John Cena’s Peacemaker Finds the “Best Dimension Ever” — But Season 2 Hints the Multiverse Is a Bleak Trap

Peacemaker season 2 continues its multiverse storyline in episode 3, “Another Rick Up My Sleeve,” by moving its lead character into an alternate world where key people from his past are alive and where some familiar roles look different.

– Episode 3 title and airing: “Another Rick Up My Sleeve,” season 2 of Peacemaker, now streaming on HBO Max.
– What happens: Chris Smith (John Cena) visits Earth‑2, finds Auggie and Keith alive, and kills his Earth‑2 counterpart.
– Visual and character notes: Earth‑2 Auggie appears as Blue Dragon; the original‑Earth Auggie was White Dragon. Some scenes show mainly white crowds and staff.
– Creator note: James Gunn refers to the alternate world as Earth‑2 in a posted video.
– Where to watch: Peacemaker streams on HBO Max; new episodes premiere Thursdays through Oct. 9.

What the episode shows

Episode 3 opens with Chris Smith stepping into an alternate universe that series creator James Gunn refers to as *Earth‑2*. In that world, Chris finds his father Auggie (Robert Patrick) and brother Keith (David Denman) alive, and he discovers that his Earth‑2 self is a celebrated hero. Chris tells other characters more than once that it seems to be the “best dimension ever.”

After an early confrontation, Chris kills his Earth‑2 doppelgänger. The episode also includes a violent clash with a group called the Sons of Liberty, who attack a DMV as part of their campaign. The episode’s scenes show a different version of Auggie operating under the hero name Blue Dragon; on original Earth, Auggie’s secret identity was White Dragon.

Details on tone and visuals

The episode presents Earth‑2 as more outwardly celebratory of Chris: when he rides through town on his Peace Cycle, the crowd cheering him appears to be white. Similarly, several scenes set in Argus on Earth‑2 show staff who appear white, which contrasts with the racially diverse Argus team seen in the main world.

Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) also appears in an alternate‑world form. In Earth‑2 she is portrayed as more receptive to Chris after he displays violent heroics; the episode shows her reacting differently than the version seen in the main timeline.

Connections to creator commentary

James Gunn has explicitly named the alternate world Earth‑2 in a posted video. The video is available at the exact URL below.

Context and franchise notes

Multiverse concepts have been used across many superhero franchises for different purposes. For example, the Arrowverse has used crossover events to fold characters from other series into its continuity, including bringing Supergirl into the CW shows and staging large crossover events that referenced other Superman and Batman versions; see coverage of those events on Screen Rant, CBR, and Screen Rant.