With the end of Peacemaker Season 2, the last episode finally sets up the Salvation Arc of the franchise. And in an exclusive interview with CBR, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn hinted at how Frank Grillo, Lex Luthor, and Superman will be the pivotal pieces of the DCU puzzle, saying:
But also, there’s a bigger story being told that involves, say, Salvation. And so that story – it involves Rick Flag. It involves Lex and Superman. There are those movies that I’m going to be directing. That’s the plan right now, at least. I may get so fucking tired that I can’t do it. Because I’m pretty tired. But we’ll see. But there’s a plan that I’m going to do, you know, a couple more, at least.
He talked about how he was reluctant at first to give direct creative control over individual projects to others, but he had to come to terms with it. In addition, he also commented on which projects he will be directly involved with next, which is the upcoming Man of Tomorrow, saying:
Man of Tomorrow was an idea I’ve had for a long time. Honestly, I think I know the next few (movies) I’m directing. … Because it’s a part of the plan of the DCU. There is one big story. I don’t want it… on the one hand, everything is going to be okay to watch by itself.
As for the Salvation story, the current coalition of Luthor and Grillo will prove to be a massive turning point for the franchise as a whole, as major antagonists and plotlines will be expanded, which has been discussed below.
Peacemaker Season 2: The DCU’s Salvation Arc Directly Connects to the Comics
As the second season of the DCU’s flagship TV show came to an end, a new world was revealed to us, which was none other than Salvation from the pages of DC Comics. And, with John Cena’s character being stuck in that new world that Grillo found to capture and contain metahumans, Gunn’s vision for the franchise is finally starting to take shape.
In the comics, Salvation is a planet that’s used by Apokolips’ New Gods as a sort of training ground for them against every kind of threat and foe imaginable. Thus, as Grillo and Luthor now indiscriminately want to start sending Metahumans to this world, the combination of these superpowered beings and literal gods might come to the forefront.
Not to mention, DC’s multiverse-level threats like Darkseid and Brainiac are among these New Gods that we talked about, which fit perfectly into the Gods and Monsters Chapter One narrative plan for the DCU. In addition, since Superman is one of the most powerful ones among the current known metahumans on Earth, his arrival on Apokolips might set up the future.
While we cannot expect anything significant to happen so soon into the development of the DCU, the wider narrative has started to take form for the franchise, with more to follow as new projects enter it in the future.
How Lanterns May Shed More Light on the Future of the Wider DCU Narrative
After Peacemaker Season 2, the next TV series that will hit the DCU catalog will be the release of Lanterns. The show is set to focus on the story of the other prominent Green Lanterns in the DC Universe, which will be John Stewart and Hal Jordan.
And with the Green Lantern Corps being a congregation of intergalactic proportions, their reach to Salvation isn’t going to be a tough job. Despite the show’s plot being a grounded story, this planet-hopping might also be one of the key factors in pushing the narrative forward.
Now, with CheckMate, started by Adebayo and the rest of the 11th Street Kids, their mission will be to find where Chris disappeared to. Their hunt might lead them to the Green Lantern Corps, which will, in turn, set up in motion the Salvation Arc’s next chapter. Here’s more information about the upcoming Lanterns show.
What do you want to see Lanterns reveal about the DCU? Tell us in the comments below.
Peacemaker Season 2 is streaming on HBO Max (US).
