James Gunn found the perfect way to retcon the Justice League cameo from the first season of Peacemaker.
Featured VideoIt’s been 3.5 years since season one of Peacemaker came to an end on HBO Max. In that time, a lot has changed for DC. Gunn is now in charge of DC Studios along with Peter Safran, and the duo has rebooted the franchise into the DCU.
The previous franchise, the DCEU, started with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel in 2013 and officially came to an end with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in 2023. Considering Peacemaker was originally part of the DCEU, many have wondered how Gunn was going to bring the character into this new world.
First, Peacemaker (John Cena) made a cameo in Gunn’s Superman. Now, the second season of Peacemaker retconned a big DCEU moment in a hilariously perfect way.
AdvertisementHow did Peacemaker retcon its Justice League Cameo?
Back in 2022, the season one finale of Peacemaker featured cameos from members of the DCEU’s Justice League. Henry Cavill’s Superman and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman were just shadowy figures in the background. Meanwhile, Jason Momoa and Ezra Miller actually cameoed as Aquaman and The Flash, respectively. They had a fun interaction with Peacemaker, and fans have been wondering how this would be explained in the DCU.
The first episode of Peacemaker‘s second season, “The Ties That Grind,” began with a classic “last time on” recap. This was to remind fans of the events of the first season, but they made one big change. In the flashbacks, they retconned the Justice League cameo into a Justice Gang cameo, the team of heroes introduced in Superman.
AdvertisementNow, instead of Peacemaker having an exchange with Aquaman and The Flash, he spoke to Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced).
The shadowy figures in the background still include Superman, but this time it’s the version played by David Corenswet. You can also see the shadows of Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi) and Supergirl (Milly Alcock).
The recap also showed Peacemaker making a joke about Green Lantern. Originally, that scene included a joke about Green Arrow. Later in the premiere, Guy and Hawkgirl appear alongside Maxwell Lord (Sean Gunn), while Peacemaker auditions for the Justice Gang.
How are DC fans reacting to the Peacemaker retcon?
Most fans of Peacemaker are loving how Gunn went about retconning the Justice League cameo. However, fans of the Snyderverse are having a hard time letting go.
AdvertisementMeanwhile, many fans are appreciating how funny it is.
Ultimately, most people are here for the change.
AdvertisementIn addition to having opinions, some folks are making funny jokes about the retcon by inserting other DC characters into the shot—for example, Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker and Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn.
James Gunn explains the Justice Gang in Peacemaker
Gunn is no stranger to getting harassed by Snyderverse fans online. They remain angry that he chose to reboot the franchise. They’re struggling to accept the new reality, and are arguing that Gunn has “erased” the entire DCEU. Thankfully, he has a logical response to the haters.
Advertisement“Hey @jamesgunn. PM episode 1 f****** ruled,” one Peacemaker fan wrote on Threads. “Of course, fans are bickering online about the Justice League/Justice Gang switchup – claiming that you’ve erased the DCEU’s Justice League and therefore that series of films from existence.
So, like, did The Flash film reset the DCEU and create the DCU, or is the correct interpretation that the DCEU is simply off elsewhere in the multiverse, and now we’re simply following the DCU; with the two universes merely sharing similarities.”
“Haha oh boy,” Gunn began his reply. “None of these things really exist, so it’s obvious I didn’t erase any films from existence. But if one really wants to pretend it’s all real, the 2nd is closer: you could say there are infinite amount of timelines and the DCU timeline is almost exactly the same as the PM Season 1 timeline with very very minor differences. I mean I think it’s fair to say a lot of aspects of Season 1 fit in even less with the DCEU than the DCU, so season 1 is kind of an outlier to begin with.”
AdvertisementDid Peacemaker confirm Jared Leto’s Joker is officially done?
It’s been assumed for quite some time that Jared Leto’s Joker was never coming back. The actor debuted as the character in Suicide Squad (2016) and made a cameo in Zack Snyder’s Justice League in 2021. Leto is often ranked last when it comes to live-action portrayals of Joker, and Gunn has already confirmed most of the DCEU characters will be recast.
In “The Ties That Grind,” Peacemaker and Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) took some major digs at Thirty Seconds to Mars, Leto’s longtime band. Some fans are taking these jabs as confirmation that we’ll never see Leto in the DCU.
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