James Gunn Teases the Future of John Cena's PEACEMAKER in the DCU
James Gunn’s first phase of the DCU has always included John Cena’s Peacemaker, but as we are still ahead of the character’s second season in his series, we don’t exactly know what the future holds for him.
Season 2 of Peacemaker will debut this week, and run through the beginning of October, and Gunn has been very tight-lipped about what the final few episodes will entail.
When asked by ExtraTV (via CBM) about the broader direction of the DCU, James Gunn teased that Season 2 of Peacemaker will provide plenty of answers.
"I think you're going to find out a lot, this season of Peacemaker. This is a direct follow-up to Superman, although it should be said, it's not for kids, it's for adults. We kind of see where the DC Universe is going and we find out about where it's heading from here. By the end of the season, there's a lot of surprises."
In a separate interview, Gunn previously teased that episodes 6-8 of the series contain huge surprises and that he intentionally left those episodes off of advance screener copies sent out to the media.
As to whether Season 2 is the last season of Peacemaker, Gunn all but confirmed that Cena's antihero will be seen again in a fourth project. Whether that's a third season of the show or something else remains to be seen, saying, "We call it the Tighty-Whities Trilogy- between The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker Season 1, and Peacemaker Season 2. Are we going to make it a quadrilogy? Probably, we'll see..."
"In Season 2, Peacemaker 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."
James Gunn wrote all 8 episodes and directed 3, including the premiere. The second season reunites John Cena with key members of the season 1 cast, including Danielle Brooks (Leota Adebayo), Freddie Stroma (Vigilante), Jennifer Holland (Emilia Harcourt), and Steve Agee (John Economos), as the series gears up for a major expansion within the new DC Universe.
This time around, the story will branch out beyond Peacemaker's tight-knit team, with Frank Grillo stepping in as Rick Flag Sr., a character who serves as the connective tissue to Superman, Creature Commandos, and future DCU chapters.
Several additional familiar faces from Superman are also set to appear, including Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, and Sean Gunn reprising his role as the Justice Gang financier Maxwell Lord. Fans will also be introduced to a brand-new character, Red St. Wild, portrayed by Michael Rooker.
Peacemaker episode one drops this week on August 21st on HBO/Max.