Warning! This article contains spoilers for Peacemaker season 2, episode 1.
The DC Universe just made its first major DCEU retcon in Peacemaker season 2. The timeline of the DCEU became somewhat confusing in 2023 with the franchise’s final four movies. James Gunn once insisted that The Flash would reset the timeline of the franchise, allowing his own plan, the DCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, to come to fruition.
After Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom became the final DCEU movie, Gunn stated that only elements from prior movies that are outright mentioned in upcoming DC movies would become canon to the DC Universe. For instance, Creature Commandos and Peacemaker season 2 reference some events from The Suicide Squad, rendering these elements as DCU canon.
Concerning how this relates to Peacemaker season 1, Gunn reiterated that the same method would be used; anything mentioned in Peacemaker season 2’s story that happened in season 1 is canon to the DCU, whereas anything that is not mentioned becomes non-canon. With this in mind, Peacemaker season 2 allows the DCU to make the biggest retcon to the DCEU thus far.
Peacemaker Season 2 Confirms What Is Canon To The New DCU
To make things slightly easier, Peacemaker season 2 opens with an outright exploration of what is and is not canon to the new DCU from Peacemaker season 1. The season begins with a flashback recap sequence, as lots of shows tend to, only with the тιтle card “Previously in the DCU” as opposed to “Previously on Peacemaker.”
Several big storylines from Peacemaker season 1 are recapped in this opening, including the storyline involving Peacemaker’s father, White Dragon. Also, the storyline centered around the aliens known as the ʙuттerflies is recapped. As per Gunn’s prior confirmation, anything shown in this recap is canon to the DCU and Peacemaker season 2.
Peacemaker Season 2 Drastically Retcons Season 1’s Justice League Scene
Via this recap, Peacemaker season 2 provides what is undoubtedly the biggest DCEU retcon in the DCU thus far. Of course, at the time of its release, Peacemaker season 1’s ending took place firmly in the DCEU’s timeline. This was proven by a scene in which the Justice League had cameos.
In the story, Peacemaker asks Leota Adebayo, the daughter of Amanda Waller, to call in the Justice League and help deal with the ʙuттerfly invasion. However, the Justice League turned up late after Peacemaker and his friends had already defeated the ʙuттerflies by killing the Cow, the creature supplying them with their nourishment on Earth.
Nonetheless, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Aquaman turned up, prompting an angry response from Peacemaker. Peacemaker made a joke about Aquaman’s relationship with fish, leading to actual cameos from Jason Momoa and Ezra Miller. The other characters – Superman and Wonder Woman – have faceless appearances.
Peacemaker season 2’s opening sequence changes this drastically, removing the cameos from DCU canon in favor of a new scene. Firstly, Leota Adebayo can be heard calling Waller to send in Superman‘s Justice Gang, not the Justice League. The later scene involving the cameos is shown, only this time with a completely new line-up of heroes.
Superman is still present, though it is David Corenswet’s version from Superman, not Henry Cavill’s. Gone are Aquaman, Flash, and Wonder Woman, with the trio being replaced by the three Justice Gang members found in Superman: Mr. Terrific, Green Lantern, and Hawkgirl. Finally, Supergirl is also present, completing the new line-up.
With this big change being made, the old Justice League scene from Peacemaker season 1 is no longer canon. Instead, it has been retconned into the story that the Justice Gang, alongside Superman and Supergirl, turned up to help Peacemaker. With this change, the DCU’s timeline becomes simpler to follow.
How Peacemaker Season 2 Changes Season 1’s Justice League Cameo
As already alluded to, the Peacemaker season 2 scene changes Peacemaker season 1’s Justice League cameo in some very obvious ways. The new Justice Gang heroes are the most notable, but Peacemaker season 2 goes even further into it. For instance, the Aquaman and Flash cameos are replaced with speaking roles from two Justice Gang heroes.
In Peacemaker season 1, Chris makes a joke that Aquaman has Sєxual relations with fish. Aquaman says how sick of that rumor he is, prompting Flash to reply that it isn’t a rumor. Aquaman retorts with “F*** you, Barry” before the scene ends.
In Peacemaker season 2, Aquaman is replaced by Guy Gardner. An earlier part of the flashbacks shows Peacemaker telling Harcourt that he once threw up on Guy Gardner, which the latter enjoyed. Once the Justice Gang appears, Nathan Fillion appears as Guy Gardner, saying, “Screw that guy. You know he tells people I’m a puke freak?”
Isabela Merced then appears as Hawkgirl, laughing at her teammates’ expense. This is the main way Peacemaker season 2 changes the cameo, by making Guy Gardner and Hawkgirl the two heroes who actually appear as Aquaman and Flash did in the old continuity. The faces of Superman, Supergirl, and Mr. Terrific are not shown, emulating Superman and Wonder Woman from Peacemaker season 1.
All of this marks the biggest retcon the DC Universe has made to the DC Extended Universe so far. Whether more are set to follow or not remains to be seen. However, if Gunn continues to make the retcons as blatantly obvious as this, the once-confusing continuity will not be a problem going forward.
