Last night's episode of Peacemaker revealed that the alternate reality Chris Smith believes can give him the perfect life is, in fact, Earth X, a world where the Nazis presumably won World War II.
In the closing moments of "Ignorance Is Chris," Peacemaker discovers that the stars of the 50 states on the American flag have been swapped out for a swastika. Meanwhile, Leota Adebayo finds herself being chased through the streets by an all-white mob who were horrified to see that "a Black" is loose.
Talking on Peacemaker: The Official Podcast with James Gunn – Season 2, Ep. 6, James Gunn explained how he approached the big Earth X reveal, given the sensitive subject matter.
"We were really sensitive. One person I talked to a lot about it was Danielle Brooks," he explained, "because I wanted to make sure we were being sensitive to everything. We were really trying to be as careful as possible."
"I think we leave it at a pretty scary place for poor old Adebayo, who is being chased by a bunch of white people," Gunn continued. "Everyone else is in trouble, as well. We've really backed [them] into a corner at the end of the episode."
The Superman helmer went on to say that "everyone's a f***ing Nazi," and confirmed, "We find out [everything] next episode, and it is a crazy, crazy episode." This likely means we'll discover the parallel world's history, as well as where Judomaster—who is, of course, Asian—ended up when he arrived on Earth X.
Gunn later shared that Nicholas Hoult's cameo as Lex Luthor was shot during production on Superman, and said the scene was originally in episode 7. He'd go on to address the importance of the deal that's made between Lex and Rick Flag Sr.
"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," the filmmaker teased. "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."
Gunn added that it's "scary" to think about Rick teaming up with Lex, especially as the former has his own "agenda." What this is obviously remains to be seen, but he may want to enter the Multiverse to find an alternate version of his fallen son.
With only two episodes left, more surprises are surely on the way. However, if Peacemaker season 2 doesn't end with G.I. Robot to deal with the dezinens of Earth X, consider us disappointed.
You can watch Peacemaker: The Official Podcast with James Gunn – Season 2, Ep. 6 in the player below.
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.
Season 2 stars John Cena, Danielle Brooks, Freddie Stroma, Jennifer Holland, Steve Agee, Frank Grillo, Sol Rodríguez, David Denman, Brey Noelle, and Tim Meadows.
James Gunn wrote all eight episodes of Peacemaker and directed three, including the first episode. Gunn, Peter Safran, and Cena serve as executive producers. Greg Mottola, Peter Sollett, and Alethea Jones also direct.
In our review of Peacemaker season 2's first five episodes, we wrote, "Peacemaker season 2 feels like a wholly superfluous addition to the new DCU, and lacks the stakes and emotion that made season 1 so special. Fortunately, it’s buoyed by some fun surprises for fans and another exceptional turn from John Cena."
Six episodes of Peacemaker season 2 are now streaming on HBO Max.