The DCU Just Removed Another Part of the DCEU (But It’s for the Best)

James Gunn is now the keeper of all DC Universe canon. Whatever projects he greenlights become part of his ever-growing franchise, which is why he’s being pretty picky. However, having Gunn at the helm isn’t as straightforward as it seems because he comes with a bit of baggage. Of course, before taking over DC Studios, the filmmaker worked on two projects for the company, The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker. Since the DC Extended Universe didn’t care much about continuity by the time Gunn came into the fold, it let him go bananas, killing off characters and including cameos by prominent DC figures, including the Justice League.

All those wild moments are coming back to bite Gunn now that he’s head honcho. The opening moments of Peacemaker Season 2 go out of their way to retcon the end of the first season, replacing the Justice League with the Justige Gang from Superman. But a retcon isn’t as bad as removing something altogether, which is what Peacemaker does in its sophomore outing when it drops a bombshell about the titular anti-hero’s life after beating the Butterflies.

Peacemaker Is Seeing Ghosts At the End of Season 1

The events in Corto Maltese leave Christopher Smith worse for wear. He’s fighting for his life in a hospital, but after he comes to, he decides to head home. All that he has to his name is a trailer and his pet Eagly, who’s been under the care of his father, Auggie Smith. To recover his bird, Chris visits his dad and has a very uncomfortable interaction. Auggie blames Chris for the death of his other son, Keith, despite the fact that he’s the one who forced them to fight. Everyone moves on with their lives for a time, but A.R.G.U.S. makes a mistake by framing Auggie for a crime and throwing him in jail to save Chris’ hide. Wanting revenge on his son, the White Dragon rides again and attacks the 11th Street Kids.

A group of white supremacists gets in the way of Peacemaker taking down the alien race that’s threatening to take over the world, forcing him to make a tough choice. As the battle rages on, Chris corners his dad with a gun. Auggie doesn’t like being the one staring down the barrel, but he’s not worried, as he doesn’t believe his son has it in him to kill. Well, he proves to be dead wrong because Chris pulls the trigger and goes on to save the entire planet. However, putting his father down only makes life more difficult for Peacemaker, with him seeing a ghost of the old man as credits roll on Season 1. The reveal seems to tease that Auggie will literally haunt his son the next time around, and while that’s sort of accurate, it’s also not.

Read Next

A Decade Old DCEU Mystery Just Got An Answer Nobody Thought Would Ever Happen

White Dragon Is Back in Peacemaker in a Big Way

When Chris returns in Season 2, things are looking up for him. He has a group of friends he really cares about, and he’s also got an interview with the Justice Gang. Unfortunately, the superhero team doesn’t want anything to do with him, and Emilia Harcourt rejects him as well, leaving him feeling dejected. A trip to the Quantum Unfolding Chamber doesn’t help matters either, as Chris discovers an alternate reality where his dad is still alive. Problems back home make hanging out with his dad not seem so bad, though, so he returns and learns more about the universe. Everything seems great until Peacemaker runs into his alternate self and ends up killing him. With a spot open, he takes his place and spends time with his father and brother, Keith Smith.

A.R.G.U.S. is keeping track of all of Peacemaker’s visits, and it decides to launch an attack in Season 2, Episode 4. John Economos does his friend Chris a solid and tips him off, giving him time to text Leota Adebayo to pick him up. When she arrives, he explains what’s been going on, and she says she’s even more worried than the time he said he was seeing his dad’s ghost. Adebayo’s line confirms that the DCU isn’t moving forward with the haunting, choosing instead to make the alternate White Dragon the new roadblock. The choice seems logical, but if Peacemaker has to put his dad down again, the franchise could be back at square one.

Peacemaker is streaming on HBO Max.

Want to stay up to date on the biggest geek entertainment news? Add us as a preferred source in Google – HERE.