The hit DC series Peacemaker returned this week with a bang in every sense of the word: there were orgies, retcons, and parallel universes all packed into its Season 2 premiere. With so much to unpack and parse, especially James Gunn’s retcon of Peacemaker Season 1’s Justice League cameo to instead be the Justice Gang that appeared in Superman, it was easy for fans to miss one potentially subtler slight on first watch. While that may be true, DC fans have definitely caught on to Gunn possibly shading a major actor from the DCEU, and the online responses are priceless.
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In the first episode of Peacemaker, there are two references to the alternative rock band 30 Seconds to Mars. Peacemaker (John Cena) first jokes that he was going to beat up Emilia Harcourt’s (Jennifer Holland) car for playing the band’s music as they climb the stairs of Harcourt’s apartment complex to her unit, with Harcourt taking offense to being associated with the band. Then, in the episode’s mid-credit scene, we return to the scene and the pair bickering over music further. Harcourt chides Smith for looping The Spin Doctors in with 30 Seconds to Mars, since the former are “so good”. Smith quickly adds, “Anybody’s better than 30 Seconds to Mars. The garage band I was in for two seconds was better than 30 Seconds to Mars.”
So why all the hate on 30 Seconds to Mars? Fans believe it’s because Jared Leto is a member of the band, as well as a member of the now retired DCEU. Leto played iconic Batman villain The Joker in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad and briefly reprised his role in a deleted scene from 2017’s The Justice League (which we later saw as part of the Snyder Cut of the film). Gunn directed the film’s follow up, The Suicide Squad, and while Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn returned for Gunn’s first DC movie, Leto was conspicuously absent. While the filmmaker claimed that he didn’t include The Joker in the reboot on account of him not having any useful skills for the their mission in The Suicide Squad, the ragging on Leto’s band may hint to some personal beef between Gunn and the actor.

Peacemaker Fans Have a Field Day with Gunn’s Shady Reference
Leto seems to have struck out in both major comic book film franchises. It seems a foregone conclusion that his Joker will be recast in Gunn’s DCU, and his starring vehicle over in Sony’s Spider-Man universe, Morbius, famously flopped. Leto is notoriously difficult to work with, and has recently come under fire over allegations of inappropriate behavior. Even so, Leto is leading Disney’s Tron: Ares, which is due out this fall.
Given his less than stellar reputation, he internet had a field day with the dig against Leto, resulting in some truly hilarious meme responses.
Whether the insult was intentional or not, the reference felt authentic and true to the show’s spirit. Between Peacmaker’s opening credits dance number to James Gunn’s signature needledrops, the HBO series has popular music embedded in its DNA, sohaving Chris and Emilia argue over 30 Seconds to Mars wasn’t just funny and shady, it also felt true to the characters and their dynamic.
Peacemaker Season 2 is now airing on HBO Max. What do you think of the 30 Seconds to Mars shade? Let us know in the comments.