A Dead Character Just Made a Surprising Return in the DCU

In addition to continuing Christopher Smith’s (John Cena) violent journey toward self-improvement, the second season of Peacemaker is a crucial instrument for James Gunn and DC Studios to streamline the canon of their new universe, clarifying which events and relationships from the past still hold weight in the present. Furthermore, the season’s central plot transports Christopher Smith (John Cena) to an alternate reality where his abusive father, Auggie (Robert Patrick), and deceased brother, Keith (David Denman), are celebrated public figures. This narrative framework deliberately establishes multiversal travel as a functional tool within the new continuity. The direct consequence is the creation of a logical foundation for the return of any character previously considered dead, coming from alternate dimensions. Warning: Spoilers below for Peacemaker Season 2, Episode 3

While Rick Flag Jr. (Joel Kinnaman) is physically absent from the first season of Peacemaker, his death looms large over the entire narrative. The act of killing Flag in The Suicide Squad is the foundational trauma that propels Chris’ entire character arc, forcing him to confront his violent programming, question his blind obedience, and ultimately stand up to his white supremacist father. As such, Flag’s memory is the ghost that haunts every step Chris takes toward becoming a better man, serving as a painful reminder of the man he was and the hero he could never be. Now, Season 2 of Peacemaker brings Rick Flag Jr. back both in a flashback and as an alternate dimension character, adding new obstacles for Chris to overcome.

Rick Flag Jr. Returns to Haunt Two Realities in Peacemaker Season 2

The third episode of Peacemaker Season 2 resurrects Rick Flag not once, but twice, using his return to explore both past trauma and present conflicts. The first appearance comes in a critical flashback, revealing that he and ARGUS agent Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) were engaged in an affair just before his fatal mission to Corto Maltese. This piece of retroactive storytelling fundamentally recontextualizes Harcourt’s character, underlining that her animosity toward Peacemaker in Season 1 also comes from the personal grief of a woman forced to work with her lover’s murderer. This revelation reframes Christopher’s clumsy romantic pursuit of Harcourt as a deeply ironic spectacle. After all, Chris is seeking redemption and connection from a person he has hurt in the most intimate way imaginable, a fact he completely ignores.

The second Rick Flag Jr. scene return provides a more direct challenge in the alternate dimension. Trying to understand why his alternate self is no longer with this world’s Emilia, Chris visits her at work, only to find she is in a relationship with her reality’s Rick – the “jarhead” teased in previous episodes. Emilia also reveals that, in this world, Christopher Smith is a rude and self-centered man prone to violent outbursts who repeatedly cheated on her, a grim example of what Chris could have become if he had remained under the influence of his father.

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Meanwhile, Rick is a caring and loyal man. Yet, this Rick is visibly threatened and displeased by prime Chris’ presence, reacting with insecurity when Emilia gives him a moment to talk. It’s like Rick is aware of how Emilia is drawn to Chris, regardless of how badly he treated her in the past. The scene perfectly mirrors the main timeline’s romantic conflict, confirming that the powerful attraction between Emilia and both men exists across realities.

Ultimately, using both versions of Flag in a single episode is an efficient narrative strategy. The flashback deepens the emotional stakes of the main dimension by showing the audience why Harcourt can never be with Chris and how his love for her is doomed due to his past mistakes. The alternate reality, in his turn, complicates the thematic questions of the present by challenging the hero’s very identity and capacity for change. Together, Flag’s return force Christopher Smith into a direct and painful reckoning with his actions, his motivations, and the fundamental nature of who he is, echoing the season’s larger themes.

New episodes of Peacemaker premiere on HBO Max on Thursdays.

How do you think these different versions of Rick Flag will impact the rest of Season 2 of Peacemaker? Share your thoughts in the comments!