Superman ending explained: What Peacemaker's appearance means for Season 2 and DCU

An intricate climax in James Gunn's Superman (2025) establishes the groundwork for the DC Universe's (DCU) future. Set in a wider superhero ecosystem, with cross-dimensional threats and covert government intrigues introduced, the first live-action film in the new continuity focuses on more than just David Corenswet's Clark Kent.

Lex Luthor at centre of chaos

The film's many paths of anarchy ultimately converge on Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor. In the third act, it is established that the character's primary goal is purely selfish: to destroy Superman due to jealousy. He is also shown to be responsible for practically all big catastrophes.

To carry out his true plan—to eliminate Superman and ascend to the position of planet saviour—Luthor orchestrates an international battle between Boravia and Jarhanpur. When it is revealed that the so-called Hammer of Boravia is actually Ultraman, a Superman clone that Lex himself created from a single strand of Superman's hair, the plot becomes increasingly complex. Under false pretences, Ultraman triggers the war by pretending to have a Boravian accent.

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Final battle

Superman, aided by Krypto, defeats Ultraman in the film's finale. After being pulled into a black hole within a pocket universe that Lex constructed, the clone meets his demise. Metropolis is on the brink of destruction as the dimensional gap that Lex created nearly tears the city apart. Even after Mister Terrific successfully closes the split, the destruction is clear in the scene after the credits roll; twisted buildings and wreckage are still visible.

Lex Luthor's future

An unusual source—Eve Teschmacher, Lex's ex-girlfriend—helps unravel his plot even further. The Daily Planet is able to track Luthor's whereabouts and uncover his misdeeds thanks to the background evidence included in the selfies she gave to Jimmy Olsen. As in Creature Commandos, the inaugural official DCU production, Lex is apprehended and brought to Belle Reve, the infamous metahuman prison.

But his imprisonment is just the beginning. We can anticipate Luthor's comeback, thanks to his intelligence and strategic acumen, and it may be connected to Amanda Waller's projects, which might involve the Suicide Squad or The Authority.

The Authority

At the film's conclusion, Angela Spica (The Engineer), one of Luthor's experiments, finds herself alone without his direction. Her part in The Authority, another impending DCCU installment, is anticipated to be significant, as she has been transformed with nanites by Lex. She may side with this ethically grey superhero squad because she believes in regulating metahumans.

Existing DCU characters are also woven into the ending. In a television interview, John Cena's Peacemaker teases his August return for Season 2. Reportedly, he'll face off against Frank Grillo's Rick Flag Sr. in that season. Grillo portrayed a similar role in Superman as a military official who supported Luthor's schemes. The involvement of Flag echoes Creature Commandos, further solidifying the connection of the DCU.

Glimpse into the multiversal future

Finally, Gunn has made it abundantly clear that he intends to depict a fully realised superhero universe. There is evidence of a larger landscape at work, including murals, backdrop Easter eggs, and the Justice Gang's presence. Superman presents this universe through Clark Kent's eyes, but the film makes it clear that its existence is just the beginning of a much bigger story that spans multiple realities.