Spoilers for Peacemaker and Superman

The new season of Peacemaker is underway, and it’s great. Was there any doubt it would be?

The DCU takes shape

The new season comes on the heels of James Gunn’s Superman movie and serves as a continuation of the story. I’m fairly happy about that; normally, we have to wait months or even years for the next instalment of a story (especially from DC). This time, there’s barely been a gap. To be sure, Peacemaker season 2 is a story in its own right, as it should be, but it does pick up some narrative threads of the movie.

Season 2 also features several Superman characters. I’ll talk about the specific characters further down; for now, I’ll just say that none of the cameos felt forced. They were all natural inclusions. It was more like a comic book-style crossover than a cameo hype train. That is, their inclusions made sense story-wise. There was also a Peacemaker cameo in the Superman film, for that matter, though that one was for fun rather than story.

I do think it’s amusing that, so far, every canon and semi-canon entry in the DCU was created by James Gunn personally: Peacemaker, Superman, Creature Commandos, and The Suicide Squad 2021. Placing him in charge has effectively been a carte blanche for him to create whatever he wants. I’m not criticising, though, the result has been great. (There is also Blue Beetle, actually, the canonicity of which is unclear.)

The Story

The new season finds Chris Smith, A.K.A. Peacemaker, in a bad place. He’s struggling to come to terms with the loss of his brother, the abuse he experienced from his father (now dead) and his own violent actions. His romantic feelings for Harcourt are also unreciprocated.

Meanwhile, his friends are scattered to the winds and experiencing difficulties of their own. Adebayo has separated from her partner and is struggling to find work; Harcourt has been blacklisted by the intelligence agencies, due to Waller’s lingering influence; John Economos is still employed but has been saddled with a graveyard assignment. He’s been forced to spy on Peacemaker by a vengeful General Rick Flag Sr., who wants revenge for the death of his son, Rick Flag Jr., at Peacemaker’s hand (in The Suicide Squad); Vigilante, meanwhile, remains in typically good spirits, now calling and annoying John Economos on a daily basis.

In this context, Peacemaker discovers that his dad’s season 1 pocket universe contains a door to an alternate world, in which his life is seemingly perfect. His brother is still alive, his father is kind and affectionate, and he has a relationship with Harcourt. He’s a superhero as well. It’s everything he’s ever wanted. The episode ends with a misunderstanding and a fight in which Peacemaker accidentally kills his alternate self. He’ll presumably be tempted to jump realities now, abandoning his own life.

In the end, I suspect the seemingly perfect universe will be revealed as less than perfect, and perhaps fascistic, given his abusive father’s role in it. Peacemaker will ultimately find himself fighting its inhabitants, who’ll no doubt want revenge for their Peacemaker. There’s a lot to look forward to this season.

As a side note, I’d also say that this is a multiverse story done right. Multiverse shenanigans, especially in the superhero genre, can often get out of hand. A fact that Marvel is demonstrating. They get confusing and messy, and they often undermine the narrative, removing any stakes, but they’re not inherently bad. Multiverse stories that focus on character motives and the allure of a better life are great (Everything Everywhere All at Once is a really good multiverse film).

Meanwhile, the government has become acutely aware of the potentially world-destroying implications of pocket universes, due to their recent experiences in the Superman movie. Peacemaker’s possession of a pocket universe will subsequently give Rick Flag Sr. the excuse he needs to get revenge, though for now, John Economos is covering.

All in all, a great episode that sets up a lot of interesting dynamics. I’m excited to see where it goes. There were a ton of great moments throughout as well. The new intro was particularly amazing, as was season 1’s intro. James Gunn nailed it again. (You can briefly see Frank Grillo break at the end, which is fun; he was clearly having a great time). The episode also has some brief references to the public’s growing distrust and fear of metahumans. Going forward, this will presumably be a plot point across the entire DCU.

The Justice Gang

I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention the Justice Gang. In the episode’s opening catch-up sequence, they remade season 1’s ending to be in keeping with the DCU continuity. The season had originally concluded with the DCEU Justice League arriving to help out, with cameos from Aquaman and Flash. Season 2 replaced them with the Superman film’s Justice Gang, with Guy Gardner and Hawkgirl replacing Aquaman and Flash. James Gunn has said he’d like to reshoot several parts of season 1, fixing the continuity, but doesn’t have the money for it right now. This seems like enough to me, though.

That’s not the Justice Gang’s only appearance, either. In his attempt to become a hero, Peacemaker goes through a disastrous interview and gets rejected by them. This is the main cameo, mentioned above, but again, it makes sense story-wise. Peacemakers’ rejection by the superhero community will feed into the parallel world’s allure. In that universe, he is a hero. It’s not a studio-mandated hype train; it’s a natural inclusion.

It’s a fun scene as well. In addition to Guy Gardner and Hawkgirl, this scene also features Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord. He did briefly appear in Superman, but this is his first substantial appearance. To briefly elaborate, the 90s Justice League International comic primarily used B and C-tier characters and was written as a sitcom, in which the Justice League was the passion project of egotistical businessman Maxwell Lord. It’s an amazing comic. It also explains why the A-tier characters can focus on street-level crime instead of working with the Justice League. I am endlessly happy that this is the version James Gunn is using.

Final Thoughts

Peacemaker season 2 is off to a great start. They’ve set up some interesting character dynamics, and I’m looking forward to more. I’m also really hoping we’ll see more of the Justice Gang. With any luck, Amanda Waller will appear at some point as well. There was originally meant to be a Waller show before season 2, but I believe it’s been delayed. Hopefully, that’s still being worked on.

I’ve heard people speculating as well that the parallel world could reintroduce Joel Kinnaman (from The Suicide Squad) as an alternate version of Rick Flag Jr. I hope it does. It would seem a golden opportunity for Rick Flag Sr. and Rick Flag Jr. to interact, something that may otherwise never get depicted. That could be a great character moment for Rick Flag Sr., who’s being set up as a narrative through line of the DCU.

-Dexter