One Of James Gunn's Big Earth X Peacemaker Hints Was A Total Accident

To its credit, "Peacemaker" season 2 manages to set up huge things for the future of the DC Universe while also telling a compelling story about Christopher Smith aka Peacemaker (John Cena). Arguably the biggest development of the season is its use of the multiverse, which immediately stands out amongst other multiverse movies and shows since it actually depicts the alternate reality it explores as being different and not just an excuse to indulge in cameos and fan service. Season 2's reveal that Chris' "perfect" world is actually the horrific Earth X — a place where the Nazis won WWII — is equally huge since it forces Chris to realize he cannot simply escape his problems by fleeing to another dimension. (That and he should really pay more attention to his surroundings in case there's, for example, a giant Adolf Hitler mural on the wall.)

Not that "Peacemaker" creator and DC Studios head honcho James Gunn didn't leave clues for fans to pick up. In the opening credits sequence for season 2, the very first dance move Chris makes evokes the swastika. There's also the obvious lack of any people of color in this alternate Earth, the ashtray at the alternate Smith house literally being a swastika, and the way characters pronounce "Blüdhaven" in a German accent. Moreover, fans also noted that Earth-X's Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) is weirded out by Chris asking "What's happening?" (a phrase popularized in 1970s Black culture).

Except, that wasn't really a hint, at least not according to Steve Agee. As the actor, who plays John Economos in "Peacemaker," explained to Inverse, he himself asked Gunn whether that was intentional:

"He's like, 'What? No, she's confused because he called her Harcourt. Chris, in that world, calls her Emilia. I never thought about that [theory].'"

Again, "Peacemaker" makes excellent use of the multiverse. It basically emulates the "Star Trek" franchise's Mirror Universe by focusing on just reversing some things we are familiar with (like reviving dead characters and making them all shockingly nice to Chris).

Similarly, the introduction of the multiverse in "Peacemaker" has huge potential repercussions for the DCU's future. We already know that the planet Salvation will be featured in an upcoming project, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. The DC Comics universe is home to an incredibly intricate and expansive multiverse, as seen in "The Multiversity," the limited comic book series written by Grant Morrison and featuring art by Frank Quitely, Ivan Reis, Cameron Stewart, Chris Sprouse, Karl Story, Ben Oliver, and Doug Mahnke. Easily among the best limited comic book series of the past decade, the story explores both the history of DC's alternate universes and the nearly 100-year-old history of superhero comics. It's extremely weird and creative, and Gunn would be remiss not to take inspiration from it as he continues to incorporate elements of the multiverse into the DCU.

Granted, it's tricky to include the multiverse in a superhero franchise in 2025. Between the "Spider-Verse" movies perfecting its portrayal on the big screen and Marvel Studios shoving so much multiverse stuff down audience's throats, it's hard to justify another multiverse project — especially when one of the last movies made before Gunn took over at DC Studios was "The Flash," a horrible film that completely misuses the multiverse. Still, the multiverse is intrinsic to DC's mythology. Heck, it's one of the things that made it special from the start. Hence, it's probably going to be prominent in the DCU, for better or worse.

"Peacemaker" is streaming on HBO Max.