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Peacemaker is spending most of its sophomore season delving into a tried and true superhero trope by introducing the concept of an alternate Earth where everything goes right for Chris Smith (John Cena). His brother Keith (David Denman) is alive, while their father Auggie (Robert Patrick) fights crime alongside them. Instead of being regarded as a joke, he’s considered to be one of the greatest heroes in the world. He’s even managed to win the love of that world’s Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), while the Harcourt of Earth-1 constantly rebuffs his attempts to figure out their relationship. Chris declares this to be “the best dimension ever”, but comic book fans have noticed that a lot of things are off.
In the episode “Another Rick Up My Sleeve“, Chris — having killed his alt-universe self — starts to explore the new dimension. A fan on Reddit noticed that every one of the background extras is Caucasian, which is a sharp contrast to Earth-1’s diverse cast of characters. Factor in the fact that Auggie was a virulent racist known as the White Dragon on Earth-1, and the fact that Keith refers to Nightwing’s hometown of Bludhaven with a German inflection, and the evidence seems to be pointing to the fact that the alternate dimension that Chris has traveled to is Earth-X, where Nazi forces won World War II. That’s not even the worst part, as Earth-X has its own superpowered beings who couldn’t be any less interested in the notions of truth and justice.
Earth-X Is One of the Darkest Alternate Realities in DC History
Earth-X follows the trajectory of history with two major differences: then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt suffers a fatal heart attack, and Germany develops the atomic bomb, giving the Axis Powers the edge they needed to win World War II. As a result, pockets of resistance started to form, including the superpowered revolutionaries known as the Freedom Fighters. Earth-X would be one of many parallel worlds to fall during the universe-shattering Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline, until it was eventually brought back…this time, with a dark twist. Instead of using nukes to win World War II, Germany would have the might of Superman, or rather, Overman, on their side as Kal-El’s rocket had crash-landed in Germany instead of Smallville. It’s hardly the first time the Man of Steel’s origins have been altered, but it’s still a chilling thought.
If Peacemaker is saving the reveal that Chris has traveled to Earth-X for its final three episodes, it wouldn’t just make sense, it would also be a massive gut punch. Finding out the world where you get everything you want was built on a fascist ideology wouldn’t be fun for anyone, but Chris’s sense of self-worth is dangerously fragile, and this could be the event that shatters it. There’s also the fact that Gunn has teased some major cameos in the final three episodes, as well as a link to the upcoming Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow. Could that link be David Corenswet as Overman? Or could fans see the live action debut of Creature Commandos‘s Nazi-slaying machine, G.I. Robot (Sean Gunn)?
Another DC Series Beat ‘Peacemaker’ When it Comes to Exploring Earth-X
Fans will have to wait and see if Peacemaker does bring Earth-X to the DCU, but it wouldn’t be the first time that a DC series has pitted superheroes against their twisted Nazi dopplegangers. Crisis on Earth-X would see the CW’s biggest shows at the time — Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow — taking part in a crossover event that saw them battling the forces of Earth-X. It was a big deal for many reasons: while previous CW crossovers had felt pretty big, Crisis on Earth-X felt less like four different shows and more like a feature-length film. It also marked a big deal for the Flash, as it saw Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) and Iris West (Candice Patton) finally getting married after four seasons of romantic buildup. Peacemaker only has one season under its belt, but if anyone else could pull off an Earth-X twist, it’s James Gunn.
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