Christopher Smith arrived, caused some chaos, made an impression on audiences worldwide, and then bowed out in bonkers fashion as James Gunn successfully recreated his unique formula for Peacemaker season 2. The long-awaited second season of the DC Universe series was three years in the making as the franchise it belonged to went through a major reboot, but it came to fruition in unbelievably memorable ways as fans fell in love with the 11th Street Kids all over again.
John Cena's outlandish warrior sought to put things right in the season 2 finale when he made himself scarce after turning over the Quantum-Unfolding Tunnel to the authorities (a.k.a. A.R.G.U.S.) but that led him to ultimately ending up inside the prison they used it to create. It left the show on an unexpected note as fans wondered what the ending of it meant for the future of the show and the rest of the DC Universe.
Fans are hoping that there will be more from the show in the future, and it quite possibly could return for a third season down the line. However, we shouldn't be expecting Peacemaker and his friends to return in their own series in the immediate future - especially not in a secret episode as the online theories suggest.
The truth about the Peacemaker Secret Episode theory
If you were one of the many fans wondering about a potential secret episode, you should know that no, there is no Peacemaker season 2 episode 9 as the beloved DC Universe series concluded with its eighth episode of its second season. That's right; "Full Nelson" didn't just serve as the season 2 finale, it was the show's series finale as well, wrapping up all of the ongoing storylines that were specific to the show, the season, and its characters. Of course, there is that major cliffhanger to deal with, and some other loose hanging plot threads, but those will be explored in future DCU releases.
So, naturally fans are curious as to why so many of them are convinced that a secret episode is on the horizon? It all stems from a social media post that appears to showcase a statement from James Gunn himself claiming that there will be a secret episode. Unfortunately, that screenshot is false and has been digitally altered to look like a post from the DC Universe co-chairman and CEO on the social media platform Threads. But no, there is no secret episode as Gunn himself has been very upfront about the fact that the season 2 finale of Peacemaker is, well, the actual season finale. For the moment, it's also the series finale.
A number of fans did point out that the episode serves as more of a penultimate episode than a season finale as it felt like more of a character journey, preparing its heroes for the final battle that was due to come. And, in a way, the fans are indeed right: "Full Nelson" was a character journey of an episode, designed to get its characters to a specific point. While that does somewhat play into the secret episode theory, its simply designed that way to set up the next phase of the DC Universe. The resolution doesn't come to the characters in Peacemaker but in a separate, future DCU title.
The complicated future of Peacemaker
In terms of whether Peacemaker season 3 could happen in the future, Gunn had this to say in a press conference (via Variety): “Never say never. But right now, this is about the future of the DCU.” And it's true, for the finale left things in a very specific way that other DCU properties are going to deal with. Yes, Christopher Smith is trapped in an alternate world known as Salvation, but that alternate world is a prison for metahumans that will come into play in subsequent DCU installments.
“This is about the other stories in which this [cliffhanger] will play out,” Gunn confirms, which has understandably led to fans speculating about where the Peacemaker characters might return in the future of the franchise. The most likely option for that is Waller, which will bring back Viola Davis' Amanda Waller for the first time since 2021's The Suicide Squad - and for the first time ever in the new DC Universe. We know that most of the characters in Peacemaker's new Checkmate organization have crossed paths with Waller in the past so that's a natural fit - as is Gunn's focus on government-ortenated stories within the DCU.
Due to the finale's involvement of Lex Luthor (which came after an actual appearance from Nicholas Hoult earlier in the season), some of these storylines will likely factor into Superman's 2027 sequel Man of Tomorrow (which will see Hoult reprise his role as the villainous billionaire). But with a potential team-up with David Corenswet's Man of Steel on the horizon in that movie, will he turn against General Rick Flag and everyone else carrying out his plans for Salvation?
All understandable theories and questions to be asking, which means that the Peacemaker season 2 finale did its job extremely well. Here's hoping that we do see the resolution of this cliffhanger in the not-too-distant future as DCU fans are ready for more!
All eight episodes of Peacemaker season 2 are now streaming on HBO Max.