Peacemaker season 2 kicked off with its first episode at the end of August 2025. Currently standing at a 97% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it ranks as one of the highest-rated superhero TV shows of all time on the review website. Fresh off the success of Superman, James Gunn continues his streak of well-regarded superhero projects with a multiverse story that not only recaptures the magic of the first season, but actually manages to outdo it.
Season 1 of Peacemaker worked well as a comedic spin-off of a character from The Suicide Squad, but season 2 cements Peacemaker as one of the most well-rounded DC characters depicted in visual media. From the character development to the emotional story, Peacemaker season 2 has already outdone the first season with only its first couple of episodes.
Here are 8 ways Peacemaker season 2 is already better than season 1.
Season 2 Is More Emotional Than Season 1
Although season 1 had a compelling emotional narrative involving Peacemaker and his father, Auggie Smith, the season served much more as a comedy. Season 2, however, is going into far more dramatic territory. Peacemaker’s development in the first five episodes sees him struggling to find his place in his universe, and by the end of the fifth episode, he traps himself in an alternative timeline where his peers accept him, as well as having strong relationships with his father and brother. The foundation of the story, following Peacemaker’s relationship with his family and friends, makes for a far more satisfying experience compared to the first season, which had its own set of compelling elements.
The Opening Dance Sequence Conveys the Tone of the Season Perfectly
James Gunn has the near-impossible task of creating an opening dance number that outdoes the first season, and it surprisingly lives up to the hype. While the sequence has many quirks that correlate to the first season’s intro, the newest season has far more emotive dances. From reestablishing the romantic bond between Peacemaker and Emilia Harcourt while expressing the depression that Peacemaker is going through, the intro only gets better upon watching the show.
The Writing Is Stronger
Peacemaker season 1 is incredibly well-written by James Gunn, skillfully creating a captivating superhero story that also makes fun of the genre. Season 2 focuses less on the satirical elements of the show in favor of the characters’ emotional journeys. Gunn conveys Peacemaker’s struggle with his own acceptance in an extremely empathetic manner, with the character as well as his physical surroundings representing ideas of purpose and love in ways that most superhero content fails to capture.
The Humor Is as Strong as Ever
One of the biggest aspects that made Peacemaker season 1 so great is the humor. Gunn’s dark and silly sense of humor works perfectly for the Peacemaker world, expressing how the lead can be depicted as a “no-nonsense” character while also having its own absurdist moments. Season 2 dials back on the comedy compared to the first season, but still has many standout funny moments. The scenes involving A.R.G.U.S. employees specifically stand out as some of the funniest sequences in the entire series.
It Helps Provide a Clear Direction for the DCU
Peacemaker season 1 originally took place in the DCEU, but has since been added to the DCU after James Gunn rebooted the franchise. Because of this, many DC fans questioned how they were going to tie Peacemaker into the new universe, and how they did it is surprisingly satisfying. Not only were they able to switch timelines to a compelling degree, but season 2 successfully sets up what the DCU will look like in the future. The engrossing multiverse story is not only a great representation of how the multiverse works here, with a pocket universe acting as an area to jump to different timelines, but also sets up how it could be utilized in the future of the DCU.
Episode 1 of Season 2 Explains Where ‘Peacemaker’ Fits in the DCU Perfectly
If there is a big change in an ongoing franchise, most filmmakers will spend lots of time attempting to explain how the change impacts the series, but Peacemaker season 2 brushes over it in a couple seconds during the recap section. In the recap, it explains that the only change is that the Justice Gang are the ones who appear in the finale of Peacemaker season 1 instead of the DCEU Justice League. Not only did this make for an easy understanding of how these characters fit into the new DCU, but allowed the filmmakers to focus more time on the story of season 2 instead of spending so much time trying to connect Peacemaker to the new universe.
Sets Up the Multiverse in a Compelling Way
The multiverse has become one of the most popular directions that superhero projects can take. With the success of the Spider-Verse films as well as Spider-Man: No Way Home showing that audiences are eager for more multiverse content, it was no surprise to see Gunn tackle it in Peacemaker. Gunn takes a different route for multiverse storytelling, however, focusing less on cameos and more on how multiple universes can affect the psyche of the characters. Using the multiverse as a way to represent the characters’ emotional state makes for a more compelling watch than most multiverse-centered projects.
‘Peacemaker’ Doesn’t Explain How the Door to Different Universes Occurs, and That’s a Good Thing
In season 2, it is discovered that Peacemaker got access to the multiverse door after his brother and father stumbled upon it after fighting a monster in the woods. Instead of the door being created by anyone, the show simply states that it fell into their possession. In most superhero projects, the door would’ve been created by someone with an elaborate explanation of how it came to be, but Peacemaker refreshingly avoids this. Especially in live action, superhero content struggles to embrace silliness in favor of realism, and to see Peacemaker focus less on logic and more on creating a faithful and well-executed adaptation of the character makes for an invigorating experience.
The Stakes Feel Higher
One issue of Peacemaker season 1 is that it lacked stakes. While the Butterflies had end-of-the-world intentions and murdered many of the side characters in the show, the show’s heavy focus on comedy took away the fear that the villains should’ve inspired. While season 2 has its fair share of comedic moments, its focus on the drama adds much more weight to the central conflict. Despite not having a central villain in its first five episodes, the strength in the drama brings much higher stakes to the characters.
The Multiverse Makes the Internal Conflict Feel Massive in Scale
Not only does the dramatic telling of the story in Peacemaker season 2 make the stakes higher, but the multiverse story gives the show a grand feeling. The show jumping back between two universes represents how Peacemaker’s emotional journey not only lies within the confines of the character, but something that can be empathized with between entire universes. Making a superhero show focused on the protagonist’s depression could easily go wrong, but Peacemaker handles the themes in all the right ways.
The Supporting Cast Is Given More To Do
Although the supporting cast of Peacemaker have their own storylines in the first season, in particular Danielle Brooks’ Adebayo, season 2 sees them fleshed out even more. Characters like Emilia Harcourt and John Economos are given much bigger boosts in season 2, struggling with being faithful to their friends as well as their jobs. James Gunn has shown in his previous superhero projects that he can give depth to supporting characters, and that carries over in Peacemaker season 2.
Jennifer Holland Is Excellent as Emilia Harcourt
The casting of James Gunn’s wife, Jennifer Holland, as one of the lead characters of Peacemaker may make some people’s eyes roll, but she proved to be an excellent choice for Emilia Harcourt. Holland skillfully adapts a toxic masculinity persona to the secret agent role, simultaneously blending insecurity with a threatening presence that makes for a character that is always watchable. Gunn is notorious for casting his friends and family into his projects, but all of them have given great performances, and that includes Jennifer Holland.
Themes of Family Are Explored Deeper
One of the bigger themes explored in both seasons of Peacemaker so far is family. In season 1, Peacemaker grapples with the toxic relationship he has with his father as well as the guilt he holds for accidentally killing his brother at a young age. Season 2 pushes that development even more, with alternate versions of Peacemaker’s father and brother giving him a second chance to redeem his relationship with them as well as the chance to fight his internal regrets. Most of Peacemaker’s arc in season 1 happens internally, but season 2 takes it a step further by having a physical embodiment of his conflict appear in an alternative universe, making for a deeper interpretation of his story.
John Cena Is Incredible as Peacemaker
It should come as no surprise that a man who performs stunts for a living is great at playing a superhero character, but John Cena is genuinely perfect as Peacemaker. Not only does his physicality fit beautifully for the Peacemaker character, but Cena expresses his range as an actor by jumping between comedy and drama seamlessly. With his work on both seasons of Peacemaker and The Suicide Squad, he has proved that he is one of the best comic book castings in recent memory, and one of the most underrated actors working today.
The New Cast Members Add a Stronger Sense of Humor and Gravitas to the Series
The cast of Peacemaker season 1 felt so much like “lightning in a bottle” that it was hard to see any new cast members delivering on the same highs. Season 2 proved this wrong almost immediately. Although Frank Grillo voiced Rick Flag Sr. in Creature Commandos as well as having a brief appearance in Superman, his first major role as the character in live action is in Peacemaker season 2. His character may lack the comedic sensibilities of the rest of the cast, but he works great as the current antagonist of the show. David Denman is also great as Peacemaker’s brother from an alternative timeline, bringing the warmth that Peacemaker desperately needed in season 1. Gunn has also shown to bring excellent casts to his projects, and Peacemaker season 2 is no different.
Tim Meadows Is the Perfect Comedic Relief
Tim Meadows hasn’t been in many major projects in the past couple of years, so to see him in season 2 of Peacemaker is a major delight. Not only is his presence welcome, but he gives one of the most fun and best performances as a narcissistic A.R.G.U.S officer. His dry delivery of the character’s absurd dialogue makes for an always engaging performance that elevates the comedy that the series expertly introduced in season 1.
Release Date
January 13, 2022
Network
HBO Max, Max
Directors
James Gunn, Brad Anderson, Rosemary Rodriguez
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Christopher Smith / Peacemaker
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Danielle Brooks
Leota Adebayo
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