The Peacemaker Season 2 Trailer May Explain One Of The DCU's Biggest Mysteries

Spoilers for "Superman" to follow, so beware!

James Gunn's new DC Universe has been a breath of fresh air in the comic book movie space, largely due to the breezy reception for "Superman" from both audiences and critics. However, before he reinvented the Man of Steel for the big screen, Gunn decided to basically create the fandom around Peacemaker. John Cena starred in 2021's "The Suicide Squad" as Christopher Smith, a "peace-loving" mercenary that was as funny in that film as he was thoroughly rude. Similarly, his follow-up appearance in "Peacemaker" season 1 on HBO Max was warmly regarded by tons of people around the world. At the same time, it created a problem for the DCU. Namely, if we're getting rid of the DC Extended Universe's Justice League (including Jason Momoa's Aquaman), then how in the world can Peacemaker make the jump to a new continuity that's so clearly different from the one before?

Thankfully, the new "Peacemaker" season 2 trailer (see above) pulls the curtain back on how the DCU plans to integrate Cena's character into the new status quo. It opens with Smith reflecting on the events of his previous adventures, and the guilt of executing Rick Flagg (previously Joel Kinnaman) is clearly getting to him. As we saw in "Superman," Rick Flagg Sr. (Frank Grillo) is still angry about Peacemaker killing his son in cold blood during their absurd mission to save the planet. Things get even weirder than usual for Peacemaker when he starts exploring the universal portals in his headquarters, "Quantum Unfolding Storage Areas," as we saw in season 1. Upon investigating, he discovers that in another world, his alternate self is famous, a successful hero, and adored by the public. Of course, the allure of a world where most of his problems are solved becomes too hard to pass up — meaning, his friends will have to save Chris Smith from himself, literally. 

Those portals, however, are also the key to this entire season ... and appear to explain how Cena's Peacemaker was able to pop up in David Corenswet's first outing as Superman in the new DCU.

Just like DC's comics have done for decades by this point, there's going to be some consolidation between the old DCEU continuity from "Peacemaker" season 1 and our new status quo following "Superman." Chris Smith is messing with things beyond his control, similar to Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor in Gunn's DCU movie, and it's probably going to result in Cena making himself at home on a wholly different Earth. Indeed, this sort of stuff happens all the time in comic books and would offer an easy explanation for what the DCEU's Peacemaker was doing in "Superman" to begin with.

Yes, Cena's short appearance in "Superman" provoked easily one of the biggest audience reactions I've seen to a cameo in a movie this summer. Immediately after walking out of the theater, I could see and hear people wondering how Peacemaker was able to make the jump to a new Earth after crossing paths with the DCEU's Justice League just a few years ago. Thankfully, Gunn anticipated some of those questions and was already plotting to leave some bread crumbs out for the fans who were paying close attention during "Superman." The DC Studios head recently talked to Entertainment Weekly about "Peacemaker" season 2, at which point he noted that pocket universes, like the one Lex uses to try and detain Superman, will be a big deal in the show's next installment:

"The whole [second] season of 'Peacemaker' revolves around that. Yes, absolutely it is. You'll see in 'Peacemaker' [season 2], too. It's just Lex's version is much jankier than the one in 'Peacemaker.' The one in 'Peacemaker' works better. What the whole season of 'Peacemaker' revolves around is that."

For fans who might be a little worn out on the multiverse talk, Gunn also teased that "Peacemaker" season 2 is quite intimate narratively, especially for a story that involves the existence of who knows how many alternate universes. "Over the past four or five years, [multiverses have] suddenly been everywhere," the filmmaker mused. "I think of 'Peacemaker' as more of a high-concept story about one other world. It's more akin to Philip Roth's 'The Counterlife' than it is to the third 'Spider-Man' movie ['No Way Home'], which I love that movie, but it isn't about that."

DCEU fans have had a hard time letting go of Zack Snyder's vision for these iconic characters, but after all the acclaim for "Superman," it seems like there's really been a turning of the page. "Peacemaker" choosing to pursue another path forward is another indicator that things have changed for DC Studios, and not in a malicious way. Gunn is a creative filmmaker, which means that he was always going to have a different way of approaching favorites like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman when he got to be the one in charge. Fortunately, "Peacemaker" season 2 seems to be more pensive about the entire practice than just ditching DC's previous shared universe wholesale.

Of course, this isn't the only major change on the horizon for lingering DCEU fans, with Momoa slated to play Lobo opposite Milly Alcock's Supergirl in the Girl of Steel's solo movie next year. To be sure, the DCEU's Aquaman becoming a wholly different character in the DCU marks a clear break from what came before and a transition into a new vision for the future. And while I think it's still plausible we'll see, say, Corenswet and Henry Cavill share the screen as Superman variants at some point (because who could resist the instant money of that crossover?), it's also possible "Peacemaker" season 2 will fully close the book on the DCEU. It might even be the best way of gently turning the lights off now that the party is over. "Superman" was just the first step into this brave new world, which means it's up to Peacemaker to walk into the light of the future himself.

"Peacemaker" season 2 premieres August 21, 2025, on HBO Max.