Peacemaker Season 2 Proves This DCU Is Coming Out Gunn’s Blazing — For Higher or Worse

The primary episode of Peacemaker Season 2 begins with a recap, as tv exhibits typically do. Nevertheless, whereas it’s largely restricted to scenes from Season 1, which premiered in early 2022, it publicizes itself as encapsulating what occurred “beforehand within the DCU” — together with, spiritually, 2021’s The Suicide Squad and this summer time’s Superman. These initiatives had been all spearheaded by author/director/DC Studios head James Gunn. So of course they’re all linked.

Such is popular culture within the 2020s, the place the flagging fortunes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe haven’t prevented quite a few different franchises from creating their very own shared story-worlds, reminiscent of what’s occurring with the worlds of John Wick and Legendary’s Monsterverse. What stands out about DC Studios, although, is the James Gunn distinction: The return of Peacemaker, coming proper after the Gunn-created animated HBO Max sequence Creature Commandos and Superman, firmly establishes the filmmaker’s voice because the central one to DC’s current — in addition to its future.

As with Season 1 of Peacemaker, Gunn wrote each episode of the ultra-violent HBO Max sequence’s return, directing a number of episodes as effectively (Greg Mottola, Peter Sollett, and Alethea Jones dealing with the others). The brand new season retains the deal with Chris Smith (John Cena), the titular superhero with a penchant for exhausting rock and working round in his tighty-whities, whereas it additionally splits aside and brings again collectively the eclectic ensemble surrounding him.

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On the finish of Season 1, former operative Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) uncovered the darkish nature of the Venture Butterfly operation she, Chris, and different members of their group had been engaged on, leaving most of them now in search of jobs exterior of the paranormal-threats trade. In order Season 2 begins, Chris is making an attempt to determine his subsequent steps, all whereas processing stuff just like the dying of his dad (Robert Patrick) and his sophisticated emotions in direction of Harcourt (Jennifer Holland). None of that’s made any simpler when he stumbles throughout one other universe by way of his father’s “quantum unfolding storage space,” which is crammed with doorways to different worlds — and one door particularly gives him a glimpse at a greater life for himself that’s tempting.

The plotting within the first 5 episodes offered to critics isn’t too intensive, a sensible selection because it retains the deal with this eclectic ensemble simply being collectively. Danielle Brooks stays an emotional anchor for the sequence, bringing a whole lot of humor and coronary heart together with her, whereas Freddie Stroma continues to glory within the eccentricities of his personal crime-fighting vigilante character. (Stroma’s penchant for oddball roles stays pleasant: Over the previous ten years, the man has performed a Prussian prince, a bimbo race automobile driver, a Westeros nepo child, an H.G. Wells who by chance time-travels to modern-day New York, and a fictional actuality present contestant in search of love. A real renaissance man.)

Chris’s pet Eagly stays the easiest chook CGI can create, and Steve Agee additionally returns as John Economos, now caught in an ungainly place as he continues to work for ARGUS, now led by Rick Flagg Sr. (Frank Grillo, as beforehand seen in Superman). Within the subject, Economos finds himself caught with the legitimately hilarious Tim Meadows as Fleury, who loves arising with very dangerous nicknames for his colleagues. In the meantime, Jennifer Holland nonetheless is aware of chunk right into a line of dialogue with steely edge, although the chemistry between her and Cena isn’t precisely electrical. Their awkward relationship is the one a part of this present that feels in any respect compelled, which — contemplating what number of really outlandish occasions are swirling round — is wild to comprehend.

Peacemaker (HBO Max)

As for the present’s star, it appears unlikely that Cena will ever be the primary skilled wrestler to be nominated for an Oscar (Dave Bautista will probably beat him to that achievement within the subsequent 5 years, until Dwayne Johnson’s work in The Smashing Machine proves mind-blowing). He’s nonetheless greater than succesful as a lead, although — prepared to do actually any absurd factor Gunn writes into the script, all whereas discovering an emotional grounding for Chris’s ups and downs and actually letting the character’s vulnerability play on his face.

Because of this emphasis on character, the primary 5 episodes make for a fascinating season of tv, with some spectacular combat sequences (and one drug-fueled orgy), given the smaller-scale finances. But it’s all tied into the bigger universe at hand, with a stunning quantity of The Suicide Squad within the combine — nearly as if Gunn has been getting ready for his eventual cinematic takeover of the DC universe since effectively earlier than he and Peter Safran had been formally handed the keys to the dominion.

That aforementioned “Beforehand On…”, actually, goes as far as to completely reshoot a scene from the Peacemaker Season 1 finale, which initially featured cameos from Jason Momoa’s Aquaman and Ezra Miller’s The Flash (joking a couple of rumor involving Aquaman’s love of fish). The brand new model as a substitute brings in cameos from some Superman supporting gamers (and a joke about vomit that’s actually not as humorous because the Aquaman one). There’s even the return of Michael Ian Black’s TV information host from Superman, along with appearances from Gunn favorites like Michael Rooker and Sean Gunn.

Filmmakers engaged on a sure stage typically construct up their very own sneaky form of cinematic universe — the movies of Kevin Smith are wealthy with such in-jokes, and simply what number of Quentin Tarantino characters have you ever seen smoke Purple Apple cigarettes? (The reply is all of them.) Even within the MCU, whereas loads of administrators have been capable of put their distinctive stamps on their motion pictures — together with Gunn himself with the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy — the franchise does nonetheless have a comparatively constant home type.

Peacemaker (HBO Max)

So in idea there’s nothing fallacious with all the things we’ve seen from DC Studios thus far being very centered in Gunn’s perspective. It does, nonetheless, elevate questions on what occurs sooner or later, with initiatives like Craig Gillespie’s Supergirl (coming June 2026) and James Watkins’s Clayface (due September 2026) on the horizon. Can this franchise embody further voices, or will Gunn’s find yourself being the overriding one?

That actually wouldn’t be the worst factor, presuming the proper stability could be discovered. Gunn’s DC work thus far has been notable for the way in which it celebrates the franchise’s oddballs, as much as and together with the Man of Metal. (What’s weirder than flying round in a cape being good to folks?) It’s a contemporary strategy on this present panorama, one which Superman proved might work for mainstream audiences. Peacemaker, in the meantime, is by no means made for mainstream audiences, because of its quirks and mature content material (I discussed the orgy, proper?).

But all of it works effectively sufficient to show that Gunn is able to working inside considerably completely different tones, even throughout the similar universe. And it doesn’t matter what the angle, he’s prioritizing comedian e book enjoyable. Which, after years of dreary muted tones and moody heroes, is a real reduction.

Peacemaker Season 2 premieres August twenty first on HBO Max, with new episodes debuting weekly on Thursdays. Take a look at the newest trailer under.