James Gunn recently sat down with People magazine to discuss the second season of his DC Universe series, Peacemaker, and shed some light on the show’s connection to the broader DC Universe.
One of the key aspects he touched on was the cameo appearances in the show, particularly those featuring his brother Sean Gunn and other familiar faces from the Superman film.
In the show’s teaser trailer, John Cena’s Peacemaker is seen auditioning to join the Justice Gang, alongside Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), Maxwell Lord (Sean Gunn), and Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion).
According to Gunn, the decision to include these characters was driven by the story’s needs. “For this show, it was really about what we needed for the story of Peacemaker,” he explains.
The scene showcases the Justice Gang’s dynamic, with James joking that Mr Terrific (Edi Gathegi) wasn’t included because he’s “too together and kind of too nice” for the group’s mean-spirited banter.
The director also shared his thoughts on why he decided to continue Peacemaker’s story in the second season. “I think the first season of Peacemaker is really about this character coming to terms that he has these demons that have been motivating him, have been pushing him for his entire life,” he says.
The second season, however, sees Peacemaker confronting those demons head-on. James Gunn felt there was more story to tell, and the show’s transition from the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) to the new DCU was seamless, requiring only “a couple of minor permutations.”
When asked about the show’s transition, James Gunn explained that Peacemaker “was never really in any universe” to begin with, making it easier to bridge the two iterations of DC characters.
He joked that it was like “taking out a couple of screws” and “putting in a couple of new screws” to make things work.
The Justice Gang cameo is one example of how the show is connecting to the broader DC Universe, including the Superman film, which features a brief appearance by John Cena’s Peacemaker.
The Peacemaker series is not the only project that James Gunn has collaborated on with his brother Sean. Sean Gunn has appeared in various James Gunn-directed projects, including the Guardians of the Galaxy films and The Suicide Squad.
Their collaboration extends to the DCU, with Sean starring in Creature Commandos, which was written and created by James.