Heading into Peacemaker season 2, the hope was that the show's Multiversal storyline might see the DCEU's Christopher Smith make a new life for himself in the DCU. There are pros and cons to that idea, but it's not one James Gunn ultimately chose to explore.
Instead, a recap retcons certain season 1 moments to make it so that Peacemaker has always been part of the DCU. As for the alternate reality he visits, it's simply a world where his doppelgänger has the life Chris has always wanted.
Talking to ComicBook.com, Gunn explained why he decided against doing anything that harkened back to Warner Bros.' DC Extended Universe.
"Could I make it so that [season 2] Peacemaker is the DCEU Peacemaker, even though he’s not really the DCEU Peacemaker, and he walks through that portal and that’s where the DCEU Peacemaker is? I could have," Gunn acknowledged. "People are like, 'How are normies gonna understand it?' The answer is normies don’t give a s–t. Normies don’t care about all this canon stuff so intimately."
"They’re like, 'Oh, cool, Peacemaker and Superman team up?' 'Oh, cool, it’s Aliens and Predator together?' It doesn’t matter if it’s not completely consistent with the past," the filmmaker argued. "So I thought the simple way was really the best, which is just saying, 'This world is a little different.'"
"We know there [are] universes, and this is the universe in which everything was exactly the same as season one — except for the Justice League and Batmite," Gunn added, saying he wishes he could "Lucas the s–t out of" Peacemaker season 1, but can't "because it’s too expensive."
Some will agree with that assessment, while others might raise an eyebrow at the DC Studios co-CEO's take on the importance of continuity. Either way, it seems safe to say that the door is well and truly closed on revisiting the DCEU.
Recently, DC Studios has come under fire for releasing Superman on Digital platforms so soon after its theatrical debut. Many feel that it undermines the theatrical experience and is a blow to exhibitors at a time when theaters are struggling.
In a separate conversation with I Think You're Overthinking It, Gunn responded to the complaints. "Next time, it’s gonna be longer. I don’t want people to get used to it, it’s purely because of Peacemaker that I let it come out at this time."
We're still not sure why Superman needed a Digital release to coincide with Peacemaker, as the two DCU projects have little in common beyond including the idea of a pocket universe (at least from the five episodes we've seen).
Peacemaker's season 2 premiere is now streaming on HBO Max.