John Cena has not worn the helmet since Peacemaker Season 2 ended, and he is fine with that, for now. Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz in October 2026, Cena explained why Peacemaker's return is taking so long, and his answer was simple: DC has bigger names to serve first. He said he told James Gunn he will put the helmet on as long as Gunn needs him to, and he praised Gunn as a director who makes him a better performer. But he also understands the queue, and Peacemaker is not at the front of it.
That honesty is refreshing, and it also tells fans what to expect. Peacemaker Season 3 does not exist in any form right now. There is no order, no writers' room, no date, and no Christopher Smith on the DC Studios release calendar. Gunn said as much at the press conference after the Season 2 finale in October 2025, allowing only that he would never say never on a third season. The priority, Gunn said, is the future of the DCU as a whole.

Where Season 2 left Christopher Smith


Season 2 ended with Full Nelson, written and directed by Gunn, which aired on HBO Max on October 9, 2025. The finale got mixed reviews, with praise for performances and emotional moments, while dividing critics over its cliffhanger and slow pacing. The core cliffhanger is stark: Rick Flag Sr. exiled Smith to Salvation, the interdimensional prison the finale introduced alongside the Checkmate team. Smith is trapped, his team is scattered, and his story has no clean close.
That exile is not a throwaway. Gunn has since described Salvation as a major element of Man of Tomorrow, the next Superman film, dated July 9, 2027. By that framing, Season 2 works as a prequel to that movie, setting up a prison, a team, and a conflict that the film can then use. A third season is not the only route back for Smith, and it may well not be the first one. His return could come on film, in a cameo, or in a later DCU project, before any new season is ordered.
Cena's podcast comments fit that picture. Asked whether fans had seen the last of Peacemaker, he joked, you need a different guy on this chair. He confirmed he has not worn the helmet since his last appearance, but he made clear that does not mean he is finished with the role. His line to Gunn, from the first time he wore the helmet, still stands: I will put this helmet on as long as you need me to. That is a promise, not a farewell.

Why Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman come first


Cena framed Gunn's job with a toy box image. Gunn climbed a steep hill with Guardians of the Galaxy at Marvel, got invited to DC, worked with one crew on The Suicide Squad, and then wrote Peacemaker out of boredom during lockdown. Now, Cena said, Gunn plays with a whole box of toys. Because you get the whole box, you have to address the really valuable ones first. Cena named Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman as the obvious priorities, and said he would make those plays first if he were in charge.
That logic is hard to argue with. Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios as co-chairmen and co-CEOs in late 2022, and the slate they built starts at the top of the shelf. Superman launched the new DCU on film, Supergirl and Clayface follow, and Man of Tomorrow is dated for July 2027. Batman and Wonder Woman sit ahead of a Peacemaker Season 3 in any sane ordering of that queue, which is roughly what Cena said, minus the org chart.

What else is happening in DC on TV


Peacemaker is not the only DC TV story, and the wider slate shows where Gunn's TV energy is going. Lanterns, the HBO Max Green Lantern series, is coming in 2027, with demand for a second season already high in fan tracking. Krypto Saves the Day, the DC Kids series, launched a second season on HBO Max and YouTube, joining Peacemaker, My Adventures with Superman, Harley Quinn, and Batman: Caped Crusader as DC Studios' multi season shows. That list shows DC TV is healthy, even if Peacemaker itself is parked.

Rooker and the wider DC TV slate


Michael Rooker's future also shows how Gunn reuses actors. Rooker played Savant in The Suicide Squad, then joined Peacemaker Season 2 as Red St. Wild, an eagle hunter whose obsession with hunting eagles led to a violent clash with Eagly and his death in the episode. Speaking on the DC Studios Showcase podcast in October 2026, Gunn said there are going to be actors who play more than one character in the DCU, and that he told Rooker he would happily give him another character at some point in the DCU. That promise shows Gunn values loyalty, and it hints that Peacemaker actors may return in new roles even if their characters die.
Jennifer Holland, who plays Emilia Harcourt, has hinted that Peacemaker Season 3 could happen down the line after other DCU events. That hint aligns with Cena's comments and Gunn's never say never stance: not now, not soon, but not closed forever. Fans should treat any Season 3 date they see online as a guess, because no such date exists in any official slate.
Unconfirmed or reported, not stated as confirmed fact: any Peacemaker return in Man of Tomorrow, any Season 3 order, and the exact timing of a return are reported speculation until DC Studios confirms them. Cena's podcast comments, Gunn's never say never stance, and the October 9, 2025, finale date are based on published reporting.

Sources and reporting

  1. SuperHeroHype — 2026-10 · Verifies Cena's Happy Sad Confused comments, the toy box quote, and the October 9, 2025, finale.
  2. FanBolt — 2026-10 · Verifies no Season 3 order, Gunn's never say never stance, and the Salvation to Man of Tomorrow link.
  3. ComingSoon — 2026-10-29 · Verifies Rooker's Red St. Wild role, his death, and Gunn's promise of another DCU character.