Peacemaker Finale: Why Were Some Characters Left Out of That Big DCEU Cameo?

DC’s Peacemaker became the second TV series (after Arrow during the Crisis on Infinite Earths event) to cross over with DC’s current film universe, bringing in characters from both The Suicide Squad (where Peacemaker himself originated) and other DC films. A cameo appearance at the end of the season one finale of Peacemaker firmly established the connection between James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad and the Zack Snyder-led Justice League movie that came before it, featuring a cameo by several characters previously seen in other films. There were some notable absences in the scene, though, and fans were left to speculate exactly why they didn’t show up.

In an interview with film industry trade Variety, James Gunn — who served as showrunner on Peacemaker and directed many of the episodes — shed a little light on how the process shaped up. He claimed that he just wrote the cameos into the script and submitted it to Warner Bros., hoping that they would let it happen but without having any big discussion about it.

Spoilers ahead for the season finale of Peacemaker. 

The absences were of two different types: Superman and Wonder Woman appeared in the series, but only in silhouette, framed by the night and by lights in the distance. Batman and Cyborg were missing altogether. And while the reasons for each “type” of absence were different, Gunn explained that he always had an inkling that it would be The Flash and Aquaman who actually stepped forward and did some talking.

“I really thought it was going to be just Jason [Momoa],” Gunn told Variety, noting that bringing in Gal Gadot and Henry Cavill was never on the table. He also joked that the Justice League had to show up after the action was done, because the show’s budget wouldn’t have allowed for them to actually be part of the finale fight. Cavill’s Superman, of course, had a similar “body double cameo” in Shazam!.

“Ezra [Miller] was more like the extra thing because I found that he was interested in doing it,” Gunn added.

That could explain Miller’s Crisis on Infinite Earths appearance, too; after months of saying that there would be no involvement by DC Films characters, executive producer Marc Guggenheim has shared an anecdote about getting a last-second call from Warner Bros., asking about slotting in a cameo for Miller. Fans have generally assumed that was because the studio wanted to nod at it in the upcoming, multiverse-hopping The Flash movie, but in the context of the Peacemaker cameo, it could be even more simple: maybe Miller just wanted in.

Asked about the absence of Batman and Cyborg, Gunn was a little more cautious.

“I don’t know what I can – there are reasons for it, but I’m actually uncertain whether I can say what those reasons are,” Gunn said. “It might have to do with future stuff.”

Of course, there’s some past and future “stuff” that might inform the decision. Ben Affleck is done as Batman, having opted to hang up his cape and cowl after Zack Snyder’s Justice League. He relented and agreed to make a final appearance in The Flash which is explicitly a “final” outing as the Dark Knight. Michael Keaton will appear in The Flash, and is set to appear in the upcoming Batgirl movie as well, suggesting that he will serve as the main-line Bruce Wayne for DC Films going forward, but none of that has happened yet, so it would likely be impossible to get Affleck and confusing to use Keaton.

As for Cyborg, the character is kind of in limbo. Originally rumored to be a big part of The Flash, the character has been removed from the film after actor Ray Fisher found himself butting heads with Warner Bros. It was Fisher who first brought allegations of abusive behavior by substitute director Joss Whedon to the attention of the public, and he has claimed that a Warner Bros. investigation into Whedon and other executives did not go far enough in rooting out bad behavior and racism behind the scenes. Warner Bros. has repeatedly claimed that their investigation was extensive and that some of Fisher’s claims are meritless. No disciplinary action against Whedon was officially announced, although shortly after the investigation ended, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator left the WB-owned The Nevers, which he was set to showrun for HBO. The character of Cyborg currently appears in Doom Patrol on HBO Max, played by Joivan Wade, so DC and WB may feel that they’re still getting use from the IP, even if he doesn’t appear alongside the Justice League.

You can stream the first season of Peacemaker now on HBO Max.