Much can be different in three years. The first season ofPeacemakerconcluded in February 2022. Since that time, we have witnessed the debut (and financial disappointment) ofBlack Adam, the declared (and later withdrawn) return ofHenry Cavillto the role of Superman, and the abandonment of the DCEU/Snyder-verse style completely, in favor of what is now called the DCU, a “soft reboot” of DC’s characters managed byPeacemaker creator James Gunnand co-CEO Peter Safran along withunveiled on the large screen with last month’s SupermanA great deal has occurred, and we won’t hold it against you if you can’t recall all that transpired duringPeacemaker’s first season.
Founded and directed by James Gunn,PeacemakerThe first season of the show took John Cena’s character from Gunn’sThe Suicide Squad— a somewhat more than mildly unstable vigilante whose official government name is Christopher Smith — and place him at the heart of an action series that also serves as a chaotic workplace comedy. Released from prison following his involvement in the events of that movie, Smith is assigned to “Project Butterfly,” a secret operations team tasked with secretly eliminating a group of aliens who have infiltrated Earth by posing as humans. Accompanying him are government agents Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), John Economos (Steve Agee), and Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), along with Adrian Chase (Freddie Stroma), the vigilante known as, well, Vigilante.
When is Season 2 ofPeacemaker take place?
The sophomore season of Peacemakerexists in a strange position in terms of continuity. It occursafter Gunn’s Supermanand continues story elements from that movie, including the near-destruction of Metropolis—but it’s also a follow-up to season one, which was part of an earlier creative direction.The Suicide Squad, although technically a DCEU film, has a direct impact on the narrative ofPeacemaker, so that story is included in the new canon, along with Gunn’s animated seriesCreature Commandosseries from earlier this year; Gunn has mentioned that all ofPeacemakerSeason 1 unfolded exactly as we witnessed, except for the brief appearance at the end of the season 1 finale by the DCEU version of the Justice League, a team that has not been introduced in Gunn’s DCU so far.
While we continue to await the first episode ofPeacemakerIn season two, we aim to figure out which other elements of the DCEU did or didn’t end up in the official storyline. We think three important plot points from season one will continue into the future and are worth keeping in mind. So, whether you need a reminder or are just getting into the DCU based on its strength.Superman, here’s what you should recall from season one ofPeacemaker.
Family Ties
Like many of Gunn’s works—particularly his threeGuardians of the Galaxy films for Marvel—Peacemakerfocuses on the connections between parents and children. Although Chris and his father are central to the series in many respects—more about that shortly—there are other family relationships that the show examines. In season 1, it is revealed that Adebayo is the daughter of a high-ranking government official named Amanda Waller (who has appeared in previous DC films, as well asforthcoming projects, by Viola Davis), who forces her daughter to set up Peacemaker by hiding a manipulated diary in his house. In the end, Adebayo turns against her mother, revealing to the media the unethical actions of Waller after gaining insight and forming a friendship with Peacemaker.
The first season of Peacemaker, at its heart, is a study of nature versus nurture. Chris Smith’s father Auggie (Robert Patrick) gives Peacemaker advanced technology, including several super-powered helmets; it is disclosed that he physically abused Chris as a child, even forcing both his sons to fight each other for money, which resulted in Smith unintentionally killing his brother Keith.
Oh, and to add insult to injury, Auggie is a Nazi who also serves as an armored supervillain called the White Dragon. The penultimate episode of season one ends with Peacemaker murdering his father. However, the lasting impact of years of abuse is made evident when Auggie appears as a ghost to torment Chris in the final moments of the season one finale. Although he may be gone, Auggie is definitely not forgotten.
The Flag Factor
Another father-son dynamic to remember is that of Rick Flag Jr. (portrayed by Joel Kinnaman inThe Suicide Squad) and his father, the military general Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo), who first appeared in the DCU on television inCreature Commandos and was featured in Superman. Grillo and Kinnaman have not yet appeared together on screen as father and son; toward the end ofThe Suicide Squad, following Waller’s instructions to conceal further government wrongdoing, Peacemaker kills Flag Jr. before being shot and abandoned by Bloodsport (Idris Elba).
In Season 2 of Peacemaker, Flag Senior will be assuming the role of head of the spy organization A.R.G.U.S. (Advanced Research Group of the United States) following a successful operation with theCreature Commandos. With Papa Flag leading a significant military organization and Peacemaker roaming freely without facing consequences for his actions, a confrontation between them appears inevitable.
Pocket Dimensions
Lex Luthor isn’t the only character in the DC Universe who has access to a pocket dimension. As shown in the first season, Auggie stores his costume and Peacemaker’s collection of helmets inside a “Quantum Unfolding Storage Area,” which is essentially a pocket universe he designed. The fact that Auggie created this, as Vigilante notes, “is pretty smart for a racist.”
Although its role in the first season is limited—it essentially serves as a storage space for Peacemaker’s helmets and Auggie’s armor—there is ample evidencein the previews for season twoThis pocket dimension is set to have a significantly bigger impact. That’s correct, we’re only two projects into the DCU, but it seems we’re already witnessing some multiversal antics.
When is the release date for Season Two of Peacemaker?
The first episode of PeacemakerThe second season is released on Thursday, August 21, available on HBO Max, with the first of eight new episodes premiering weekly from now until early October.
