James Gunn Favorite Michael Rooker May Have Another DCU Role Lined Up After Superman And Peacemaker Season 2

James Gunn basically confirmed the obvious: if Michael Rooker wants to pop up again in the DCU, the door is wide open. Yes, even after those two little cameos you already clocked. Of course it is. It is Michael Rooker, and it is James Gunn.

Heads up: mild Peacemaker season 2, episode 5 spoilers ahead.

What Gunn actually said (and what it means)

On the Peacemaker companion podcast, Gunn told the story of how Rooker ended up doing a small role because production was in a pinch. The conversation kicks in around the 8-minute mark if you want the play-by-play.

"Things weren't quite going well, and so I called you up. I said, 'Could you do me a favor? We've already spent all of our money on our show. Will you help us out and come in and do this role as a favor?'"

Gunn also clarified that these quick appearances were not going to be treated as Rooker using up his one-and-done card in the new DCU. Translation: the cameos do not take him off the board for a bigger, different character later.

Where Rooker has already popped up

• Superman: He shows up as a robot. It is blink-and-you-miss-it stuff.
• Peacemaker season 2: He plays Red St. Wild. And by episode 5, Wild is dead, which conveniently clears the runway for Rooker to play someone else down the road.

The teasing (and the trolling)

Rooker, being Rooker, joked that fans will now assume he is returning in some huge way: that he will be back in a "major, major, substantial role." Gunn piled on by riffing that Rooker could be the new Flash. Kidding, obviously, but that is the tone: they are nudging the audience and having fun with it, while also not saying no.

Why this is not surprising at all

Rooker has been in every movie Gunn has directed. That is not hyperbole; it is their thing. Beyond the director-only stuff, Rooker has also shown up in projects Gunn produced, like The Belko Experiment and Brightburn. If you first met him in the 1986 cult shocker Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, you already know he can do anything. If you came on board with 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, you know him as Yondu and you know why Gunn keeps bringing him back. At this point, Rooker is part of the Gunn starter pack.

The now

Peacemaker season 2 is airing now on HBO and HBO Max. If you are keeping score at home, Rooker has made his DCU cameos, his Peacemaker character is out of the picture, and Gunn is not shutting the door on a bigger role later. Do with that info what you will.