The second season of Peacemaker concluded with a finale that left its hero stranded on a distant planet, but the real story is how it secretly laid the groundwork for one of the most powerful villains in the DC Universe: Darkseid. The episode, which aired on October 10, 2025, completely changed the game for the fledgling DCU.
The Finale’s Major Twist
In the final moments of the season, John Cena’s Chris Smith, also known as Peacemaker, achieves a rare moment of happiness. After a heartfelt intervention from his friends, he agrees to lead a new independent security agency they name “Checkmate.” However, this victory is brutally short-lived.
He is suddenly captured by A.R.G.U.S. agents working for General Rick Flag Sr. In an act of revenge for Peacemaker’s role in the death of his son, Flag exiles Peacemaker through an interdimensional portal. He abandons him on a seemingly habitable planet the government has dubbed “Salvation,” which is intended to become a permanent prison for metahumans. As the portal closes, Peacemaker hears monstrous, unearthly screams echoing around him, leaving him alone and unarmed in an unknown world.
The Comic Book Connection to Salvation
This plotline directly pulls from a major DC Comics event. The storyline is a clear nod to “Salvation Run,” a seven-issue series published from 2007-2008.
In the comics, government official Amanda Waller decides to exile Earth’s most dangerous supervillains to a distant planet. What starts as a survival-of-the-fittest story among villains like Lex Luthor and The Joker takes a dramatic turn when it’s revealed the planet is not uninhabited. It is actually a training ground for Parademons, the mindless, winged soldiers that make up the army of Darkseid.
As one analysis of the finale pointed out, the setup allows the DCU to “place any villain he wants there,” but a faithful adaptation would lead to one major threat. The comic book history suggests that the planet Salvation is connected to Darkseid’s empire.
How Darkseid Fits Into the Story
Darkseid is not a typical villain; he is a New God and the tyrannical ruler of the hellish planet Apokolips. His ultimate goal is to conquer the universe by mastering the Anti-Life Equation, a cosmic formula that would erase all free will. He is one of the most powerful beings in the DC cosmos and a primary enemy of the Justice League.
In the “Salvation Run” comics, the planet’s connection to Darkseid is overseen by his loyal servant, DeSaad. The ominous creature sounds Peacemaker hears at the end of the finale could very well be the chittering of Parademons, indicating that this “Salvation” is already occupied by Darkseid’s forces.
James Gunn, the architect of the DCU, confirmed that the introduction of Salvation is “instrumental” to the larger story he is telling. While he noted he is not doing a direct adaptation of the “Salvation Run” comics, he is using its core concept. He stated, > “The part that really spoke to me was the beginning of it, where Rick Flag Jr. and Amanda Waller [said], ‘Fuck it. Metahumans are a pain in the ass. They keep escaping. Let’s just get rid of them permanently.’”
The Road to a Larger DC Universe
The finale also solidified other key pieces of the DCU. The formation of the spy agency Checkmate by Peacemaker’s friends sets up a new player to counter the shady operations of A.R.G.U.S. Furthermore, the episode deepened the alliance between Rick Flag Sr. and Lex Luthor, showing Luthor’s influence growing within the government as he pushes his anti-metahuman agenda.
This partnership and the creation of the Salvation prison planet are elements that Gunn confirmed will connect directly to the upcoming Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow. The consequences of banishing powerful individuals to another dimension are poised to ripple across the entire DCU.
While Gunn has stated there are no current plans for a third season of Peacemaker, he was clear that this cliffhanger will be resolved in other DCU projects. The story of Peacemaker on Salvation and the true nature of the planet appear to be a central piece of the puzzle as the universe expands, potentially setting the stage for the arrival of its biggest threat.
Also Read: James Gunn Wanted Deadpool in Peacemaker Finale, Ryan Reynolds Was Ready
