[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the Peacemaker Season 2 finale, “Full Nelson.”]
Peacemaker‘s second season has come to a close, and while we await word on whether the show will be back for Season 3 or not, James Gunn certainly sets the groundwork with the formation of Checkmate, a new organization comprised of titular hero Chris Smith (John Cena), Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), Adrian Chase, a.k.a. Vigilante (Freddie Stroma), John Economos (Steve Agee), Sasha Bordeaux (Sol Rodriguez), Rip Jagger a.k.a. Judo Master (Nhut Le), and Langston Fleury (Tim Meadows).
But as fans saw in the closing moments of the finale episode, “Full Nelson,” Checkmate’s mission to make the world better was disrupted as Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) had Peacemaker kidnapped and sent through the door to “Salvation,” a planet he intends to use as a prison for Metahumans, after teaming with Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) and getting the sign-off from higher-ups.
Rick made it clear he was sending Peacemaker to Salvation as a test dummy of sorts, as the liveable location was spotted during a secret A.R.G.U.S. mission helmed by Hartcourt and Bordeaux, unaware of its intended use by Rick. Like Checkmate, Salvation is a concept plucked from the DC comics, but Gunn makes it clear that those ideas and concepts are merely such and won’t necessarily stick to the strict specificity required for comic accuracy.
Jessica Miglio / HBO Max
Still, like in the comics, Chris quickly picks up on the fact that he’s likely not alone in Salvation, which leaves us on our toes until he makes a potential TV comeback. As for whether there are plans to include Checkmate in future DCU projects outside of the Peacemaker realm, Gunn tells TV Insider during a press conference, “You’ll definitely see Checkmate carrying through. They’re a thing now, so they’re a part of what’s gonna happen, and I think they’re gonna be really, really good at what they do,” Gunn teases. “So, when we see them next, I think their circumstances will be a little bit different than the startup that they are now.”
While Holland couldn’t say much more, she shares with TV Insider that she’s heard some rumblings about what could be next for the group. “The truth is that I’ve heard some things about the hopes for what Checkmate will become and how they will utilize Checkmate in the DC Universe,” Holland shares. “But, having said that, it’s certainly not my place to release any information like that.”
Part of the reason Checkmate came to be was due in part to Sasha approaching Harcourt for advice about moving forward with A.R.G.U.S.’s plans for Methumans. After all, Sasha is enhanced by her robot abilities. The conversation the women had was rather deep as the once opponents found common ground during an outing to Big Belly Burger.
Jessica Miglio / HBO Max
“Yeah, I think a lot of Harcourt’s journey in terms of having relationships with other people and allowing other people in often revolves around allowing herself to admit that she’s not so different from someone else,” Holland shares. “She walks around with this idea that her moral compass is singular, and it’s kind of narcissistic in some ways, but when she’s able to recognize they’re not so different and they have a lot of similarities… she finally realizes, ‘Oh, I should have empathy for this person. I’m not so different.’”
While Holland admits Harcourt has a similar experience in regards to her approach with Chris, she also is able to see Sasha in a new light by Season 2’s end. “She sees Sasha as this sort of moral-less robot, which she is to some degree, and during that conversation, I think she recognizes their similarities and she has empathy for her,” Holland shares. “She has a little softness, and she recognizes that this person could be useful and maybe a good friend. It’s really beautiful. It’s one of my favorite scenes in the whole show.”
While the future remains open with possibilities, only time will tell how Checkmate’s work is woven into upcoming DCU projects, but we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed that red flags will be raised when they realize Chris has vanished. After all, if A.R.G.U.S.’s investigation of potential doors to alternate dimensions and worlds was any indication, even the most innocent-looking places can be deadly, like that candy-filled world Harcourt stepped into while suited up, discovering vicious creatures along the way.
Still, Holland jokes, “Those darn suits were an absolute nightmare. You couldn’t really breathe in those helmets.” Meanwhile, the tearing apart of those candy imps was just as fun as it seemed onscreen. “We actually have these jelly things… I really pulled this jelly imp apart, it was crazy!” Perhaps similar shenanigans await Checkmate if they venture out to find Chris.
Stay tuned for more on Peacemaker‘s future, Checkmate, and Salvation, and let us know your theories in the comments section below.
Peacemaker, Seasons 1-2, Streaming now, HBO Max