The Peacemaker season 2 finale is finally here, after nearly two months of buildup. James Gunn has been hyping up the John Cena superhero project as a critical piece of his rebooted DC Universe, with the chaos of the multiverse likely playing into what comes next in other movies and shows.
As you carve out time to watch Peacemaker this week, here is everything you need to know in the lead-up to season 2, episode 8.
When does Peacemaker S2E8 come out?
Episode 8 of season 2 of Peacemaker will hit the HBO Max streaming service at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, October 9.
The final episode, titled “Full Nelson,” is expected to have a runtime around 40 minutes. That includes the end credits, outtakes and potential behind-the-scenes breakdown, which have added a few minutes to previous episodes.
(Warning: Spoilers for Season 2, Episode 7 of Peacemaker and Superman ahead).
Who will show up in this episode?
With an even more bonkers multiversal exploration coming up, there could be doppelgängers and cameos galore in the season finale. Here is the unofficial cast list for season 2, episode 8:
- John Cena as Christopher Smith, a.k.a Peacemaker
- Jennifer Holland as Emilia Harcourt
- Danielle Brooks as Leota Adebayo
- Steve Agee as John Economos
- Freddie Stroma as Adrian Chase, a.k.a. Vigilante
- Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr.
- Sol Rodriguez as Sasha Bordeau
- Tim Meadows as Langston Fleury
- Nhut Lee as Rip Jagger a.k.a. Judomaster
It remains to be seen if Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl or Sean Gunn’s Maxwell Lord will return after their cameo appearances in episode 1. Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor showed up in episode 6, then Stephen Blackehart appeared as his brainy henchman Sydney Happersen in episode 7. Both versions of Robert Patrick’s Auggie Smith are dead, but David Denman’s Keith Smith and Joel Kinneman’s Rick Flag Jr. could jump over from an alternate universe looking for justice – or revenge.
What to expect in Peacemaker S2E8
In episode 7, the 11th Street Kids learned that Germany won World War II in the alternate universe. Judomaster saved Adebayo from an angry mob, while Peacemaker and Harcourt fought their way out of A.R.G.U.S. The police eventually caught up and surrounded them, but the alternate versions of Peacemaker’s dad and brother tracked them down and saved them. As it turns out, the Smith family portal is illegal in that world too, and they wanted to keep it a secret. Although Auggie accepted Peacemaker’s explanation that he accidentally killed his other self, Keith did not. Still, they were about to let the gang go home consequence-free until the two Vigilantes broke in and killed Auggie.
The 11th Street Kids made it back to the Quantum Unfolding Chamber, although Harcourt was unable to take out Keith on her way out. Peacemaker then closed the portal and handed the device over to A.R.G.U.S., accepting his arrest and giving his friends credit for bringing him in.
In the preview for the finale, we see Rick Flag Sr. sending teams into the Quantum Unfolding Chamber to explore alternate universes. The portal is apparently stable, unlike the “wobbly” one that Lex Luthor developed in Superman. Harcourt, at least, will be among the agents who poke around in other worlds, but it is unclear what they are trying to retrieve or accomplish. Peacemaker, meanwhile, seems content to stay in prison, convinced he causes suffering for everyone around him.
There is not an official synopsis for season 2, episode 8 of Peacemaker publicly listed yet.
How does Peacemaker fit into the DC Universe?
The DC Extended Universe that existed from 2013 to 2023 effectively got scrapped when James Gunn came in to head up DC Studios alongside producer Peter Safran. The continuity didn’t get a completely fresh start, though, since Gunn wanted to continue stories that he had written and directed pre-reboot.
Cena’s Peacemaker initially appeared in 2021’s The Suicide Squad, which was a loose sequel to 2016’s Suicide Squad. Harley Quinn, Rick Flag Jr. and Amanda Waller were among the characters to appear in both films. Flag Jr. returned from the grave in Peacemaker, both in a flashback sequence in the main universe and as an active part of the “Earth 2” storyline.
The “Previously On” segment at the beginning of the season 2 premiere fully retconned certain aspects of season 1, which makes it difficult to gauge what exactly is cannon and what isn’t. The Justice Gang arrived late to save the day instead of the Justice League, for example, with reshoots replacing Jason Mamoa’s Aquaman and Ezra Miller’s Flash with the new versions of Green Lantern and Hawkgirl. The silhouettes of David Corenswet’s Superman, Milly Alcock’s Supergirl and Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific replaced those of Henry Cavill’s Superman and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, as well.
Rick Flag Sr. made multiple references to Pokolistan and a back injury in episode 4, confirming that Peacemaker season 2 takes place after Creature Commandos, the animated show that came out in December 2024.
The next DC projects coming out are the Lanterns show on HBO, Supergirl and Clayface. Superman: Man of Tomorrow – a sequel to 2025’s Superman – is scheduled to hit theaters in July 2027. Gunn has said that Peacemaker season 2 sets the stage for Man of Tomorrow, so don’t forget about any loose threads or massive consequences from the finale.
