The Most Messed Up Thing About Peacemaker’s Alternate Universe Twist is Why It Took Us So Long to Notice

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If something sounds unbelievably good, it usually is. For Peacemaker, the Quantum Unfolding Chamber offered access to a seemingly perfect alternate universe – his father appeared kind and gentle, and his brother was alive and well. This gave Chris a chance to reconnect with loved ones he’d lost, one when he was very young. However, from the start of Season 2, viewers anticipated a hidden problem. This new reality was likely too good to be true, and a catch was expected.

The latest episode, “Ignorance Is Chris,” finally revealed a long-anticipated secret, and it was a complete surprise to most viewers despite being hinted at all along. This revelation will likely drive the remaining two episodes of the season, as the characters urgently try to find their way back home.

Spoilers for Peacemaker Episode 6 follow.

What Is the Big Reveal?

As a movie buff, something about Auggie Smith always felt…off. It finally hit me – the entire season has subtly shown us a world completely devoid of people of color. It’s a chilling detail because it explains his behavior – there’s simply no ‘other’ for him to direct his negativity towards. He *is* the villain, and honestly, everyone in this strangely empty world is too.

Emilia Harcourt quickly realizes something is off, but the full extent of it doesn’t become clear until after she’s questioned by A.R.G.U.S. from this alternate universe – they found some of Vigilante’s cocaine on her jacket. After being let go, she tells Peacemaker, and he starts to understand too. The horrifying truth becomes completely clear when he sees an American flag with swastikas replacing the stars, confirming this is a terrible reality.

For a long time, the group known as the “Top Trio” – Peacemaker-2, Blue Dragon, and Captain Triumph – have been viewed as heroes primarily by white audiences. Because we haven’t seen much of them actually *in* action, it’s natural to wonder what they’ve been doing to earn that reputation.

James Gunn has achieved something remarkable. For decades, television and movies primarily featured white leads. Classic films and shows from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s – like *The Maltese Falcon*, *The Sound of Music*, *Dragnet*, *It’s a Wonderful Life*, and *Gunsmoke* – almost always had white protagonists. It wasn’t until the 1960s, with films like George A. Romero’s *Night of the Living Dead*, that we started seeing people of color in leading roles, rather than as supporting characters or villains. Even then, these projects were considered exceptions to the rule.

For a long time, movie and story heroes have almost always been portrayed as white, even when the characters weren’t originally intended to be. This happened in films like *The King and I*, and it’s a pattern that continued even recently, with examples in *Aloha* and *Batman Begins*. For instance, the character Ra’s al Ghul in *Batman Begins* is meant to be Middle Eastern or East Asian, but was played by Liam Neeson, who is not.

It’s striking that this alternate universe only shows people with white skin, and it highlights how common this lack of diversity has been in the entertainment industry – many viewers didn’t even notice. While the industry is becoming more inclusive, it still has a long way to go to truly reflect the diversity of the world and tell stories from all perspectives. No form of media should be dominated by a single viewpoint, and that includes this fictional world.

It absolutely is. In Episode 6, when Adebayo walks down the street, the drivers all react with shock and horror, as if they’ve seen a ghost. And when Keith Smith jumps out of his truck, singles Adebayo out, and calls her “a Black,” it’s clear he’s just contributing to the issue.

The next couple of episodes should be fascinating as Chris deals with everything he’s discovered. He’s always strived to be his own person, different from his father, but he’s now realizing he overlooked a major issue: the lack of diversity in this dimension, despite spending so much time there. He’s also grappling with the realization that both his brother and this universe’s version of Harcourt aren’t good people – they contribute to a system that actively harms and potentially eliminates minority groups. He’s definitely going home now, but he’ll have a lot to consider when he does.

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2025-09-28 23:41