Commentary: ‘Peacemaker’ Offers A Unique Way To Examine A Retconned TV Show
by Frank Martin
There are very few moments, if any, that can match what James Gunn is doing with DC Studios. Specifically, his approach to Peacemaker is extremely unique. The show originally began as a spinoff to a film that was set within, at the time, the current DC cinematic universe. But after Gunn became co-head of DC Studios, he decided to reboot the entire universe. Under normal circumstances, everything in the old reality would be scrapped in favor of the new timeline. But he didn’t want to do that for his own set of characters, so he effectively retconned the first season of Peacemaker to fit within the new status quo. This situation provides an incredible opportunity to see how a program can withstand such a change in continuity.
The first season of Peacemaker had Christopher Smith (John Cena) recruited by A.R.G.U.S. to stop an alien invasion perpetrated by tiny creatures that could take over people’s bodies. He bonded with a small group of agents, and their friendship continued on into Season 2. However, A.R.G.U.S. is now under the command of Rick Flagg Sr. (Frank Grillo), the father of a soldier Smith killed during the events of Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. Now, A.R.G.U.S. has Smith in their crosshairs, especially since he is using dangerous technology to visit alternate dimensions.
The most obvious change in the retcon comes from the Justice League cameo in Season 1. As shown during the recap, the old universe’s League was swapped out for the new reality’s Justice Gang. There are more subtle retcons that have ramifications for the story. though. There is a clear difference between the A.R.G.U.S. in either world. It went from being a supporter of Peacemaker in Season 2 to his primary antagonist. Furthermore, the inner workings of A.R.G.U.S. had to shift, as well. Flagg emphasized how important Peacemaker’s interdimensional technology is to national security, constantly referencing events that took place in the 2025 Superman film. The old A.R.G.U.S. had other priorities, especially since it was dealing with a completely different Superman (Henry Cavill). So it’s interesting to see how Gunn has seamlessly morphed the show between seasons.
Peacemaker is now streaming on HBO Max.