Peacemaker finale leaves Chris in Salvation as Checkmate forms

The second season of Peacemaker ended October 10, 2025 with a divisive finale that left the show's protagonist stranded on a mysterious prison world and its remaining characters forming a new agency, prompting widespread online debate about the episode's tone and purpose. Series creator James Gunn acknowledged the criticism while defending the episode's character focus and saying the finale was intended to set up larger storylines across the DC Universe.

In the episode Full Nelson, Christopher Smith, played by John Cena, is abducted by A.R.G.U.S. agent Rick Flag Sr., portrayed by Frank Grillo, and dumped on a newly discovered dimension called Salvation. Earlier in the hour the core ensemble — Leota Adebayo, Emilia Harcourt, Adrian Chase, John Economos and others — pooled resources to establish an independent intelligence outfit called Checkmate, a development Gunn has said will continue to appear across future DC projects. The season concluded with a cliffhanger that leaves Peacemaker's fate unresolved and positions Salvation and Checkmate as key threads in the studio's planned narrative.

Fan reaction to the finale was swift and polarized. Some viewers praised the season’s...