternate world where life is everything he wishes it could be. But this discovery also forces him to face his traumatic past and take the future into his own hands.”