How the ending of Peacemaker 2 will impact Superman 2 and the rest of the DC Universe

For James Gunn, the final twist “is going to become an incredibly important element for the rest of the DCU.”

Season 2 of Peacemaker ended on HBO Max, and with it, the DC Universe enters a new era.

Spoiler alert!

After exploring parallel worlds, the finale indeed introduces Salvationa mysterious planet that could well shake up the future of the DCU.

James Gunn confirmed this during the official podcast debriefing the series:

“At the end of season 2, I leave Peacemaker stranded on the planet Salvation. And that’s going to become an incredibly important element for the rest of the DCU.”

The latest episode shows Rick Flag Sr. offering to transform Salvation in prison for meta-humans, after the failures of Arkham Asylum and Belle Reve. When the Secretary of Defense hesitates, Flag Sr. kidnaps Christopher Smith and sends him by force to this hellish planet, as revenge for the death of his son. “It’s for Ricky, you bastardD”, he blurted out before throwing it onto the ground of an unknown world. Peacemaker then hears monstrous screams in the distance: Salvation is clearly not a haven of peace.

A direct reference to the comics

For DC readers, Salvation is not an invention. The planet comes straight from a DC comic series called Salvation Run (2007-2008), in which Amanda Waller and Rick Flag sent the most dangerous supervillains – from Lex Luthor to the Joker, including Catwoman and Bane – to a distant planet supposed to become their prison. James Gunn is openly inspired by it here and takes up the idea for his own, with the idea that this final twist will have an impact on the entire rest of the DC Universe, possibly until Superman 2 : “The government wants to help humanity by sending the meta-humans to Salvation.” It is therefore much more than a decoration: Salvation could become the new playground of the DCU.

A brighter alternate ending

But Salvation almost waited. On the official podcast, Gunn also revealed that the first cut of the finale ended differently: on the sequence called Checkmate. It showed Emilia Harcourt, Leota Adebayo and the other members of the team reforming a new group of saviors, “Checkmate”, while Eagly flew free. An optimistic, almost joyful ending, according to Jennifer Holland, intended to close the emotional loop between Harcourt and Peacemaker. But Peter Safran, executive producer and Gunn’s partner at DC Studios, insisted on going further: “You absolutely have to put on Salvation”, he would have told her. Result: an extended, much darker ending, with the kidnapping of Peacemaker by Rick Flag Sr. and his forced exile on Salvation. A choice that changes everything.

A season 3 of Peacemaker ? Not right away

Asked by DeadlineJames Gunn calmed the fans: “No, there is no season 3 planned at the moment. This whole ending is part of the larger narrative of the DCU. That’s not to say there never will be, but right now, that’s not the plan.”

On the podcast, he nuances: “Peacemaker will return in some form. We have plans.” In short, no Peacemaker season 3 for now, but the character and his team – now united under the name Checkmate – will certainly return in other DC projects, perhaps in Walleror in Man of Tomorrow or in titles not yet announced.

"They’re part of the world now, and they’re going to be very, very good at what they do," teases Gunn. “When we see them again, their situation will have changed a little.”