The discussions around James Gunn's Superman haven't died down yet, and the creative director of the new version of the DC Cinematic Universe is striking a new blow. The second season of Peacemaker also finds itself in an interesting situation: the first season of the show took place within Zack Snyder's DC Extended Universe, and the sequel is already within Gunn's own soft reboot of the DC Universe. The changes are unconventional, but they only benefit the show. After all, in this way Gunn managed to simultaneously tell a worthy story and unobtrusively expand his own cinematic universe.
The review is based on screeners that the Mezha editorial team received from Warner Bros.
| Name | Peacemaker |
| Genre | comic book, fantasy, action, comedy, drama |
| Director | James Gunn |
| Cast | John Cena, Robert Patrick, Steve Agee, Jennifer Holland, Danielle Brooks, Frank Grillo and others |
| Channel | HBO Max |
| Episodes | 8 |
| Year | 2025 |
| Link | IMDb |
After the events of the first season, Chris Smith (John Cena), better known as the Peacemaker, has become even more imbued with the ideals of a superhero life and seeks to gain recognition from the world. However, the world sees him as, at best, a naive fool, and at worst, a high-level threat that must be eliminated at the first opportunity. Chris is far from delighted with this attitude, but the case gives him a strange opportunity: the Peacemaker finds a way to another world, where his brother is alive, his relationship with his father is strong and friendly, and the hero himself is respected. Now the Peacemaker needs to understand what is really important to him in the middle of two worlds, and at the same time it is desirable not to fall into the traps of enemies who have gotten as close as possible.
With the first season of "Peacemaker", Gunn proved to skeptics and critics that he skillfully works with little-known superheroes not only in a full-length, but also in an episodic format, which requires more attention to dialogues, characters and nuances of characters. So Chris Smith turned from a niche character into an image that is not ashamed to see in Mortal Kombat 1 as one of the fighters. At the same time, the authors skillfully revealed the environment and context in which the Peacemaker lives. They were the ones who were interested in the first place, and the storyline with the aliens served only as an excuse for the development of the story.
When creating the sequel, Gunn and the team seemed to realize that inventing additional concepts would only harm the story. Therefore, the second season of "Peacemaker" is a very personal story that takes ordinary and not-so-ordinary people, throws them into unusual circumstances and sees what comes of it. In addition, involvement in the DCU has freed Gunn's hands, so all the events within the show are of significant importance. Even to obvious questions, such as "what about the Peacemaker meeting with the Justice League after the transition to the DCU?", the series provides answers.
It's this personal focus that has allowed the writers to use the concept of the multiverse not as a marketing gimmick for fan service, but as a powerful tool for character development. In recent years, the idea of parallel worlds, especially at Marvel, has become a tedious attraction that rarely makes sense scriptedly. Gunn uses the multiverse in the style of classic episodes of The Twilight Zone.
This is not a story about saving realities, but a deeply intimate drama about one person. For Chris Smith, the alternative world is a mirror that shows him a life free from the traumas of the past. It is a temptation that makes him feel his own loneliness even more acutely and ask the question: is he worthy of a better fate, is it possible to escape from himself by simply changing circumstances?
At the center of this emotional storm is John Cena, who in the second season finally proves that he is not just a charismatic wrestler, but an outstanding dramatic actor. He balances with incredible skill on the verge of infantile humor, brutal cruelty and poignant vulnerability. His Peacemaker is a traumatized child in the body of a pumped-up killer, who desperately wants love and recognition, but does not know how to get them except through violence.
The scenes where he confesses his fears or tries to mend his relationship with the team are heart-wrenching. Cena is not afraid to be funny, pathetic, and tragic, often within the same scene, making his character one of the most complex and human in modern superheroics.
At the same time, the series does not lose its signature style. The second season even more boldly plunges into adult content, and this is manifested not only in bloody action scenes or provocative jokes. "Adultery" here is primarily the complexity and ambiguity of the relationships between the characters. Their dialogues are full of passive aggression, unspoken insults and sincere attempts to understand each other.
It's a world where there are no easy solutions, and every action has consequences. At the same time, Gunn doesn't forget his rebellious past: some moments dealing with sex, religion, and politics are so audacious that they evoke memories of his early, even more uncompromising work at Troma.
The second season also does an excellent job of integrating into the new DCU universe. The transition from the old timeline to the new one is played out easily and with humor, almost without drawing attention to itself. The appearance of characters from Superman or other Gunn projects looks organic, expanding the world, but not turning the series into a mandatory addition to the films. However, without knowing the contexts or at least a brief retelling of the other parts of the DCU, watching may seem a bit confusing. Each hero, even "banal" at first glance, gets his moment of glory and is revealed from an unexpected side, which makes the ensemble lively and interesting.
The second season of Peacemaker is a brilliant sequel that not only keeps the bar high, but also raises it to new heights. It is a rare example of a sequel that becomes more focused, deeper, and emotionally mature without losing its own identity. It does not try to give more and better everything, but rather, on the contrary, it cuts off the excess to find the perfect form.
James Gunn has created a unique corner of his universe – brutal, funny, touching and surprisingly human. This is not just another superhero series – it is a gripping story about a broken man trying to pick himself up in a world that has long since fallen apart. It’s just that everyone pretends that it should.
And yes, the new dance for the opening credits is absolutely gorgeous.