Peacemaker's Season 2 finale included a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo from DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn. The DC Studios boss is at the forefront of building hype for Peacemaker during its weekly release on HBO Max since it started its run in August 2025. Aside from explaining some of the notable Easter eggs and details from each episode during his weekly watch parties on Threads, one of the highly anticipated surprises that Gunn was hyping up is the cameos in Peacemaker Season 2.
Peacemaker Season 2, Episode 6 unexpectedly brought back Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor on the small screen, setting up his important role in Man of Tomorrow and the DCU's future. While the finale had no big cameos as promised, other than the Imps from one of the dimensions in the Quantum Unfolding Chamber (QUC) and Foxy Shazam's surprise performance, the much-talked-about episode had another special appearance that everyone missed.
As spotted by a fan on X, at the 50:59 mark of Peacemaker Season 2, Episode 8, during Foxy Shazam's electrifying surprise performance of "Oh Lord" in the finale, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn makes a hidden cameo in the background, standing at the far back of the crowd. This marks his first-ever on-screen appearance in the DCU.
In an exclusive press conference attended by select members of the press, Gunn talked about his appearance in the Peacemaker Season 2 finale, confirming that it was his favorite day on the set of the HBO Max series:
"I mean, that’s easy. Filming on the boat with Foxy Shazam and Nelson. That was the best day of all time that I’ve ever had on any set ever, for real. We had so much fun that day. I don’t know if you can see me, but all back there dancing to Foxy Shazam. I’m there, Steve Agree is there, Nelson is back there. We’re all back there, me and the PAs are there dancing. And Foxy Shazam are the greatest live band in the world, so it was just an incredible, an incredibly fun time that day."
While Gunn's appearance in the Peacemaker Season 2 finale was his first on-screen cameo, the DC Studios boss already appeared in animated form during Creature Commandos' opening credits.
Interestingly, 2023's The Flash featured a poster of Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, a film which Gunn wrote. This meant that Gunn is a real person in the DCEU. The filmmaker also hilariously responded to this Easter egg on X in June 2023 by simply saying, "I'm canon?"
Directed and written by James Gunn, Peacemaker's Season 2 finale explored the introduction of the Salvation planet, which is "incredibly important" to the DCU's future. The finale aired on HBO Max on October 9, 2025.
What James Gunn's Cameo Means in Peacemaker Season 2
DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn's unexpected appearance in Peacemaker Season 2 doesn't really mean that he will continue to show up in future projects as a fully realized character. This could simply be a fun nod and acknowledgement of his hard work for the series.
Given Gunn's extensive work behind the scenes, there is reason to believe that the high-ranking executive will not reappear in a future DCU project outside Peacemaker. While the DC Studios boss did have a small part to play in the Creature Commandos' opening credits, showrunner Dean Lorey told IGN in December 2024 that Gunn didn't push to include him in the sequence:
"James had a credit and we were trying to figure out, 'Well, we gave all the characters sort of little moments,' animated moments in the credits. And we were like, 'James is kind of a character. We should give him something.' I was surprised and my ego was stroked and I was like, 'Oh, my God. Please don't let people think that I told him to animate…'"
Lorey's comments proved that Gunn will not force anyone to include him in any of the DCU's projects. His subtle cameo in Peacemaker, where he appears discreetly in the background, is an exception because most viewers will likely miss it on their first watch.
At this stage, Gunn's busy schedule and extensive work are taking up most of his time in establishing the DCU's direction beyond Man of Tomorrow.
