The final episode of DC’s Peacemaker has been published, and it does not disappoint. We get an action-packed conclusion to the narrative of Peacemaker’s squad against the body-snatching butterflies, as well as some major developments for the larger DCEU and one major guest moment that will surprise DC fans! Because not only did Peacemaker showrunner James Gunn manage to get some key DC luminaries to appear in his finale episode, but he also managed to get them to do it in the only manner James Gunn could!
(WARNING: THE FINALE OF PEACEMAKER CONTAINS MASSIVE SPOILERS!)
Peacemaker (John Cena) and his army launch an all-out assault on the farmhouse where the Butterflies keep their food source, the “cow,” in the Peacemaker finale, “Cow or Never.” Peacemaker and co. manage to kill the cow and stop the invading Butterfly army before… saving the planet by averting humanity’s own self-made fate (but that’s a different storey…). The heavily injured Peacemaker crew limps off the battlefield once the operation is completed, only to be hailed by none other than the Justice League!
Zack Snyder’s Justice League does appear in James Gunn’s version of the DCEU. The team first appears in shadow on the dark horizon, with four Justice League members: Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and The Flash coming on the scene. As the action progresses, it becomes clear that these aren’t just CGI or body doubles: DCEU stars Jason Momoa and Ezra Miller appear to trade conversational jabs with John Cena’s Peacemaker — and each other! (Despite the presence of Superman and Wonder Woman, Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot are absent from the scene.) Batman (Ben Affleck) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) are glaringly absent from the cast.)
What’s even more bizarre is that James Gunn actually invites Momoa and Miller in for a talk that harkens back to one of the first (and still most raunchy) sections of Peacemaker: discussing DC superheroes’ purportedly perverse sleeping habits. Due to his obsessive… enthusiasm for fish, Aquaman was one of the first targets. Well, Miller and Momoa get to do a joke in which Momoa’s Aquaman has to take a fish-fornication joke from Peacemaker on the chin, only for Miller’s Flash to confirm it as fact!
Aquaman, played by Jason Momoa, makes a retort to Flash that is almost certain to become its own DC meme: “F*ck you, Barry,” says the narrator.
Applause for James Gunn for turning a running jest of Justice League references into a massive Justice League cameo that will undoubtedly go viral. Applause also goes go to DC/WB for trusting Gunn to bring this cheeky slice of superhero movie fun to fans on the small screen. It’s also good cross-promotion (obviously): The Flash, starring Ezra Miller, will be released in November, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, starring Jason Momoa, will be released in December.
The first season of Peacemaker is now available to watch on HBO Max. Season two has been confirmed.
