Peacemaker Season 3 Doesn't Need To Happen If The Season 2 Finale's Spinoff Tease Pays Off
By Dan Bibby
October 10th, 2025
Warning! Spoilers ahead for the Peacemaker season 2 finale!
Peacemaker season 2's final episode, "Full Nelson," may do the literal opposite of leaving the door open for John Cena's title character, but it still seems obvious that James Gunn isn't done with certain storylines. It would be very easy for Peacemaker season 3 to pick up where "Full Nelson" leaves off, but I'd be weirdly okay with the show being over.
Having said that, I'm NOT okay with the possibility of Chris "Peacemaker" Smith never returning to our screens. I'd love to see Cena reprise his role along with the rest of the Peacemaker cast. "Full Nelson" ends so ambiguously that I'm almost 100% positive this will happen at some point down the line, and the Peacemaker season 2 finale has laid the perfect groundwork.
Having said that, I'm NOT okay with the possibility of Chris "Peacemaker" Smith never returning to our screens. I'd love to see Cena reprise his role along with the rest of the Peacemaker cast. "Full Nelson" ends so ambiguously that I'm almost 100% positive this will happen at some point down the line, and the Peacemaker season 2 finale has laid the perfect groundwork.
The Checkmate Spinoff Teased In "Full Nelson" Would Make Way More Sense Than Peacemaker Season 3 Getting Greenlit
Peacemaker being forced into exile on Salvation is the biggest cliffhanger in the season 2 finale, but "Full Nelson" sets up another future storyline that would make sense to pick up in another DCU project. Whether it'd be a movie or a TV show, a story revolving around the new Checkmate team is far more in keeping with Peacemaker's tight-knit ensemble cast.
By making a Checkmate movie or TV show, Peacemaker would no longer be required as the main character. Instead, the story would make sense if Cena's character were initially absent from the team, and Checkmate's primary goal is to locate him and bring him home. Cena has been the star so far, but his fellow cast members have already proven they can carry a story too.
It should also be noted that Peacemaker's version of Checkmate already has a few members who were also members of the team in the comics. As well as Peacemaker himself, Vigilante (Freddie Stroma) and Sasha Bordeux (Sol Rodríguez) are also comic-accurate members of the team. Recent DCU debutants like Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi) and Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) were also part of Checkmate in the comics, so they could join the DCU version at some point.
By making a Checkmate movie or TV show, Peacemaker would no longer be required as the main character. Instead, the story would make sense if Cena's character were initially absent from the team, and Checkmate's primary goal is to locate him and bring him home. Cena has been the star so far, but his fellow cast members have already proven they can carry a story too.
It should also be noted that Peacemaker's version of Checkmate already has a few members who were also members of the team in the comics. As well as Peacemaker himself, Vigilante (Freddie Stroma) and Sasha Bordeux (Sol Rodríguez) are also comic-accurate members of the team. Recent DCU debutants like Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi) and Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) were also part of Checkmate in the comics, so they could join the DCU version at some point.
What James Gunn Has Said About Peacemaker Season 3
As I write this, Peacemaker season 3 hasn't been greenlit. From what James Gunn has to say, it doesn't sound like it'll happen anytime soon. It might not even happen at all. IGN reports that Gunn answered "no" when asked if he was planning more episodes of Peacemaker. He went on to say that his focus now was on the "wider DCU and other stories." He also added a sneaky, "never say never" into his answer.
Gunn has also confirmed that Checkmate will "definitely" be back, though. He explained that the team is now established and will be ducking in and out of the DCU when various storylines demand their presence. So, it stands to reason that the same will be true of John Cena's character. Whether he'll be back with Checkmate when we see him again, or still stuck on Salvation after the end of Peacemaker season 2, remains to be seen.
Gunn has also confirmed that Checkmate will "definitely" be back, though. He explained that the team is now established and will be ducking in and out of the DCU when various storylines demand their presence. So, it stands to reason that the same will be true of John Cena's character. Whether he'll be back with Checkmate when we see him again, or still stuck on Salvation after the end of Peacemaker season 2, remains to be seen.
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