by Liam Trump ‘24

Following up his soft reboot of 2016’s Suicide Squad, James Gunn’s Peacemaker offers a refreshing look into heroism. The show, streaming exclusively on HBO Max, takes place directly after the events of The Suicide Squad, where the titular main character Peacemaker (John Cena) gets recruited once again by the U.S. government to hunt down ‘butterflys,’ a group of people taken over by aliens trying to conquer the world that Peacemaker and his team must eliminate. His team, now led by Clemson Murn (Chukwudi Iwuji), is comprised of Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), John Economos (Steve Agee), fellow antihero Vigilante (Freddie Stroma), and newcomer Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks). 

The additional characters may seem like a futile attempt of capturing the previous dynamic found in The Suicide Squad, and during the first few episodes they are very one-note, but as the season plays out, each of them goes through their own arc. Most of them experience grief as they all have troubled pasts and uncertain futures and, by the end, they each become more distinct and turn into something greater than just backup characters for Peacemaker. 

The introduction of Peacemaker’s father Auggie Smith, otherwise known as the White Dragon (Robert Patrick), is one of the best story developments the show has to offer. Peacemaker’s relationship with Auggie has a major effect on him, with the gravity of their troubled past being a constant weight on his shoulders. The end fight between the two of them is a brilliant end to this chapter in Peacemaker’s life, giving him much-needed closure. It’s the type of development this character desperately needed, going from a simple comic relief supporting role in The Suicide Squad to a well-rounded character who has actual motivation for his behavior and moral code. 

The numerous other fight scenes have Gunn’s signature light-hearted gore and violence. Most of the action takes a comedic stance and which is consistent with the overall tone Gunn is trying to deliver. The fluid camerawork, colorful costumes, and memorable soundtrack, comprising mostly of glam-rock gives Peacemaker a unique atmosphere whenever an action scene takes center stage. 

Sadly, Gunn’s type of humor became pretty stale as the show went on. Sure, there are some fun visual gags and satisfying reincorporation, but the majority of the comedy doesn’t stand out as anything special. Most of the jokes make sense, but the setups and punchlines become so repetitive and overly drawn out that they end up existing as background noise to the story rather than witty altercations that can carry a scene. 

But in the end, though, Gunn’s first season of Peacemaker is a delightful outing that has all of his stylistic quirks audiences have come to expect. The first couple of episodes may not have the best hook, but through all the crass humor, abundant profanity, and excessive violence, Peacemaker presents an original look into a B-list comic book character.

Grade: B-