Maxance Vincent
If you, like me, thought James Gunn’s transposition of Superman was a massive disappointment, perhaps you entered the second season of Peacemaker with some trepidation. After all, Gunn seemed to have stretched his hands thin as co-CEO of DC Studios, while also juggling the responsibilities of writing two entire seasons of television (with Creature Commandos) and directing the first feature film in a franchise that might not have worked if Superman wasn’t a commercial success.
Thankfully, audiences seemed to have enjoyed this “punk rock” revival of the Man of Steel, which means that this new DC Universe may continue both in film and television. As we’re still introduced to how Gunn and company will tell stories within this burgeoning cinematic universe, we now have our first live-action series, the second season of an already established character in the DC Extended Universe, following the events of Gunn’s The Suicide Squad.
One wonders exactly how Gunn would manage to bring characters from a “dead” universe into a new one to follow their stories. The solution is simple: retcon a few things at the beginning of the first episode, through a “previously, on…” montage that keeps some of the most essential story beats of the first season while slightly modifying some elements to include Christopher Smith/Peacemaker (John Cena) within the canon of the DCU. Credit where credit is due, we immediately buy into this and forget this lingering question was ever asked for over two years, once Gunn began to spearhead the direction of this connected cinematic universe.
The season is set a month after the events of Superman. It follows Peacemaker as he continues to grapple with his sense of self and attempts to find meaning in a life that has sadly been devoid of it, ever since the loss of his brother and the grip his abusive father, Auggie Smith (Robert Patrick), had on Chris before he manned up and killed him in the first season. He believes his newfound purpose is to help the universe and become the hero he has always dreamed of being, after saving it with “The 11th Street Kids,” Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), John Economos (Steve Agee), Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), and Adrian Chase (Freddie Stroma).
However, when his audition to join the Justice Gang doesn’t go well, and everyone has ignored his exploits in “Project Butterfly,” Chris begins to feel more alone than he ever was in his life, feeling that his time on this planet (or universe) has little to no purpose. The same is said for his 11th Street colleagues, who have had their careers ruined by Adebayo revealing to the public Amanda Waller’s involvement in Project Butterfly. Harcourt and Leota can’t get jobs, while Adrian is still reminiscing about his time as Peacemaker’s best friend, and Economos now surveils Chris’ house, at the request of newly-appointed A.R.G.U.S. director Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo).
General Flag is still hung up on his son’s death at the hands of Peacemaker and vows revenge, going so far as to find any ounce of dirt on him to put Christopher behind bars. And he may just find it, as in Auggie’s home, a door to a pocket dimension is found, which, recently, with Lex Luthor, caused an incident in Metropolis during the events of Superman. That’s about as far as I’ll go in revealing details on the season, because Gunn’s writing is the sharpest, and most exciting, he’s been since Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3. He fills this season with so many great, and often jaw-dropping, surprises, that to rob you of the pleasure of discovering them on your own would be a sacrilege.
The second season of Peacemaker is, above all else, an even greater showcase for John Cena to demonstrate how incredible an actor he is. Throughout the show’s first five episodes (which were the only ones screened in advance for this review), he imbues some of the most complex emotions he’s ever displayed on screen, whether in the dreary confines of his home or within alternate dimensions. While Christopher Smith was definitely an asshole in The Suicide Squad and made many questionable decisions in that film, Gunn surprisingly drew the character at his most human – and vulnerable – in the show’s first season, and gave Cena the chance to showcase acting abilities he never had the privilege to demonstrate on this scale beforehand.
In the second season, Gunn, alongside directors Greg Mottola, Peter Sollett, and Alethea Jones, expands upon Peacemaker’s vulnerabilities in surprisingly emotional ways, and even draws more intriguing arcs for its side characters to share an equal amount of the spotlight with him. Holland, in particular, expands upon the foundation of Harcourt’s arc in ways I didn’t expect, imbuing her portrayal of the character with such a tangible sense of intimacy that each “funny” line she delivers attempts to mask the perpetual sadness she’s in. It’s surprisingly affecting and gives an even greater layer to the character we didn’t even know existed until it stares at us right in the face.
Many of the show’s characters are surprisingly layered and raw, which is what was severely lacking in Superman. Grillo’s Rick Flag, whose thirst for revenge takes the general, who was introduced in last year’s Creature Commandos and had a memorable appearance in Superman, into a dark territory that I – shockingly – didn’t expect. But that’s what made the first season so good. No matter the otherworldly events that occurred, the reason why we kept watching was in the compellingly written and superbly acted relationships between each protagonist.
The second season is no different in that regard, especially when Gunn focuses on Cena’s titular character. His performance is the best he’s ever been, on the big and small screen, and there’s active doubt he’ll ever top such a magisterial turn anytime soon. Of course, the show still offers plenty of laughs, with Tim Meadows and frequent Gunn collaborator Michael Rooker being massive standouts, but it’s in the most personal moments where this season shines the most, and where Gunn’s writing is at its most powerful.
Of course, this being a superhero show, there are also plenty of exciting action sequences, which seem to take Gunn’s kinetic approach from The Suicide Squad that he’s developed since then and refined it to more precise, often shockingly violent, heights. There’s a great sense of skill in how Gunn and cinematographer Sam McCurdy move the camera and, even with the limitations of TV, attempt to make each bout of action, whether a superhero-driven setpiece or a confrontation between human characters, as thrilling as possible. One major highlight, with no spoilers, is a fight scene involving Judomaster (Nhut Le), who still won’t go down easily, and delivers one unbelievable move after another.
Perhaps my recent watches of Hong Kong films, including Corey Yuen’s Fong Sai Yuk and Lau Kar-leung’s Dirty Ho, have shrouded me in a cloud of bias, where I notice intricacies and fight moves plucked straight out of the greatest action artists that may not even be there, or at least wasn’t the intent of its filmmakers. Yet, some of the fight scenes in the second season seem to take direct inspiration from the Corey Yuen school of throwing people in the air, and it brought a big smile on my face, because there’s a legitimate desire to differentiate these fight scenes from the bevy of bland CGI-driven junk that sadly populates our blockbusters nowadays.
If that’s the one thing I took away from watching the first five episodes of Peacemaker’s second season, then consider me more than pleased. But in an era where superhero entertainment has become more familiar and less interested in taking risks, Gunn proves that there’s still some juice left in the tank after all. Whether or not this will muster more excitement for Gunn’s DCU remains to be seen. Still, I’m far more interested in it now than I was just a month ago, crushingly disappointed at how dull and visually unexciting Superman was. Let’s see if the next three episodes stick the landing, but for now, this DC fan is over the moon and can’t wait to see what’s next. If that’s not a ringing endorsement, what is?
The second season of Peacemaker debuts August 21 at 9:00p.m. ET on HBO Max followed by one new episode weekly through October 9.
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