In developing his new DC Universe, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn is already encountering an issue he saw while working with the MCU. Having directed the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise for Marvel Studios before and during his work on new DC projects, Gunn has a unique perspective on navigating an expansive cinematic universe.
DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn shared new information on the timeline for Peacemaker Season 2, saying it takes place "a couple years" after the Season 1 finale. While shedding new light on the DCU timeline as the franchise continues to expand later this year, DC Studios' top creative gave viewers insight into the challenges of navigating a new saga.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Gunn admitted that he is intentionally keeping the timeline vague for where Peacemaker fits into the grand DC scheme. He realized the difficulty in keeping track of that timeline "after all [his] time at Marvel," seeing the challenges in fitting an entire universe together:
"I see how difficult, after all my time at Marvel, it is to make things truly fit together, so it's an unspecified amount of a couple of years."
While Gunn has experience with a cinematic universe after his work on the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, those movies only had loose threads to the greater MCU story. The first two films took place only months apart, and although Avengers: Endgame impacted the Guardians projects released after it, they still existed mostly separately from the rest of the MCU and took place close to one another.
Meanwhile, Gunn is hard at work putting the finishing touches on Season 2 of Peacemaker, centering on John Cena's antihero first established in 2021's The Suicide Squad. Picking up right where Season 1 left off, the story will include some wild twists and turns (including a double-dose of John Cena's Peacemaker) while featuring Jennifer Holland, Danielle Brooks, Steve Agee, Freddie Stroma, and Frank Grillo. Peacemaker Season 2 will debut on HBO Max on August 21, 2025.
How James Gunn Is Navigating the DCU Timeline
Now that Gunn is in charge of an entirely new cinematic universe, where he has to organize every new movie and TV show's place in the timeline, he already seems to be on top of fitting everything into place. This was particularly challenging because only most of Peacemaker Season 1 is canon with his franchise, but now, he has a fresh slate moving forward.
In mid-May 2025, Gunn confirmed that the first five projects planned for release in his new DCU will debut in theaters and on HBO Max in the same order they take place in the universe itself. At the moment, this includes everything between 2024's Creature Commandos and 2026's Supergirl.
Gunn is also waiting to unveil even more confirmed projects for the DCU, as only about half of his Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters slate has been revealed publicly. While future projects may not be released in the same order as they come in the timeline itself, Gunn and company will be sure to update fans on what they need to know over the coming years.
Thankfully, due to his extensive experience with the red and blue brands, Gunn seems to already have a grip on the DCU's long-term future in terms of how he will tie his numerous franchises together.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
