The season 2 premiere of Peacemaker didn't give fans the DCU/DCEU crossover that many of them expected. Instead, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn reshot the season 1 finale's Justice League cameo for a recap that replaced them with the DCU's Justice Gang.
This is a new world that has some things in common with the DCEU, but is otherwise unrecognisable. It's a little confusing, but Gunn doesn't appear to be worrying too much about continuity.
That was evident from a recent fan interaction on Threads, which saw Gunn explain, "None of these things really exist, so it's obvious I didn't erase any films from existence. But if one really wants to pretend it's all real the [second] is closer: you could say there are [an] infinite amount of timelines and the DCU timeline is almost exactly the same as the [Peacemaker] Season 1 timeline with very very minor differences."
He added, "I mean, I think it's fair to say a lot of aspects of season 1 fit in even less with the DCEU than the DCU, so season 1 is kind of an outlier to begin with."
It's already been reported that Joel Kinnaman will reprise his role as Rick Flag Jr., but Gunn now looks set to make another specific part of 2016's Suicide Squad official DCU "canon."
According to scooper @MyTimeToShineH, "In Peacemaker Season 2, Rick Flag Jr. mentions his girlfriend June Moone (/Enchantress), which makes the events of David Ayer's Suicide Squad at least somewhat canon to the DCU."
This intel is presented to us out of context, but making Cara Delevingne's Enchantress part of the DCU is an interesting move on Gunn's part. She's clearly an element of David Ayer's Suicide Squad he appreciated, and it's not like 2021's The Suicide Squad ignored that movie (even if it was missing a few key characters).
Could Gunn have plans for Delevingne in the DCU, or is this just a nod to keep the #ReleaseTheAyerCut die-hards happy? We don't know for now, but this Easter Egg is bound to generate plenty of discussion among fans.
Check back here every Thursday for a breakdown of the biggest moments and spoilers in Peacemaker season 2.
Peacemaker season 2 follows Christopher 'Chris' Smith, aka Peacemaker, 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 will star 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."
Peacemaker season 2 premieres on HBO on August 21.