When James Gunn and Peter Safran officially rebooted the DC Universe, fans were eager but also confused. With returning actors like John Cena as Peacemaker and new castings like David Corenswet as Superman, it was clear the new era wouldn’t be a clean slate in the traditional sense.
Gunn promised fresh continuity, however, with threads of the old DCEU still attached. Additionally, one of the most glaring reminders of that past was the Justice League‘s cameo in ‘Peacemaker’ Season 1. Thankfully, Gunn has found the perfect solution in the form of a team known as the Justice Gang.
Why The Justice League Cameo In ‘Peacemaker’ Doesn’t Fit Anymore
In the ‘Peacemaker’ Season 1 finale, the Justice League shows up late to help deal with the Butterfly invasion. It’s a hilarious scene: Aquaman and The Flash arrive fully in character, while the silhouettes of Superman and Wonder Woman hover in the background. The gag was memorable. However, it also firmly rooted the show in the DCEU continuity. But James Gunn’s DCU is not the DCEU. It’s a fresh timeline with new character interpretations.
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So, bringing Season 1 of ‘Peacemaker’ into the DCU, while keeping the continuity coherent, became a bit of a puzzle. Why would those versions of Aquaman and The Flash exist in this new universe? This is where the Justice Gang comes in. In the ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 trailer, we meet this new team, which is clearly a parody of the traditional Justice League.
Featuring characters like Guy Gardner, Kendra Saunders, and Maxwell Lord, the Justice Gang is clearly positioned as the DCU’s own “big team” of heroes, except they don’t seem all that heroic. In fact, during a call with Peacemaker, they openly mock him without remembering to mute their mics. This setup offers Gunn the ideal retcon opportunity. By reframing the team that showed up at the end of Peacemaker Season 1 as the Justice Gang and not the Justice League, the show can easily slide into the DCU without confusion.
‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 Bridges DCU’s Past And Future
James Gunn revealed at San Diego Comic-Con 2025 that ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 takes place just one month after the events of ‘Superman’. This makes it one of the first follow-ups in the new DCU timeline. The consequences of Superman’s debut and Peacemaker’s own involvement in those events will play a key role in the season’s plot. In ‘Superman’, Peacemaker reportedly mocks the Man of Steel on national TV.
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He calls him a fraud after Kryptonian messages are leaked. This kind of antagonism between so-called heroes is peak Gunn. And in Season 2, the chickens are coming home to roost. Peacemaker’s brash comments could make him a laughingstock or even a target. After all, this isn’t just about one lone anti-hero with a gun fetish anymore. The DCU is forming a wide-reaching, interconnected universe, and Peacemaker’s outbursts are in a world where Superman exists.
What makes it all the more interesting is the Justice Gang’s behavior. These aren’t the kind of heroes who clean up after themselves. They’re reckless, egotistical, and according to Gunn, “completely unaware of the damage they leave behind.” Their arrogance mirrors what Peacemaker has been all along. In essence, ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 is set to become a perfect bridge between comedy and serious superhero world-building.
Moreover, instead of pretending the past never happened, Gunn leans into the humor and absurdity to reframe those moments in a way that works for the DCU. Fans who loved ‘Peacemaker’ Season 1 will still see continuity in Chris Smith’s journey. But now, with the added layers from the Justice Gang, a fresh Superman, and the chaos of a post-Kryptonian world.
