Peacemaker Finale Cameo Only Highlights the DCEU’s Big Character Problem

By now DC fans all over the world know that (MAJOR SPOILERS!) the Peacemaker Season 1 finale included a surprising cameo by the Justice League team we saw in Zack Snyder’s DC Universe. Actors Jason Momoa and Ezra Miller showed up to reprise their roles as Aquaman and The Flash (respectively) in James Gunn’s twisted, zany, DC series, which was a major thrill for a lot of fans. At the same time, Peacemaker‘s Justice League cameo also highlighted the DCEU’s big (and continuing) character problem. 

In Peacemaker’s cameo scene, the characters of Superman and Wonder Woman arrive on the scene along with Aquaman and Flash but are kept in silhouette with two actors serving as body doubles for Superman actor Henry Cavill and Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot. It’s since been revealed that Batman and Cyborg were once part of the scene as well (with their own body double actors, to boot), but were ultimately cut from the scene by WB. 

Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot not showing up for a cameo in Peacemaker is not really any conspiracy: Gadot has had a busy slate of filming and promoting movies (Netflix’s Red Notice, Disney’s Death on the Nile), as well as giving birth to her third daughter: it’s totally understandable that a body double was substituted in for the Peacemaker appearance. 

Based on Cyborg actor Ray Fisher’s current off-screen controversy with Warner Bros., not having him in Peacemaker’s Justice League squad should surprise no one. 

However, Batman and Superman are a different story. 

Clearly, Peacemaker couldn’t show us anything but a body-double silhouette of Superman because that’s all any DC property has been able to show us of Superman, post-Justice League. Shazam! was another prime example, as Henry Cavill’s Superman suit made an appearance – even though the actor himself did not. In fact, the question of whether or not Cavill is still even officially Superman in the franchise has been hanging in the air for years now, and is still officially unanswered. Peacemaker wasn’t going to be the place that the studio finally answered that question. 

As for Batman? James Gunn previously indicated to fans just how touchy WB is about every use and even mention of Batman in the franchise. Like Cavill’s Superman, the identity of Batman in the DCEU has been muddled ever since Ben Affleck bowed-out earlier than exepected; with a new Batman movie (The Batman) arriving just weeks later to launch an entire new franchise universe, it’s not surprising that WB wouldn’t muddle viewer’s minds about which Batman now stands at the head of the franchise.

Ironically, Ezra Miller’s Flash is the great hope to end these character issues in the DCEU, once and for all. The Flash movie will arrive later this year; it’s story of Miller’s Flash altering the DCEU timeline is expected to clean out the character confusion and establish a clear core of DCEU characters, 

Peacemaker is now streaming Season 1 on HBO Max.