‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 Review

This review was made possible by Sky providing advance screeners of Episodes 1-5 of Peacemaker Season 2.

It’s been long, it’s been way too long, but finally, peace has been restored. Nearly 3 years after the conclusion of the beloved first season of Peacemaker, Season 2 has finally arrived. Halted by writer and director James Gunn’s ascension to the DC Comics throne and the heralding of Superman and the wider DCU, the time has finally come for the return of Christopher Smith and his endless quest for peace. Gunn and co subvert expectations here however, with the follow-up season further zeroing in on the titular anti-hero and primarily focusing on his struggle find his place in the world, struggling with the fact that even though he saved it and turned down a brighter path, the pieces of his puzzle have yet to fall into place as he’d hoped.

Peace To The World(s)

When we last left our good ol’ pal Peacemaker and the gang, they’d saved the world from the meager, yet mighty butterflies and their titanic cow. The aftermath of this leading to Leota Adebayo, the daughter of Amanda Waller, blowing the whistle on ARGUS and Task Force X, airing out each and every piece of dirty laundry she could. A few continuity changes are quickly made in the recap of season 1 that ease the audience into the second season, major? sure, yet mostly unaffecting of the central narrative aside from the swapping of universes and context. While Creature Commandos and Superman were very much products of the DCU, Peacemaker making this transition with its changes are effective in separating the previous universe and this one, really hammering in that we are now fully submerged into James Gunn’s sandbox, and not the mismatched Frankenstein of cinematic universes past.

Like Gunn has stated before, if it’s mentioned or shown in the DCU, it is canon. This specifically pertaining to plot threads from the DC Extended Universe being followed up on in this season, which, without going into spoilers, happens multiple times with one that many will likely not see coming. Some of these plot threads loom heavily over this season, specifically one involving a past misdeed of Peacemaker’s that has not sat well with those affected. The affected in question you wonder? Rick Flag Sr, who has since made it his sole purpose to seek revenge on Peacemaker, using every available asset in ARGUS’ disposal since taking over the organization. For the most part Chris remains unaware of the threat he’s about to face as he wrestles with the disappointing reality of his life and the outcome of what saving the world has gotten him. The discovery of this mirror dimension sends Chris spiraling, even more so when he realizes its the life he’s felt he has always deserved.

This season feels like much more of a slow burn than its predecessor, with Chris’s inner turmoil and introspection being the focal point of the season. It may take some viewers some time to realize that, and without that realization the season can at times feel like its stuck and can feel stagnant at time without that context. However, when you do finally realize what this season is about you’re able to really empathize and appreciate the journey that this character is being sent on. The real antagonist of this season is Chris’s own past and the future he continues to chase, seemingly out of grasp more and more as each day passes. He must face the consequences of his own actions as he tries to put them behind him and they keep pulling at him.

Gunn may be most notorious for his humor, for better or for worse. Some say he never knows when to reign it in and other have little to no problem with it. At times it can have it’s drawbacks. potentially muddying the thematic nature of a scene and its intentions and that may be true for one scene early on, the Justice Gang interview. Through all the crude humor comes a question that really puts a light on the season and its story, its when Maxwell Lord asks Peacemaker who he’s killed for “no good reasons.” He’s able to admit that he was once someone who hasn’t always been discriminating about his violent tendencies but they just really aren’t willing to hear him out. This scene sets excellently sets the tone for the season moving forward, it shows that people only want to remember him for what he was, and not what he’s trying to become. At its core this is a show about somebody whose been through so much abuse and neglect not trying to make peace for the world, but really for himself.

Helmets Off To John Cena

In the conversation of best professional wrestler turned actor, the deliberation is almost always clear and concise. Not to compare and contrast, but it feels pretty unanimous that John Cena is one of the best, trailing the talent of Dave Bautista. Peacemaker has arguably become Cena’s most iconic role, and for very good reason. Cena has been praised for his incredible comedic ability, yet what is often overlooked is his dramatic capabilities. Many will remember the moments between him and his father, Auggie Smith, as well as the piano scene featuring Cena’s piano rendition of Mötley Crüe’s “Home Sweet Home.” Cena yet again proves himself as a strong actor with an even more emotional performance, while still being able to balance his comedic tendencies.

It’s like whenever Cena puts the helmet and khaki’s back on he just flips that switch in his head and returns to Peacemaker mode. It becomes increasingly more and more strange to be able to praise the performance of a character like this. He just feels like such a walking gag yet one you cant help but feel like is the most serious character on the show, he’s the most emotional and the most empathetic and there may not be another person that could have played the role as perfectly as Cena manages to do.

Return of The 11th Street Kids

What made the first season of Peacemaker so special was it’s cast. The dynamics were special and the growing relationships were an absolute joy to watch. To see this random assortment of characters come together and grow to become what they are now was what really sold a lot of people on the show, and while most of these characters return (sorry Murn) they don’t exactly spend a lot of time together. Like previously stated, the exposure of Task Force X has looming consequences on this season, one of those being that they are not the previously formed 11th Street Kids as of this moment, yes they’re still friends but many of them had not seen each other in months. That distance between the characters and their time apart is greatly felt, so much so that you can actively feel yourself missing it, yearning for it even. When it does eventually happen at the end of episode 5, when they truly become the 11th Street Kids again, that chemistry is electric. You can immediately feel that energy again and it is insatiable.

There is one unfortunate casualty this season, no this isn’t spoiling any death or anything but the unfortunate truth is that Gunn may not have known what exactly to do with Freddie Stroma’s Adrian Chase this season. He just doesn’t really have anything to do besides tag along with someone else for most of the first five episodes, in fact the character doesn’t even suit up as Vigilante once. He just meanders around the story as a sidekick spouting incorrect animal facts. Fortunately you’ve got Stroma who is just a joy in general, he’s as charming as ever even if he’s never really doing much.

The goat Leota Adebayo is back, somewhat single and ready to mingle, and by mingle I mean protect you from external threats as your personal bodyguard. Inspired by her bestie Peacemaker and her turn to heroism in Season 1, Adebayo sets her sights on becoming a world renowned bodyguard. Even with her own issues though, she is there for Chris when he needs her. Their relationship may be the best of this show, sure Him and Vig are total bros, this one feels much more heartwarming. She really hears him out, she is always a shoulder for him to cry on and someone who’s willing to give him advice. Danielle Brooks is just a great actress, she matches Cena’s energy well and remains one of the shows most lovable characters.

Without going into spoilers, Harcourt may have the most unique storyline here, even if it’s somewhat similar to Economos’ with the only difference being their relationship with Peacemaker making one situation more individual than the other. Emilia’s storyline may have you wondering if Peacemaker has it as hard as she does. Having been blacklisted by every major government agency as a final middle finger from Waller, she’s just as lost as peacemaker but has a much more violent way of showing it. Her and Chris are a lot of like, she would never admit that or even let that cross her mind but we as the audience perfectly understand that. The two of them have a really rough go of it this season, their relationship has strained since last season and it’s something that weighs heavily on Chris’s mind.

If you were wondering about Economos, don’t worry! he’s still the same pushover who gets relentlessly bullied!

New Kids On The Street

This season introduces an array new characters, some original and some familiar to comic book fans. The standout of them all? Tim Meadows as Agent Langston Fleury, just an utter goofball of a character, an incomprehensible enigma of a character. You never know what is going to come out of his mouth and the main thought you may have is how the hell did he get this job. Meadows sells it well, but of course he does, Its Tim Meadows! His running gag of “bird blindness” gets funnier as the episodes go on, at first it’s pretty stupid and you wonder if they’re really going to commit to it and then it just keeps happening and happening and begrudgingly learn to love this character even if he’s slightly annoying at first.

Amongst the ARGUS agents comes Sol Rodriguez as Sasha Bordeaux, equipped with her cybernetic abilities from the comics, she’s just as much of a badass as she is a hard ass. Sasha is tough, she is stern and direct and very much no-nonsense, which of course is in abundance with Langston. While her origins seemingly differ here, the show doesn’t make great strides into her backstory and merely presents her as a high-ranking agent within the organization, aligning with Flagg Sr’s goal of catching the Peacemaker. On the topic of no-nonsense Hard ass’s, Frank Grillo reprises his role as Rick Flagg Sr. and is a big ball of rage each and every time he steps into a scene, doing anything and everything to kill Peacemaker and avenge his son

Everywhere we go, a friend of James Gunn will follow, and this time the wheel landed on Michael Rooker. The Gunn staple steps into the shoes of Red St. Wild, a legendary eagle hunter brought into kill Eagly after he total kicks the shits out of a full squad of ARGUS goons. Eagly really steps up his game this season, one episode includes an absolutely bonkers action scene where Eagly rips and tears through a squad of armed foes, so much so that ARGUS has to turn to a total crackpot asshole, uniquely dubbed “captain cultural appropriation” and the “dumbest person ever” by Economos and Judomaster respectively. It feels like a bit of a b-plot, it isn’t terribly interesting until it really gets interesting, and that’s really not towards the end of it.

‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 – Final Thoughts

James Gunn manages to do it again, somehow. Many worried about this show, specifically with Gunn having so many irons on the fire but the landing can be considered stuck. Led by an excellent performance from its chrome dome leading man, John Cena. Peacemaker Season 2 manages to tell a mostly focused story about consequences and inner turmoil that hinges on what happens when nothing happens, when life keeps beating you down, and you keep getting back up hoping to find some other outcome that never arrives. Cena proves that even the most unserious of characters can be the most compelling. Alongside a wonderfully diverse roster of characters, some new and some old, the DCU continues its winning streak with this follow up season. Now please don’t make us wait 3 years to see this character again, PLEASE!

Peacemaker Season 2 premieres on HBO Max on August 21, 2025. Check out a trailer below: