Peacemaker Season 2 is doubling down on DCU continuity by bringing back six cast members from James Gunn's Superman film. Revealed in the trailers and marketing, the crossover highlights just how interconnected the rebooted universe is becoming. Most returners are expected to appear in guest roles, but that doesn't lessen the impact of building out this new continuity.
While the DCEU laid the foundation for some of these characters, Gunn has acknowledged that the continuity going forward will reshape certain events and characters, particularly from The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker.
Rather than discarding the past completely, Gunn has framed the DCEU as "pretty unreliable memories" within the new DCU. This blend of old and new has caused some confusion among fans, but Peacemaker Season 2 is expected to be a major turning point in establishing the DCU’s canon more concretely.
The crossover between Superman and Peacemaker Season 2 is a natural step in that process. Both projects were partially filmed in Atlanta at the exact same time, with some overlapping cast and crew, a behind-the-scenes detail that makes their on-screen connections feel even more natural.
With six Superman cast members set to appear in Peacemaker, Gunn is showing how tightly woven this new universe will be, with three more projects confirmed to release in 2026.
Peacemaker
Peacemaker doesn't fight in Superman, but he does show up in a late-night TV interview, mocking Superman's no-kill policy and questioning the hero's moral superiority. His crude, combative rant positions him as a controversial voice in the DCU going forward.
Peacemaker Season 2 picks up one month later, with Chris struggling to be taken seriously in a world that still doesn't trust him. Based on the most recent trailer, his journey sends him to a parallel universe where he is celebrated, but at a steep cost. The new season promises to amp up the action (two Peacemakers fighting) and absurdity, including a full new musical number and weaponized pool balls.
Guy Gardner
In Superman, Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner serves as the Earth-based face of Maxwell Lord's (Sean Gunn) Justice Gang, initially clashing with Superman before reluctantly joining forces to thwart Lex Luthor's kaiju-level threat and defend Jarhanpur.
Fillion reprises the character in Peacemaker Season 2, where Gardner appears alongside Hawkgirl and Lord during a scene recruiting for their team. Peacemaker attempts to audition but gets roasted by Gardner and co., expect this Green Lantern to have more of a role in HBO's Lanterns series coming in 2026.
Hawkgirl
Isabela Merced debuted as Kendra Saunders in Superman, a member of the Justice Gang who does not try to save Superman despite Lois Lane's pleas. She does later make up for it though, aiding in the global defense against the Boravian invasion, killing president Vasil Ghurkos.
Peacemaker Season 2 includes her reprisal, where she helps Maxwell Lord screen Peacemaker for consideration in their team. Merced confirmed in interviews that Superman feeds directly into Peacemaker's storyline, which Gunn has corroborated by saying Season 2 takes place one month after Superman.
Maxwell Lord
Maxwell Lord's appearance in Superman is brief but telling: during the film’s closing montage, a live news feed cuts to Lord stepping out of a LordTech-branded limo in front of the half-built Hall of Justice. Flashbulbs pop as he smirks and delivers a sharp one-liner to the press: "The one thing both the left and right can agree on is that Lex Luthor sucks."
The moment lands just after Lex (Nicholas Hoult) is exposed as the secret instigator of the Boravia-Jarhanpur conflict, instantly positioning Lord as a rival billionaire already shaping the post-Luthor political narrative.
Lord returns in Peacemaker Season 2 as part of the trio (alongside Guy Gardner and Hawkgirl) tasked with vetting Chris Smith for possible team inclusion. As it's unexpected that Peacemaker will join the Justice Gang, don't expect this appearance to be very long by Lord.
Rick Flag Sr.
Frank Grillo reprised his role as Rick Flag Sr. in Superman, serving as the U.S. Secretary of Defense and playing a key role in shaping the government's response to Superman's intervention in the Boravian-Jarhanpurian War.
Flag is shown to be cautious but not entirely distrustful of Superman, calling his actions "naive, maybe, but well-intentioned" during a tense Pentagon meeting with Lex Luthor.
He questions Luthor's motives and expresses skepticism about using metahuman force through the PlanetWatch program. Still, when Superman voluntarily surrenders, Flag oversees the arrest and justifies stripping Kal-El of rights on the basis of his alien status. By the film's end, Flag watches from the Pentagon as the Justice Gang stops the invasion of Jarhanpur, signaling the growing power of metahumans in global affairs.
This political backdrop sets the stage for Flag's return in Peacemaker Season 2, where the conflict becomes personal. Seeking revenge for his son’s death at the hands of Peacemaker, Flag Sr. is expected to confront Smith directly.
Cleavis Thornwaite
Michael Ian Black plays Cleavis Thornwaite, the late-night TV host interviewing Lex Luthor and mocking Superman, a media figure used to shape public perception around metahumans, where John Cena made his cameo appearance.
Gunn has confirmed that Michael Ian Black will reprise Thornwaite in Peacemaker Season 2. While his exact screentime in the show remains unclear, it's plausible that his character will continue to represent the media narrative around heroes, maybe even switching up on Peacemaker now that Superman has proved his humanity in the DCU.
