On paper, Peacemaker shouldn’t have worked. The titular character isn’t even a C-list superhero, and the show doesn’t have any higher-tiered characters, except for a surprise cameo near the end. However, James Gunn (of Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad fame) took to this show with gusto, infusing it with his signature manic energy and humor and balancing it with heartfelt moments and pathos.
After recovering from his injuries sustained in The Suicide Squad, Chris Smith aka Peacemaker (John Cena) is once again recruited by A.R.G.U.S. to work on something called Project Butterfly. He’s joined by the no-nonsense Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), her boss Murn (Chukwudi Iwuji), the fish-out-of-water Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), and the surprisingly badass John Economos (Steve Agee). Later, Peacemaker is also joined by his partner/fanboy/groupie, Vigilante (Freddie Stroma) and he inadvertently pisses off his racist father, Auggie (Robert Patrick) who has his own followers and has also built a litany of super-powered accessories for Chris and himself. Soon, Chris realizes that what he’s involved in goes deeper than he possibly could have thought.
Like The Boys, Peacemaker couches the plot and characters inside scenes of outrageous violence and humor. The slightly chaotic nature of the show might put off some viewers, but if you get used to it, you can appreciate the beauty of that chaos. Peacemaker wouldn’t have worked without John Cena’s commitment to the role. He shows off his range with scenes that require emotional depth and vulnerability. He’s ably assisted by other robust cast members such as Robert Patrick, Freddie Stroma, and Danielle Brooks to name a few. Stroma, in particular, is great as the psychotic but also lovable Vigilante.
Some have touted Peacemaker as James Gunn’s best work so far, and that might not be far from the truth.
He’s one of the few directors around who puts in a lot of needle drops in the soundtrack but he does it deftly enough to not annoy his audience. The overarching plot also pays homage to classic body snatcher films. The action scenes are also both outlandish and grounded, making both one-on-ones and sprawling free-for-alls engaging.
The humor is expectedly crass, but it pays off in unexpected ways. For instance, an easy running joke about Economos dyeing his beard gets a surprisingly emotional payoff in the finale. Another payoff is Adebayo not believing that Peacemaker’s pet eagle, Eagly, hugging him, and then she sees it for herself and takes it as a sign from above. Peacemaker has a lurid story about almost every superhero, and then it turns out his story about Aquaman may actually be true.
Peacemaker is paced almost perfectly. Although the story wraps up by the end of the eight-episode-long first season, the show has already been renewed for a second season. Here’s to hoping the second season is just as good and advances the characters in meaningful ways.
