DC Fans Are Convinced The Darkest DCU Twist So Far Is Happening Today

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In a Reddit thread, Peacemaker fans have been discussing the topic of Overman in the DCU. In the comics, Overman is an alternate version of Superman, one who landed in Sudetenland instead of the United States and became a ruthless enforcer of a Nazi regime. The fan who started the thread believes Overman is the reason Earth-X’s variant of Auggie Smith wasn’t proactive in fighting back against the government. “Overman rules Earth-X with an iron fist and crushes anyone who even thinks about threatening the ‘Empire,’” they wrote, likening the Sons of Liberty group to the Rebel Alliance in Star Wars. “They’re smart, organized, and careful.”

Some commenters in the thread cast doubt on Overman being a part of Earth-X at all. “The show has zero evidence of Overman existing. Just because something’s in the comics doesn’t mean it’s in the show,” wrote one fan. Others feel Overman isn’t needed to explain why Auggie wouldn’t take a stand against the Earth-X government, since the universe’s police force and military would make quick work of him. There were those who liked the Overman idea, however. “[People] on this sub [were] acting like Auggie could just go in and take them down and never stopped to consider Overman is out there and would vaporize him instantly,” someone wrote.

Could Overman Appear in the DCU?

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While there were plenty of rumors speculating Superman star David Corenswet could have a cameo in Peacemaker, Gunn has gone out of his way to debunk those theories. Shortly after Hoult’s guest appearance, Gunn confirmed that Corenswet isn’t on the show. Considering how transparent Gunn is when discussing upcoming projects with fans, it would be atypical of him to blatantly lie about this. Gunn could have played coy when addressing the prospect of a Corenswet cameo, but he opted to definitively state the actor won’t appear. That would seemingly cast doubt on Overman showing up on Peacemaker.

Of course, there’s a chance another actor could play Overman in the DCU. The Earth-X variants of Peacemaker characters look the same as their Earth-1 counterparts, but that doesn’t have to hold true for every DC character. The multiverse angle is an easy explanation for changes in physical appearance; Gunn has previously said that while the character of Clemson Murn is canon to the DCU, the character’s look may not be, which would conceivably allow him to cast actor Chukwudi Iwuji as a different character in a future DC project. So, Overman may not look exactly like Superman.

From a storytelling perspective, there’s some debate to be had about now being the right time to bring someone like Overman into the fold. It would be a shame if an evil, alternate Superman had only a brief appearance, and there’s so much ground for the Peacemaker finale to cover that the episode might be better served focusing on the plight of the 11th Street Kids as opposed to introducing a variant of the world’s most famous superhero. Though the Peacemaker finale is going to be a longer episode (fixing a common fan complaint of this season), that time can be used to provide satisfying conclusions to arcs for characters like Chris Smith, Emilia Harcourt, and Leota Adebayo. Overman would be such a huge development that it could distract from the emotional core of the season.

That said, Earth-X Keith is still alive, seemingly being set up as a villain for the finale. Knowing he might need help to take down the 11th Street Kids, he could call upon the help of some metahumans in his dimension, recruiting Overman to his cause by painting Chris and friends as radical terrorists who need to be taken down. As the DCU continues, Peacemaker is going to be a vital piece in establishing the franchise’s future, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens.

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