At the New York premiere of Peacemaker on Wednesday night, DC Studios co-head James Gunn revealed the pivotal role the show’s second season will play in the new DC Universe.
The HBO Max series, starring John Cena as the title character, returns three and a half years after its debut. With Gunn now leading DC Studios alongside Peter Safran, the new season is positioned as a cornerstone of their interconnected cinematic vision.
“Superman leads directly into Peacemaker,” Gunn stated on the red carpet. “This season is incredibly important for setting up the rest of the DCU.” He teased that the show will feature numerous guest stars and characters introduced in his recent Superman film. “I don’t think there’s anything that I’ve ever done that I love more than this season of Peacemaker, so I’m so excited for people to see it,” he added.
Cena echoed these sentiments, confirming the new season moves beyond a standalone story to actively build the shared universe. “Instead of stand-alone properties, all of the DCU is now connected, as you saw Peacemaker show up in Superman,” the actor explained. He added that the new episodes follow the show’s “11th Street Kids” on their next adventure while advancing the overarching DCU narrative.
Gunn also offered an update on the future of his successful Superman film, revealing, “I’ve already finished the treatment for the next story in what I’ll call the ‘Superman Saga.’” He described it as a “very, very worked-out treatment” and expressed hope that production would begin in the near future.
Peacemaker, which also stars Danielle Brooks, Jennifer Holland, Freddie Stroma, Steve Agee, and Frank Grillo, begins streaming on August 21 on HBO Max.
