John Cena Addresses Peacemaker Return After New DCU Timeline Reveal [Exclusive]

June 19, 2026, 1:42pm

As Peacemaker Season 2 came to a close, Christopher Smith was riding high, starting a relationship with Emilia Harcourt and working with his friends at Checkmate. Unfortunately for him, the good times weren’t meant to last. In the shocking Season 2 finale, Chris is captured by Rick Flag Sr. and exiled to the dimension known as Salvation. With no way of returning home, Chris is all alone in an unfamiliar world, raising numerous questions about what the future has in store for him. As audiences await to see a resolution to this cliffhanger, Peacemaker star John Cena has weighed in with his thoughts.

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In an interview with ComicBook to promote his new film Little Brother (premiering on Netflix on June 26th), Cena was asked about the two-year time jump between Peacemaker Season 2 and Man of Tomorrow and how all that time in Salvation will impact Christopher Smith. “Oh my goodness. Anything I would give you would just be personal speculation and not on the bullseye of the actual DCU,” he said. “That is a James Gunn question, for sure. He has every idea between his ears and I have full faith and trust in him. Whether we ever hear from Peacemaker again or not is not up to me. So, what I can control is my gratitude for working with James Gunn, for him making me a better performer, for more moments like Little Brother. And man, I hope I get the helmet pretty soon. I’d love to dance another time.”

When Could Peacemaker Return in the DCU?

Despite the nature of the Peacemaker Season 2 finale, Christopher Smith’s DCU future is surprisingly up in the air. James Gunn has confirmed there are currently no plans for a Peacemaker Season 3, which would have been the most obvious place to follow up on this dangling narrative thread. As such, fans have been speculating when they could see Peacemaker and friends again. It doesn’t sound like it will be in next summer’s Man of Tomorrow; back in October, Gunn stated the Superman sequel won’t reveal what’s become of Christopher Smith, but the concept of Salvation and ARGUS using it as a prison for metahumans will play a key role in the DC Universe moving forward.

Cena isn’t the only Peacemaker star who isn’t sure about his future. Earlier this year, Vigilante actor Freddie Stroma made similar comments regarding his possible return, so there doesn’t appear to be any plans in place for the 11th Street Kids right now. That said, actors are typically among the last to learn of their characters’ involvement in a franchise project, so realistically, Cena, Stroma, and the rest of the Peacemaker ensemble are just waiting for the call to suit up again. It’s difficult to predict where that could be since there aren’t many DCU projects officially scheduled on the calendar. Right now, Man of Tomorrow is the only movie with a release date, with Lanterns and Creature Commandos Season 2 on the way on the small screen.

Barring a surprise cameo in Man of Tomorrow (Gunn likes to be transparent when commenting on projects, but fans are accustomed to creatives being coy), odds are Cena’s next DCU appearance will be in a movie or TV show that hasn’t been added to the slate just yet. DC Studios has numerous projects in various stages of development, and Christopher Smith is such an integral character in the franchise. He’s bound to pop up again sooner or later, as it would be quite frustrating if his story didn’t receive proper resolution. If nothing else, fans deserve to find out what happened to him after he was banished to Salvation.

The trick, of course, will be ensuring Peacemaker’s inclusion in a movie or series is organic to the story being told. As the DCU continues to establish its footing, Gunn is trying to strike a balance between shared universe connections and standalone storytelling. The goal is to have each film and show work on its own merits so it’s accessible to audiences regardless of prior DCU knowledge. That could prove harder to pull off the further the franchise moves along, but it’s interesting insight into Gunn’s creative process. Christopher Smith won’t be in another DCU story unless it’s deemed he’s needed. Hopefully, it doesn’t take too long for that to happen.

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