Peacemaker has been another hit from HBO Max, thanks in large part to John Cena’s portrayal of Christopher Smith himself. The character has continuously proved that he’s more than just a killing machine who’s willing to do anything for peace. His evolution from The Suicide Squad to Peacemaker season 1 and now onto season 2 makes it clear that he has a lot of layers. This bleeds into the rest of the cast, who are more than what we see on the surface.
The changing of the guard at Warner Bros.' DC franchise meant that the previous movies and shows under the old regime won’t connect to the new DC Universe. The scene in Jmes Gunn's own Superman in which Peacemaker does an interview, talking badly about the Man of Steel, was the first step in proving that he exists in the new universe.
Another example of Peacemaker being in the new DCU was the recap of the first season during the season 2 premiere. The cameos from Zack Snyder’s Justice League were replaced by a cameo from the DCU's Justice Gang (Hawkgirl, Guy Gardner, and Mr. Terrific), along with Supergirl and Superman. This showed that some of the events from the previous season occurred, and the important characters from James Gunn’s projects remained. Now that they exist as part of the new franchise, the events just played out a little differently. The question is: Will we see more DCU references in Peacemaker season 2? A new tease from both John Cena himself and another major DC star might have confirmed the reference - or potentially even cameo - that we were waiting for.
John Cena teases fans with a Superman post (and now fans think he might appear in Peacemaker)
John Cena recently took to his Instagram account to share a still of David Corenswet as Superman from James Gunn's blockbuster 2025 movie. To many, this might mean nothing - Corenswet and Cena are now part of the same franchise, and James Gunn oversaw both Superman and Peacemaker. Meanwhile, others who follow Cena on social media, as well as wrestling fans, know that this could mean more than we think. For example, when Cena was about to make his historic heel turn at WWE Elimination Chamber, he posted pictures of Aaron Eckhart from The Dark Knight. Many people believe that this was him saying, "You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
Is there a similar hidden meaning behind the Superman reference? Check it out below:
Season 2 of Peacemaker showed Christopher Smith learning that his secret room to another dimension leads to an alternate reality where his life is amazing. He’s a hero, his brother never died, and, with his father, they’re well-loved heroes called the Top Trio. At the end of episode 2, it looked like Smith was going to replace his counterpart, whom he accidentally killed in the season premiere.
What does this have to do with the picture John Cena posted? Well, if this writer had to guess, fans will see David Corenswet's Superman in season 2 of Peacemaker. It could be the actor himself, or it may be on a video where someone is discussing the revelation of Kal-El's parents, saying their son should take over the world. That person would be HBO’s Chris Smith.
Adding fuel to the fire full of rumors about Corenswet's Superman appearing in Peacemaker season 2, the Superman star himself actually took to social media to share an image of him and John Cena on the set of, well, Peacemaker season 2!
If the Man of Steel were to appear in the second season of the John Cena-led series, it would actually be returning the favor of sorts, as Peacemaker did make a brief cameo in Superman via a television interview. Naturally, fans would love to see Supes show up on the HBO Max show now too.
What if the universe where 2025's Superman takes place is the one with the good Peacemaker, and the Chris Smith who was interviewed in the movie is the one from the HBO Max show? It would make sense since the Smith who was killed was a hero in his world. It’s doubtful that he’d badmouth the Man of Steel, while the Peacemaker from the HBO project absolutely would. That could explain how he ended up on television.
Some of you may think this is absurd because of the continuity. However, James Gunn has stated that there will be some Elseworlds in his DCU. That much has already been proven in season 2 of Peacemaker. That means it’s not out of the question for the wrong Chris to be speaking to the media.
This is all speculation, but the good news is we’ll learn the truth soon enough as we're now halfway through Peacemaker season 2.
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