James Gunn Explains How the Peacemaker Finale Reshapes the DCU and the Uncertain Future of Season 3
When Superman hit theaters in July, it officially launched the new DC Universe under the guidance of James Gunn and Peter Safran. But as Gunn revealed this week, the real game-changing moment for the DCU actually came from the Peacemaker Season 2 finale.
The finale didn’t just close out Chris Smith’s story arc, it introduced two major elements that will shape the entire DCU moving forward, which include the covert agency Checkmate and the metahuman prison world known as Salvation.
Both concepts come straight from the comics, and both will be major players in upcoming DCU projects.
“It may not seem like it at first, but it is all very connected,” Gunn explained during a virtual press conference.
Checkmate: Born from the 11th Street Kids
At the end of Peacemaker Season 2, Chris’ friends rally to save him not from a villain, but from his own despair. In the process, they break away from the authorities and decide to forge their own path.
Using Vigilante’s stash of “blood money,” they form Checkmate, a crime-fighting agency that includes Judomaster, plus disillusioned A.R.G.U.S. operatives played by Tim Meadows and Sol Rodriguez.
Gunn said he’d long wanted to introduce Checkmate into live-action:
“That was always pretty instrumental in the overarching story that I’m telling in the DCU. I had mapped out what I thought the general story was, and two important aspects to that were Checkmate and especially Salvation.”
For Gunn, the new agency represents growth for the misfit heroes.
“It’s the real culmination of the 11th Street Kids and their desire to be good. I think they’re going to be really, really good at what they do. When we see them next, their circumstances will be a little bit different than the startup that they’re at now.”
Salvation: The Prison World
Meanwhile, A.R.G.U.S., led by Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo), locates a parallel Earth suitable for something far darker. Flag christens it Salvation, a prison planet designed to house metahumans too dangerous for Earth.
Gunn was drawn to the idea but hinted that his version won’t be a direct copy of the Salvation Run comics storyline.
“I like the concept of creating this prison that was absolutely inescapable, but was also a little rash. Because they think it’s not dangerous from their initial tests. But in the comics and in this world, obviously there’s hints of it being dangerous.”
The season closes with a major cliffhanger in which Peacemaker is kidnapped by Flag Sr. and dumped into Salvation, revenge for killing Rick Flag Jr.
Will There Be a Season 3?
If you liked the series and how it came to an end, fans shouldn’t expect Peacemaker Season 3 anytime soon. Gunn made it clear that this story will carry into other DCU projects.
“This is about the other stories in which this [cliffhanger] will play out. Never say never. But right now, this is about the future of the DCU.”
Whether Cena’s Peacemaker shows up in Supergirl (2026) or Man of Tomorrow (2028), Gunn isn’t saying. But he confirmed the character remains central to his vision:
“He’s really important to me. I really love the character. Chris is just incredibly human.”
Gunn’s DCU Vision Moving Forward
Gunn has always said he wants to turn lesser-known characters into “diamond properties” that can stand alongside Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. Peacemaker is his proof of concept.
He also sees the DCU as a chance to tell emotional, human stories through fantastical worlds.
“We live in this world where everybody thinks that the way to deal with people that think differently than you is to treat them like demons.
“What a fucking stupid idea. You want to change the world? You want the world to be a better place? You don’t do it by telling somebody they’re evil. It’s just not the way you do it.”
Looking ahead, Gunn will hand creative duties to others for projects like Lanterns, Supergirl, Clayface, and The Batman 2. But when it comes to Salvation, Superman, Lex Luthor, and Rick Flag Sr., Gunn said those stories remain firmly in his hands.
“That’s the plan right now, at least. I may get so fucking tired that I can’t do it — because I’m pretty tired, but we’ll see!”
What do you think about all this?