Peacemaker Season 2 Timeline Explained: Is it Set After James Gunn’s Superman
James Gunn’s rebooted DCU finally clears up Peacemaker’s messy canon and timeline questions.
James Gunn has confirmed thatPeacemaker Season 2will officially be a part of DCU’s new run. Now, everyone is asking the same question – where exactly does Peacemaker fit in the DCU timeline?
Since Season 1 is tied to the old DCEU and Season 2 is arriving in a rebooted DCU, the timeline can feel confusing. Let us break it down step by step so you know exactly how the story unfolds before John Cena returns as Christopher Smith onAugust 21, 2025.
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It all started with The Suicide Squad in 2021, which introduced John Cena’s Peacemaker. In that film,he kills Rick Flag Jr., a moment that carries over directly into Season 2 with the arrival of Rick Flag Sr.
The movie was part of the DCEU when it came out, but Gunn clarified that while the DCEU is no longer canon, certain events, like Rick Flag Jr.’s death and Task Force X’s fallout, still carry over into the DCU
How Peacemaker Season 1 Connects to Season 2
Then came Peacemaker Season 1 in 2022. Gunn refers to the events of that season as “mostly canon” to the DCU, excluding the Justice League cameo at the end.
That would imply that Chris Smith’s emotional development, his dynamic with Harcourt, Vigilante, and Economos, and the reveal of Amanda Waller’s operations all remain in the timeline.
The next major timeline marker was brought in 2024 by Creature Commandos, which introduced Rick Flag Sr. into the DCU. This animated show easily filled in the gap and paved the way for Superman’s arrival. He mentioned his son’s passing and Harcourt’s betrayal of Waller, which makes the events of both The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker Season 1 canon. We have a separatewatch order guidefor what you must see before going full throttle into Peacemaker Season 2.
That leads us intoSuperman (2025), James Gunn’s first DCU film. The movie is now officially the start of the new cinematic timeline. It takes place in May 2025, which places Peacemaker’s return immediately after it.
How James Gunn’s Superman Connects to Peacemaker Season 2’s Timeline
Here’s the key detail:Peacemaker Season 2 takes place only a monthafter the events of Superman. Gunn confirmed this at San Diego Comic-Con 2025, so Chris Smith’s story resumes in June 2025 in the DCU. That brief gap matters because the world is just catching its breath after Superman’s public debut and the aftermath of the film’s climactic battle.
In aninterview with Interview Magazine, James Gunn explained how Peacemaker Season 2 links to Superman:
There’s this thing called the Quantum Unfolding Chamber… a dimensional doorway to 99 other dimensions… That becomes a sort of crisis with Argus because of what happened in Superman with Lex Luthor’s dimensional pathway tearing up and destroying a quarter of Metropolis.
We even got to see a small cameo from the Peacemaker in Superman (2025) on The Sphere News. He was there to share his opinion on the recording Superman’s parent sent, which Lex Luthor leaked to the public.
Through characters like Hawkgirl, Guy Gardner, and Maxwell Lord, who also appeared in Superman, we’ll be able to see the direct consequences of that story. For Peacemaker himself, it’s not just a question of fighting new villains but also confronting the ghost of his past, especially with Rick Flag Sr. in charge of ARGUS and hunting him relentlessly.
The Multiverse and Canon Questions Related to Peacemaker Season 2 Timeline
The other twist is the multiverse, or as Gun calls it,alternate dimensions. Gunn has explained that Season 2 uses an alternate perspective not for spectacle, but for character development. Chris will encounter a version of the life he wished for, making him question his guilt and identity. This storytelling device also allows Gunn to explain which parts of Season 1 are canon and which are not.
While The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker Season 1 are treated as “unreliable memories” of the past, Season 2 roots Peacemaker firmly in the DCU timeline with Superman.
Where Peacemaker Season 2 Fits in the New DCU Timeline
To make sense of it all, here is the DCU order leading up to Peacemaker Season 2:
By placing Season 2 directly after Superman, James Gunn has made the show one of the first of the DCU’s big building blocks. It’s no longer merely an addition to Chris Smith’s story; it’s a key part of how the new timeline takes shape.
Peacemaker Season 2 is set to release onAugust 21, 2025, exclusively on HBO Max. Ahead of the release, here’s a look at all the series and movies connected to Season 2.
Umair Nakade
Umair has loved anime since it was still pretty niche, growing up watching classics like Pokémon, Dragon Ball, Zatch Bell, and Beyblade in the early 2010s. Death Note really got him hooked, and since then, he’s caught up with everything from the Big Three to the latest Shonen Jump hits, with Haikyuu!!! as his favorite. But he’s not just about anime, Umair’s a huge cinephile, especially superhero flicks from Marvel and DC, and never misses opening day at theaters. When he’s not watching or writing, you will find him playing Wuthering Waves, AAA titles, or listening to Harry Styles on repeat. At Techwiser, Umair is dedicated to covering anime and pop culture content.
