Peacemaker, the breakout HBO Max hit DCEU series of 2022, is gearing up for an eagerly anticipated second season. DC Studios Co-CEO James Gunn recently shed light on which characters are returning.
While Peacemaker Season 1 was firmly embedded in Zack Snyder’s DC Extended Universe (DCEU), Gunn has confirmed that Season 2 will unfold within the freshly minted DC Universe (DCU) he and Peter Safran are crafting. This has the potential of being confusing as all hell, but we’re willing to give the benefit of the doubt.
James Gunn took to his Threads account to announce that he has completed writing the eighth and final episode of Peacemaker Season 2, signaling the imminent start of production for the wildly popular Max (formerly HBO Max) superhero series.
Gunn hinted at his plan to seamlessly navigate the show’s shift from the DCEU to the DCU. Notably, he opted for a continuation of Season 1 rather than a reboot, citing his deep affection for working on the show as his primary motivation. We’re really curious to see how they make this work!
Gunn assured fans that the universal shift would not dominate the storyline in Season 2, emphasizing that it wouldn’t be a significant focal point. He also responded to a fan’s query about the show’s dance sequence intro, confirming a new and different opening for Season 2. He playfully mentioned that “a lot of dancing people died first season,” teasing a fresh dance intro with new and returning characters.
John Cena, the lead star of Peacemaker, also chimed in on the show’s future during a recent interview, expressing his enthusiasm and hinting at the exciting developments in Season 2. Cena, who plays the lethal Christopher Smith, acknowledged James Gunn’s commitment to the project, stating, “what he says, usually he does.”
Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple), known for her role as Leota Adebayo in Season 1, shared her optimism about Peacemaker Season 2. The Academy Award nominee confirmed the second season, stating, “It’s happening. When? Not quite sure.” Brooks hinted at a potential later start for production in the year.
On that note, the reveal of Brooks’s character being the daughter of Amanda Waller (played by Viola Davis), it’s a relatively safe bet that Waller herself will make an appearance in Peacemaker Season 2. This may also serve as a lead-in to the Waller solo spinoff that James Gunn mentioned in the slate of DC Universe projects announced back in January 2023.
Aside from Adebayo, Gunn also confirmed the two other agents part of Team Peacemaker John Economos (Steve Agee) and Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) would both be returning. Of course, the latter just adds credence to the accusations of nepotism that Gunn keeps bringing to his productions.
One character that has not been confirmed is Adrian Chase aka Vigilante (played by Freddie Stroma). However, given the character’s popularity among fans, it just may be a matter of time before his return in Peacemaker Season 2 is announced.
One thing that fans anticipating the second season of Peacemaker should note is that filming might face a delay pending the completion of Superman: Legacy. Gunn is deeply involved in its production as the director and scriptwriter. Unless some changes are made, Peacemaker Season 2 would require him to continue as showrunner or delegate those responsibilities to a replacement to give him time to focus on the Superman reboot.
As fans eagerly await the return of the popular series, one question lingers: Which other characters (and the actors that played them) from the previous DCEU will be folded into the new and evolving DC Universe under James Gunn’s watch?
