James Gunn Reveals Marvel’s Role ( Photo Credit – Flickr )
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Marvel Studios secretly helping DC? Sounds like a plot twist straight out of a comic book. Back in 2022, Peacemaker’s season finale made waves with its surprise Justice League cameos. But James Gunn later spilled the beans on how Marvel lent a hand, making this unlikely collaboration one for the history books.
During an interview with Variety, Gunn revealed that Ezra Miller’s cameo at Marvel Studios filmed the Flash. The setup? When the opportunity arose, Gunn was busy shooting Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 for Marvel. Gunn said that Marvel owed DC a favor, explaining, “The Peacemaker crew shot my screen test for Chukwudi [Iwuji, for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3]. And then we got Ezra with the Guardians Vol. 3 crew.”
So, no, it wasn’t a crossover. But it’s as close as fans have gotten to a Marvel-DC team-up, and Gunn’s sly maneuvering made it happen.
The Justice League’s cameo in Peacemaker’s finale was pure chaos and comedy. The team showed up after the battle ended, which Gunn later joked was a budget-friendly choice. “I didn’t have the money for bigger roles,” he quipped. Fans saw Aquaman and Flash front and center, while Wonder Woman and Superman stayed in the shadows. Batman and Cyborg? MIA.
Gunn teased that their absence had “reasons” tied to possible future plans but played coy about specifics. As for Superman and Wonder Woman, he noted there wasn’t much talk about including Henry Cavill or Gal Gadot.
The cameo scene came as a total surprise to Warner Bros., too. Gunn admitted he wrote it into the script without much discussion. “I just wrote it and gave them the scripts,” he explained. “I don’t think they realized what they had agreed to until they saw what I had shot.” It sparked major conversations within Warner Bros. about what it meant for the DCU. But in the end, they let Gunn’s vision stand.
Beyond the Justice League bombshell, Gunn’s work on Peacemaker was a breakout success. Spun off from The Suicide Squad, the HBO Max series followed John Cena’s Christopher Smith (aka Peacemaker) as he hilariously fumbled his way through saving the world from alien threats. The show was a hit, with season 2 confirmed before the finale aired.
The surprise Justice League moment only added to the series’ reputation for pulling bold moves. But Gunn wasn’t done dreaming big. He revealed that he had “casually talked” to Marvel and DC higher-ups about a potential crossover in the future. “I would love for it to happen,” he said. “I don’t think it’s likely, but I don’t think it’s an impossibility either.”
Fans can keep dreaming about a Marvel-DC crossover while celebrating Peacemaker’s legacy of audacious surprises. Gunn’s behind-the-scenes revelations make the show’s finale even more iconic. Marvel helping DC? Even rival studios can unite for a cameo-worthy moment in the superhero world.
