James Gunn has disclosed a surprising alternate ending for the first season of Peacemaker involving Emilia Harcourt, played by Jennifer Holland. This version would have dramatically altered the story by having Harcourt possessed by the alien Butterfly queen Goff, adding a new emotional dynamic to the series’ conclusion.
The focus keyword, James Gunn Peacemaker alternate ending, perfectly fits this revelation and highlights a pivotal what-if scenario that never reached the screen. The show explores Harcourt’s role as a seasoned A.R.G.U.S. agent teamed with Chris Smith, aka Peacemaker (John Cena), as they battle insectoid parasitic aliens known as Butterflies on Earth.
Harboring Aliens and Complex Relationships
During the first season, Harcourt worked closely with Peacemaker under Amanda Waller’s Project Butterfly, a covert operation to hunt down these alien parasites. In episodes like “Better Goff Dead,” she deepened her partnership with Chris Smith as they encountered Senator Goff, whose body was inhabited by the Butterfly queen Eek Stack Ik Ik, played by Antonio Cupo.
After Peacemaker kills the host body of the Butterfly queen and preserves it in a jar labeled “Goff,” the queen escapes and later possesses Detective Sophie Song (Annie Chang) to continue the invasion. However, Team Peacemaker eventually destroys the alien creature sustaining the Butterflies. Peacemaker safeguards a vial of the creature’s amber fluid, keeping it for Goff as a token of their connection.
How the Alternate Ending Would Have Changed Harcourt’s Story
By the original season’s finale, it was revealed that Clemson Murn (Chukwudi Iwuji) was a benevolent Butterfly named Ik Nobe Llok and the only team member to die. Yet, James Gunn shared in a podcast that Harcourt was meant to be another casualty by being taken over by Goff herself.
“Harcourt got taken over by Goff,”
Gunn confirmed on Peacemaker: The Official Podcast.
“There was more of a pronounced line of Goff being in love with Peacemaker, and Peacemaker is in love with Harcourt, and he keeps her alive and stays with Harcourt even though she’s been taken over by Goff.”
Gunn clarified the nature of these plans, explaining that all were outlines during the creative process, not fully developed scripts.
“When I say I changed it, these were all just outlines where I was trying to figure stuff out. It was a possible [direction] — it wasn’t a fully written script. But in that version, season 2 would have been Goff as Harcourt.”
Jennifer Holland’s Reflection on the Character and Alternate Ending
Jennifer Holland expressed her gratitude for how the story ultimately unfolded, appreciating the final direction taken with her character.
“I just can’t imagine a version that’s not what season 2 is now, so I’m grateful it is what it is,”
she said, referencing her continued portrayal of Harcourt, who also appears in 2021’s The Suicide Squad and was originally slated to appear in no-longer-canon projects like Black Adam and Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
Holland has also discussed what it means to play Harcourt, noting the character’s human qualities amidst a world of extraordinary heroes.
“Right now I’m really enjoying playing a human being in a world of superheroes,”
she told ComicBook.com. She described Harcourt as a
“seasoned agent for the CIA and the DEO (Department of Extranormal Operations) before joining A.R.G.U.S.”
Holland further elaborated on the physical and mental demands of representing a strong, petite person capable of intense combat and determination.
“I’m playing a person who is, in some ways, superhuman in her strength for a small, petite person. But I have to look like, and feel like, a person who can actually be capable of the type of destruction that she’s capable of. And that’s a really interesting person to play.”
She added,
“I have to work really hard on my body and my capabilities with fighting and [skills], because you need to believe that she’s capable of doing these things,”
calling it “a fun challenge.”
Returning Cast and Anticipation for Season Two
The upcoming second season of Peacemaker will feature several returning cast members, including John Cena, Danielle Brooks, Jennifer Holland, Freddie Stroma, Steve Agee, and Robert Patrick. They are joined by new faces such as Frank Grillo, David Denman, Sol Rodríguez, and Tim Meadows. Season two is scheduled to premiere on HBO Max on August 21.
Impact of the Alternate Ending and Future Prospects
This alternate version of the story offers an intriguing glimpse into how the emotional and narrative stakes could have shifted for Team Peacemaker, blending romance, possession, and loyalty in unexpected ways. By choosing the current storyline, James Gunn maintained a different trajectory that has resonated well with audiences and allowed for character growth in season two.
Gunn’s openness about discarded ideas reveals the layered creative process behind Peacemaker and underscores the complexity of crafting shows that balance humor, action, and emotional depth. With season two on the horizon, fans can expect new developments while appreciating how past choices shaped the evolving storyline.
