One need only look at James Gunn to realize that not all good things in life come in the form of blessings and opportunities. Some of them appear in a red, white, and blue costumed dysfunctional superhero who vows to bring peace to the world, even if he has to kill every man, woman, and child for it. John Cena’s iconic Peacemaker returns to DCU to get what he wants, even with James Gunn standing in his way.
John Cena as Peacemaker [Credit: Warner Bros. Television]

The über popular series, Peacemaker, unleashed chaos with its outrageous and hilarious arc in Season 1 after a promising debut in Gunn’s 2021 film, The Suicide Squad. But the movie that spawned a mega-popular spin-off show is now under scrutiny for the actions of its own by-product.

In simple terms, James Gunn’s new update on Peacemaker Season 2 now threatens DCU’s unadulterated status by giving a character canonical status despite their link to Zack Snyder’s scrapped DCEU.

James Gunn Welcomes Controversy In DCU With Open Arms

The latest announcement on the DC front claims Frank Grillo has been cast as Rick Flag Sr. in Peacemaker Season 2 for a potential face-off between him and the titular character. John Cena’s character will be in for a ride as Rick Flag Sr. sets out to seek retribution for his son’s death after the events of The Suicide Squad.

Peacemaker vs Rick Flag in The Suicide Squad [Credit: Warner Bros.]

However, things began to get complicated due to Grillo’s involvement in DCU’s first project, i.e. the animated series, Creature Commandos. This directly sets the two opposing forces of the former DC and James Gunn’s rebooted DCU on a collision course despite claiming that Peacemaker Season 2 will take place entirely within the DCU mainframe and his assurance that this “won’t be confusing.”

As can be expected, such an update threatens James Gunn’s plans for DC by reigniting the public backlash for constantly going back and forth on his word about DCEU’s non-canonical status. If Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag exists within the realm of DCU, logic dictates that so does Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller, and most controversially – due to Davis’ appearance in the post-credit scene of Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam – Henry Cavill’s Superman.

James Gunn Fumbles His Way Through the DCU Reboot

James Gunn at the 2016 SDCC [Photo: Gage Skidmore]

Much to the fans’ disappointment, critics’ horror, and Snyderverse’s excitement, James Gunn’s latest fumble ropes in a wide range of emotions for an even wider DC fanbase. The merging of characters from his new and formative DCU with remnants of the old world marks a step in the wrong direction for the DC Chief.