Phil Roberts 
Peacemaker Season 2 is a blast. James Gunn has successfully delivered more of what made the first season so successful. It’s outrageous, gratuitous, ultra-violent, edgy, and jaw-droppingly enjoyable.
With the dust now settling on James Gunn’s Superman, fans are looking forward to seeing where the newly minted DC Universe turns next. With almost every DC project from the past decade now wiped from canon, the sandbox is virgin territory for Gunn to explore. So naturally, his new project is an audacious second season of Peacemaker. But with John Cena slipping back into his tight white pants and a minefield of previous DC canon to skirt, the director has a mountain to climb to cement this next chapter of DC lore. But with a clean slate to exploit and a new crop of superheroes to unleash, can Gunn deliver the ultimate relaunch of the new DCU, or is Peacemaker season 2 stumbling over its ambitions?
REVIEW
Fear not, DC fans, because Peacemaker Season 2 is a blast. James Gunn has successfully delivered more of what made the first season so successful. It’s outrageous, gratuitous, ultra-violent, edgy, and jaw-droppingly enjoyable. The characters and their relationships are afforded more time to develop, and Gunn has laid the foundations for everything that will follow in his new DCU. Sadly, the new season isn’t without its flaws; there are a few glaring issues with the relaunch, but they take nothing away from another balls-to-the-wall season of madness. With elements of the new DCU adding their strength to an already ballsy storyline, the second season is off to a strong start, and I cannot wait to see where the last few episodes take us.
SAME HEROES, NEW DCU
The premiere episode begins with a reminder of last season’s exploits, ensuring that the story and its players remain part of the new DC canon. However, despite their efforts in saving the world, the team isn’t heralded as heroes; instead, they have gone their separate ways to put their lives back on track. This is where the story begins. We reunite with Chris Smith/Peacemaker, who now wants to become the hero he has always dreamed of being. Leota Adebayo has set her sights on launching her own security business, Adrian Chase is still working in the diner, and John Economos still works for A.R.G.U.S. under the leadership of Rick Flag Sr.
Emilia Harcourt, on the other hand, finds herself on the fringes of her former life. A.R.G.U.S. has sidelined her after a diagnosis of toxic masculinity, and every government agency refuses to entertain her pleas for employment. So, she sets out on a path of self-destruction as she attempts to adjust to her new life.
THE JUSTICE GANG
After his audition for the Justice Gang with Maxwell Lord, Guy Gardner, and Hawkgirl doesn’t go according to plan, Chris returns home and finds his way into his father’s dimensional portal. With Eagly at his side, he stumbles upon a doorway leading to another dimension, where he is regarded as a hero, and pretty soon, he discovers that the grass is much greener on the other side. This narrative becomes the backbone of the series. With his life in the real world seemingly at its lowest point, Peacemaker begins to see the alternate dimension as his salvation. But can he truly leave his friends behind?
Meanwhile, Rick Flag Sr, played by the always reliable Frank Grillo, has taken control of A.R.G.U.S. from Amanda Waller, and his first task after cleaning up the chaos in Metropolis is to research the circumstances surrounding his son’s demise. This puts Chris firmly in his crosshairs, which only intensifies further when Chris opens the dimensional portal and triggers a seismic event. But with John Economos on the inside and Adebayo and Chase standing beside him, Peacemaker has friends in the right places.
ALL ROADS LEAD TO THE PORTAL
From here, the series settles into its usual rhythm with Chris spending more time in the alternate universe, while Rick Flag Sr’s agents close in on the source of the portal. We get to explore Emilia Harcourt’s backstory in far greater detail than we ever have before, and her role will have far-reaching implications for the show moving forward. Economos’s role becomes all the more tenuous when he finds himself caught between his duty and his loyalties, and Adebayo continues to fight to keep her friends safe. But eventually, all roads lead back to Chris and his dimensional portal.
GUNN’S NEW UNIVERSE
With the events of season 2 set in motion, Gunn sets about establishing the background characters that manifest this newly reset DCU. Sol Rodriguez’s character, Sasha Bordeaux, serves as the second-in-command to Rick Flag Sr., and her role quickly becomes an intriguing aspect of the story. As the series progresses, we gain deeper insights into her character, making her integral to the overall plot. It will be exciting to explore her role in future episodes.
Additionally, the brilliant Michael Rooker returns to the DC Universe in a new role as Red St. Wild, a bird hunter tasked with capturing Eagly. Tim Meadows delivers an outstanding performance as the eccentric and often bizarre A.R.G.U.S. agent, Langston Fleury, and his exchanges with John Economos will soon become legendary. Although his dialogue becomes grating after a while, his role becomes one of the highlights of the series, so it’s a necessary evil here.
THE CAST
Thankfully, the biggest highlights are the performances of Gunn’s brilliant cast. John Cena once again delivers a stellar performance as Christopher Smith/Peacemaker. Make no mistake, this is Cena’s defining role, and he lives and breathes this character with ease. Even when his actions are less than heroic, we cannot help but admire him. In season 2, Cena is given more time to add depth to Smith’s character, moving away from his previous arrogant persona. He portrays Smith with renewed conviction, which earns him greater appreciation from the audience. His sudden vulnerability makes him a more relatable anti-hero. We empathize with him, hope he finds his place in the new DCU, and long for him to achieve happiness, all thanks to another outstanding performance from Cena.
Jennifer Holland also delivers another winning performance as Agent Emilia Harcourt. Like Cena, Holland is rewarded with a grittier, multilayered narrative this season, and the actor rises to the challenge to make her plot engrossing. Initially, the pivot feels fun and comedic, but soon, the narrative shift serves up moments of genuine levity and inner turmoil that will resonate with us all.
SUPPORTING CAST
As previously mentioned, Steve Agee’s John Economos probably has the most intricate role this season. Thrust into a storyline that deliberately tests his resolve as well as his loyalties, Economos finds himself forced to tread a fine line, and Agee rises to the challenge with his trademark wit. Thankfully, Gunn’s sharp screenplay allows his sharp tongue to shine once more, and his exchanges with Meadows’ Langston Fleury are a joy to watch. Only a mind like James Gunn’s can conjure the exchanges they share, and like last season, the sarcastic comebacks Agee unleashes are utterly hilarious.
Unfortunately, after the five episodes I have seen, Freddie Stroma’s Vigilante finds himself banished to the fringes of the story. He still finds time for a few comedic moments with Agee, although they are infrequent. In episode five, he has one of the most poignant moments of the series thus far, which serves as a genuine turning point in his relationship with Chris. However, this moment has been a long time coming. The same can be said of Danielle Brooks’ Leota Adebayo. Unfortunately, like Vigilante, Adenayo finds herself having little to do in the opening episodes.
Yes, she pops up frequently as a voice of reason for the rest of the cast to confide in, but for the most part, she has very little to do. In fairness, she acts as the anchor that keeps the family together. However, this often leads her to take on the role of Chris’s chauffeur for much of the series. After her significant contributions in season one, this shift feels like a step in the wrong direction.
THE GUNN TOUCH
Although James Gunn has written the full series, his commitments to Superman have prevented him from directing every episode. Instead, the DC supremo directed only the first three, while Greg Mottola, Peter Sollett, and Alethea Jones shared the load with the other episodes. Nevertheless, his influence on the show remains constant. This season feels like Gunn operating without a leash, with everything he could think of being thrown into the mix. As always, his process will be controversial to some, while others will praise his bombastic approach. I prefer my superhero stories to follow the traditional lighthearted tone, but at times, Peacemaker gives The Boys a run for its money this season.
As always, Gunn’s influence is evident in the series’ soundtrack, which features a number of well-placed needle drops that keep the series feeling fresh and edgy. It wouldn’t be a Gunn project without several standout tracks, and his curated playlist once again enhances the series with a memorable soundtrack. This will undoubtedly become part of our late summer playlist, and we can only hope Gunn’s selections continue to shape our musical choices for a long time.
VERDICT
Overall, Peacemaker Season 2 continues to build on the foundations of its predecessor but casts off the shackles to deliver a bolder, brasher, and uninhibited storyline that is a joy to watch. Although Gunn’s unrestrained style may be controversial to some, his audacious approach has delivered some genuinely standout nuggets of DC brilliance.
With a wonderfully weighted performance from John Cena and an equally gripping showing from Jennifer Holland, Season 2 is off to a promising start. Where the season will take us remains to be seen. The breadcrumbs have been kept to a minimum here, and that is to the show’s credit. But based on the first five episodes, Peacemaker is back and better than ever; it’s just a shame some of the other characters had to be banished to the sidelines to achieve it.
Peacemaker Season 2 premieres on Sky Max on August 22nd.
Meet Phil Roberts! He’s the dedicated owner, daily content manager, and editor-in-chief of The Future of the Force. Phil is a budding novelist who turned his passion toward writing about the franchises he loves back in 2016. He’s a huge fan of all things Star Wars, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, King Kong, and the Ray Harryhausen movies. Phil is a BFI-accredited journalist and a distinguished member of the Film Critics Association UK.
If he’s not catching a movie at the cinema, you can bet he’s streaming something just as awesome!
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