PEACEMAKER Season 2: A Key Detail In Episode 3 May Reveal Awful Truth About The Alternate Reality - SPOILERS

PEACEMAKER Season 2: A Key Detail In Episode 3 May Reveal Awful Truth About The Alternate Reality - SPOILERS

The third episode of Peacemaker season 2, "Another Rick Up My Sleeve," takes us to the alternate reality teased in previous episodes, but all may not be as it seems if what we've spotted is accurate...

By JoshWilding - Sep 05, 2025 05:09 PM EST
Filed Under: Peacemaker

Peacemaker's third episode saw Chris Smith explore an alternate reality where his life appears to be perfect. The anti-hero's father and brother are alive (both appear kind and loving), he's a beloved superhero, and Emilia Harcourt actually has feelings for him. 

It's hard to escape the feeling that we'll eventually learn all is not as it seems, and a few crucial, easy-to-miss details in "Another Rick Up My Sleeve" tease a dark truth. 

There's not a single non-white extra or character in the scenes set on the parallel Earth, and some fans have even suggested that the cars there are all either American or German-made. Some of the cops even have moustaches and combed-over hair, and historically speaking, the "Sons of Liberty" aren't necessarily considered evil (they fought against the British for the rights of American colonists in the 1700s). 

The implication seems to be that this is Earth-X, a reality where the Germans won World War II and the world's heroes are, for lack of a better term, Nazis. So, Peacemaker's father and brother don't appear to be racists, because in this world, every other race has been eliminated. 

It's also interesting that the attack is on the Office of Housing and Development, rather than the Office of Housing and Urban Development. For certain people, "urban" translates to "Black," explaining Harcourt's confusion in the scene where Chris says the word.

In place of Nazis, it seems likely this Earth is extremely far-right, a political statement that lines up with what we know about James Gunn's beliefs (his criticisms of Donald Trump in 2018 led to people digging up old, offensive Tweets, which got him fired by Disney). 

If this theory is correct, then it suggests the world Chris has discovered is far from the perfect reality he perceives it to be. The former Task Force X member rejected his father's hateful views and is best friends with a Black woman, Leota Adebayo. So, if he makes a home for himself there, Peacemaker will find himself trapped in his worst nightmare. 

Will this be what sets up Man of Tomorrow? James Gunn has said Peacemaker season 2 is a "prequel" to that movie, so perhaps we're getting a Multiversal tale, with Superman, Lex Luthor, and the Justice Gang forced to fight off Earth X's twisted protectors. 

Moviegoers seem sick and tired of Multiverse stories, so that would be a bold move on the filmmaker's part. We'll have to wait and see, but let us know your thoughts in the comments section. 

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, 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."

Three episodes of Peacemaker season 2 are now streaming on HBO Max.

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BigPhilbowski
BigPhilbowski - 9/5/2025, 5:08 PM
Passing off reddit theories as articles. Hard times
CyberBishop
CyberBishop - 9/5/2025, 5:11 PM
@BigPhilbowski - It's Josh what do you expect
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 9/5/2025, 7:05 PM
@BigPhilbowski - somebody on here posted this same theory on last night's article talkbacks. So, they definitely are late to the game.
WalletsClosed
WalletsClosed - 9/5/2025, 5:14 PM
Great. Dealing with racism AGAIN. This guy has ZERO new and original ideas.

Reboot the MCU and DCU
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 9/5/2025, 7:06 PM
@WalletsClosed - maybe if racism would go away he'd get new and original ideas
WalletsClosed
WalletsClosed - 9/5/2025, 7:11 PM
@lazlodaytona - Or maybe he can be an actual creative writer and come up with something new?
NonPlayerC
NonPlayerC - 9/5/2025, 5:25 PM
I literally just posted another article this was my feeling. They are all nice but love peacemaker because peacemaker is an asshole. If this is the route they were going it was well foreshadowed
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 9/5/2025, 7:08 PM
@NonPlayerC - seems like a new idea...
It does have its possibilities.
HelloBoysImBack
HelloBoysImBack - 9/5/2025, 5:30 PM
What a pathetic premise for an episode
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 9/5/2025, 5:30 PM
Yep , I noticed the same thing and if this theory is true then I quite like it actually & could see Gunn doing it tbh…

It shows that Chris’s father isn’t drastically different on this Earth but that in this reality , he and his brother bought into their fathers BS hence them being so close with Auggie being a caring & loving dad to him & Keith.

Also The Sons of Liberty on this show we’re not based of the real life organization but the DC version which was essentially a homegrown militia who felt America had “lost its way” during which they had encounters with Superman & such so I think it would be a cool twist that in this universe , they aren’t bad guys but a burgeoning resistance group against the far right world they inhabit.

User Comment Image

Also in the comics they are associated with the character of Agent Liberty at times who was played by Sam Witwer in Supergirl S4 where he was one of the Big Bads!!.
Ojeet78
Ojeet78 - 9/5/2025, 5:46 PM
@TheVisionary25 - Cool, wasnt familiar with this storyline but if the theories are true it would be like the Doctor Who episode Dot and Bubble. Fun fact is that one of the leads from that episode, Tom Rhys Harries is the new Clayface in the DCU.
The James Gunn and Doctor Who overlap continues.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 9/5/2025, 5:48 PM
@Ojeet78 - yep , cool stuff!!.
Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 9/5/2025, 5:31 PM
So..
Best dimensión ever indeed!
MAGA BABY!
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 9/5/2025, 6:27 PM
@Malatrova15 - I'll bet Trump is even President in this reality and the DOD is named The WAR DEPT or something. Like the Hall of Injustice instead of the Hall of Justice.
Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 9/5/2025, 6:35 PM
@ObserverIO - so this universe Is just USA after the second JD Vance term ?! ..thats beyond sweet....seems like we only need to wait
Pampero
Pampero - 9/5/2025, 5:33 PM
It’s getting old that white people are always portrayed as the bad guys.
Ha1frican
Ha1frican - 9/5/2025, 6:05 PM
@Pampero - White people aren’t portrayed as the bad guys, racists are portrayed as the bad guys. Not to mention the majority of the heroes of the show are white
TheWinkler
TheWinkler - 9/5/2025, 7:09 PM
@Pampero - Yeah, Gunn should do something else like make a movie where the lead hero is white or the villain is a person of color, for a change.
WalletsClosed
WalletsClosed - 9/5/2025, 7:13 PM
@Ha1frican - Oh really? Than why didn't he use black supremacists? Why is it always "white guys bad"?
Bucky74
Bucky74 - 9/5/2025, 5:39 PM
So glad I didn’t waste money on Max to watch this drivel. Yawn, “Evil whites” again as the bad guys. Talk about lazy writing.
maxx
maxx - 9/5/2025, 6:13 PM
@Bucky74 - Gunn can’t help himself anymore. This is his go-to well for ideas and it’s the root of almost every film he’s made the past decade. In S1 he executed this brilliantly, but now it’s the definition of lazy and pandering writing.

That said, I am curious what kind of “pills” keep getting referenced. If it were just opiates or speed, I don’t think they’d keep going out of their way to bring it up.
TheLobster
TheLobster - 9/5/2025, 5:43 PM
It’s all but confirmed that this alternate universe is one where the nazis won. Not a single person of color - just a bunch of white people - so it’s pretty obvious lol

I personally think it’s pretty interesting that Chris is going to go through the pain of having a family he always wished he had with a version of Harcourt that’s on paper super sweet and perfect.. only to have to give it up but also fight them once he realizes their true nature. Thats going to be heartbreaking if done right and Gunn has done a good job so far with S2.

Also; The White Dragon was always a White Supremacist nazi in the comics. Peacemaker's dad wasn't White Dragon, sure, but was a pathetic Nazi piece of shit anyways so.. this checks out. Don’t know what to tell y'all ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 9/5/2025, 7:10 PM
@TheLobster - I'm with you
WhatIfRickJames
WhatIfRickJames - 9/5/2025, 5:46 PM
Josh did watch the first 5 episodes or so so he probably knows exactly what’s going on
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 9/5/2025, 6:31 PM
@WhatIfRickJames - User Comment Image
BaneoftheBat
BaneoftheBat - 9/5/2025, 5:53 PM
It never ceases to amaze me how easy it is to find the racists in the comment sections on a post:

"Whit people are Villains AGAIN?! NOOOOOO!"

"Snape is Black now?! NOOOOOOOO!"

Y'all just continue to out yourselves!
WalletsClosed
WalletsClosed - 9/5/2025, 7:14 PM
@BaneoftheBat - Yeah not wanting the same repeated plots over and over again and not wanting horrific disgusting casting makes you RACIST!1!!1!1
Ha1frican
Ha1frican - 9/5/2025, 6:03 PM
I actually noticed this last night while watching it too. I figured something like that would come up bc they make a point to add the part about him being associated with a racist in eh previously on for the first episode. It explains why Auggie is so different in this dimension, and also sets up the conflict since so far for Peacemaker everything about this universe is better than his native one.
NonPlayerC
NonPlayerC - 9/5/2025, 6:41 PM
@Ha1frican - as soon as they said freedom fighters I assumed that's where they were going. That and the sons of liberty members he killed did not seem like trained soldiers. just everyday people that got fed up and started guerrilla terrorism
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 9/5/2025, 6:23 PM
I did get the feeling that the bad guys were really tame and he tore through them pretty violently. I thought the twist would be that this is like a cute, cartoony reality and his reaction would be seen as overkill by the masses and he would be seen as a monster. But maybe they were tame because really they're the good guys? I dunno.... this idea's good but all white people? That's not Earth X that's just the traditional Hollywood version of reality.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 9/5/2025, 7:12 PM
@ObserverIO - I was thinking the overkill thing was going to happen too. Instead, we have the Nazi storyline.
Let's just hope they don't do a PREACHER and make Hitler a sympathetic character.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 9/5/2025, 6:25 PM
OH SHIT! His brother said "Who are the Kardashians?"!

Man he's gonna be heartbroken when he sees what his brother is really like in this reality.
xKingLobox
xKingLobox - 9/5/2025, 6:35 PM
My theory is that season 2 is NOT actually a correction of canon from Season 1...It's literally NOT the same Peacemaker. It's close..it's VERY VERY close but not the same meaning Synderverse still exists in one of those doors. I expect him to run into "The Batman" or perhaps a puppet universe for Brave and bold...or maybe run into Frankenstein.
NonPlayerC
NonPlayerC - 9/5/2025, 6:45 PM
@xKingLobox - that's what I thought before the first episode but the fact that GL, hawk girl, superman, and supergirl showed up in the retcon scene not so sure
AC1
AC1 - 9/5/2025, 6:59 PM
Oh shit that actually makes so much sense!

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