Spider-Man is now part of DC Universe canon after 'Peacemaker' season 2 meme reference
Spider-Man has been officially acknowledged as part of the DC Universe following a scene in Peacemaker season 2 that directly referenced the famous Spider-Man pointing meme.
The moment comes in episode 6 of the series, written and directed by James Gunn, and has effectively confirmed the Marvel hero as canon in the DCU.
The storyline sees Christopher Smith, also known as Peacemaker, abandon his life to live as the doppelgänger he previously killed. His allies follow him into an alternate dimension, where Adrian Chase, or Vigilante, encounters his own alternate self.
Though warned by Leota Adebayo that such a meeting could end badly, Vigilante instead engages in a light-hearted exchange.
The two versions of Vigilante stand pointing at each other before declaring, “We Spider-Man meme’d,” a clear nod to the well-known meme originating from the 1967 animated Spider-Man series.
The Spider-Man meme pic.twitter.com/eBor8LlWAG
The gag serves as confirmation that Spider-Man exists within the DC Universe, at least as a fictional character well known enough for the meme to be recognised.
The meme itself has become one of the most iconic superhero references online, previously re-created by Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man: No Way Home promotional material, and also appearing in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and its sequel.
Although Spider-Man’s mention in Peacemaker is brief, it carries wider implications for the DC Universe, suggesting Marvel characters exist in some form within DC continuity.