Peacemaker blasts back onto Max for an all-new, eight-episode second season, and the chaos, comedy, and carnage have never been better.
Christopher “Chris” Smith, aka Peacemaker, returns with his absurdly misguided mission: achieving peace… no matter how many skulls get cracked along the way. This time, the brash vigilante finds himself confronting not just a new world — one that mirrors everything he’s ever wanted — but the ghosts of his own traumatic past. It’s a season that challenges him to decide whether he will keep running from those demons or finally take the future into his own hands. What follows is a ride packed with over-the-top action, outrageous humor, and moments of surprising emotional depth.
Peacemaker’s roots stretch back to Fightin’ 5 #40 from Charlton Comics in 1966, created by writer Joe Gill and artist Pat Boyette. In those early days, Christopher Smith was a deeply committed pacifist willing to take extreme measures to end conflict, a man whose obsession with peace made him a unique figure among comic book heroes. Charlton, struggling to keep its doors open, eventually shuttered its comics division in 1986. Around that time, DC Comics stepped in, acquiring the Charlton characters — including Blue Beetle, Captain Atom, The Question, and Peacemaker himself. Once at DC, the character took on a darker, more complex edge, reimagined as a mentally unstable vigilante haunted by the ghost of his Nazi father and the victims left in his wake.
This reinvention suited the 1980s, a time when flawed antiheroes like Wolverine and the Punisher were dominating the comic book landscape. Peacemaker became a figure of violent conviction, his morality as unstable as his mind. But as the decade closed and the mid-’90s arrived, reader interest faded, culminating in his death in 1993. For years, Peacemaker was little more than a footnote in DC history. That changed when director James Gunn cast John Cena in The Suicide Squad (2021), where Cena’s gleefully over-the-top yet oddly vulnerable performance reinvigorated the character, paving the way for the hit Peacemaker series.
Season two wastes no time building on the groundwork laid in its debut. Cena once again proves himself an ideal fit for the role, nailing the delicate balance between swaggering absurdity and emotional vulnerability. His Peacemaker is still a braggart and a buffoon, but cracks are showing in the armor — cracks that reveal the painful truths driving his reckless pursuit of “peace.” The show manages to pull off the rare feat of making you laugh one moment and feel genuine sympathy for its lead the next.
The returning ensemble keeps the dynamic sharp and unpredictable. Danielle Brooks shines as Leota Adebayo, torn between her loyalty to her mother, Amanda Waller, and her growing moral compass. Freddie Stroma continues to be a scene-stealer as Adrian Chase/Vigilante, Peacemaker’s overeager sidekick whose commitment to crimefighting often outpaces his competence. Jennifer Holland brings a grounded toughness to Emilia Harcourt, while Steve Agee’s John Economos offers perfectly timed deadpan humor. Newcomers Tim Meadows as A.R.G.U.S. agent Langston Fleury and Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr. — the grizzled former Creature Commandos leader now heading A.R.G.U.S. — fit seamlessly into Gunn’s offbeat, character-driven world, with Grillo bridging the animated and live-action sides of the DC Universe.
James Gunn wrote every episode this season, and his fingerprints are all over the sharp dialogue, wild tonal swings, and bursts of surreal comedy. The pacing is brisk, with each episode advancing both the action and the characters’ emotional arcs. Fight scenes remain kinetic and brutal, but always tinged with humor, reminding you that this is a world where outrageous spectacle coexists with intimate storytelling. Whether it’s a ludicrous firefight, a bizarre pop-culture riff, or a moment of quiet character reflection, Gunn’s touch ensures that nothing feels wasted.
And of course, no review would be complete without mentioning the series’ newest gift to pop culture: the brand-new dance opening. Following in the footsteps of the now-iconic Season 1 opener, this one is a gloriously absurd, tightly choreographed sequence that sets the perfect tone — part parody, part celebration, and completely unforgettable. It’s a reminder that Peacemaker thrives on doing the unexpected, embracing its weirdness, and owning it with total commitment.
The Max Original series Peacemaker, from DC Studios and Warner Bros. Television, created for television by James Gunn and starring John Cena, returns for its eight-episode second season Thursday, August 21 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO Max. If you loved Season 1, you’ll find even more to enjoy here — bigger laughs, sharper action, and a deeper dive into one of DC’s most unlikely, and oddly endearing, antiheroes.
Dan Kleiner 
Newsdesk