Rebooting a universe is hard. There are so many factors to consider, such as who will take center stage and which story best fits the new continuity. Time and preparation will solve all of those mysteries, so long as there aren’t any unforeseen bumps in the road. Well, when it comes to the DC Universe, James Gunn is setting up his old roadblocks by keeping some parts of the DC Extended Universe around. The main culprit is the HBO Max show Peacemaker, starring John Cena as the titular anti-hero. Gunn enjoys working on that show, so he’s not going to throw it away now that he’s king of the castle.
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While Gunn could’ve just explained that Peacemaker Season 2 takes place on a different Earth from Superman, that wasn’t good enough for him. Instead, he carefully altered major moments from the first season to fit, including one featuring the Justice League. Here are four DCU canon implications of Gunn’s huge Justice League retcon.
4) Aquaman Is Down for the Count
Peacemaker Season 1 features a number of DCEU Easter eggs, which makes sense because heroes like Wonder Woman and The Flash already exist. Christopher Smith sets his sights on the franchise’s resident aquatic hero, though, constantly calling out Aquaman for his weird connection to fish.
At the start of Peacemaker‘s sophomore outing, all the Aquaman quips are replaced by ones about Guy Gardner. They’re just as funny, but they remove Arthur Curry from canon. And with Jason Momoa jumping aboard the DCU train as Lobo, there might not be any room for Aquaman for a while.
3) Don’t Expect the Justice League to Form Anytime Soon
With the DCEU’s Justice League out of the picture, Gunn places his newest team, the Justice Gang, in its place. Maxwell Lord is bankrolling Mister Terrific, Green Lantern, and Hawkgirl in the DCU, and while their methods might be unsavory, they usually get the job done.
Forming a team and putting “Justice” in its name gives off the vibe that Gunn is in no rush to put his version of the League together. He may very well let the Justice Gang run its course before turning it into something bigger and better.
2) Batman May Still Be an Urban Legend
For whatever reason, the Justice League is down a couple of members when they appear in Peacemaker Season 1. Both Cyborg and Batman are missing in action, which isn’t all that big of a deal in the DCEU, as calling in the entire team to fight a few tiny aliens seems like overkill. However, with the retcon, things feel different.
Despite not showing up in the finale, Batman still feels like a major part of Peacemaker because there are more than a few jokes about him. That trend doesn’t carry over into Season 2, meaning there’s a chance that the world doesn’t know about the Dark Knight. Sure, Doctor Phosphorus mentions him in Creature Commandos, but that doesn’t mean that he’s a household name.
1) Supergirl Could Steal a Spot From a Fan-Favorite
Gunn continues to make it clear that Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman will be the central figures of his franchise. He’s also teased at least one other member of the Justice League, Martian Manhunter. Four heroes aren’t enough to build a team, though, so Gunn may get creative when the time comes.
By placing Supergirl in the Justice Gang lineup, Gunn is saying that she’s willing to put her life on the line for the people of Earth. The end of Supergirl could have her return to her cousin’s home and plant her flag, setting the stage for her to take Aquaman or The Flash’s spot in the League.
Peacemaker Season 2 is streaming on HBO Max.
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