Successfully bringing Task Force X to its proper hierarchy through The Suicide Squad, James Gunn continues the path of one of his most popular figures there through his first spinoff project, the Peacemaker series, narrating the actions of the titular character who is still played by John Cena. And, with the broadcast of the 8th episode yesterday, the Peacemaker season 1 series is complete.
Peacemaker puts the titular character, John Cena’s silver helmet front and center for another high-stakes mission alongside returning characters from The Suicide Squad and several DC Comics heroes and villains making their live-action debuts.
Joining Cena in the series are returning The Suicide Squad cast members Steve Agee and Jennifer Holland, playing former Task Force X handlers John Economos and Emilia Harcourt, respectively, as well as newcomers Danielle Brooks and Chukwudi Iwuji as additional members of the Peacemaker team. Robert Patrick (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) plays Peacemaker’s sadistic father, while Freddie Stroma (Bridgerton) plays Peacemaker’s friend (and fellow costumed killer) Vigilante.
And like The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker succeeds with the strength of its ensemble cast and Gunn’s signature blend of over-the-top action, witty storytelling, and irreverent, self-conscious humour.
While Peacemaker is a kind of spiritual sequel to The Suicide Squad, you don’t need to see the latter to understand this series, which is picked up immediately after the events of the film. The series makes quick work of summarizing the important plots thus far, for both the main character and the multiple secret mission agents Amanda Waller who find themselves reluctant to work with her again.
Fresh out of prison and struggling to find his place in society and the superworld, Peacemaker finds his pursuit of peace at all costs (“no matter how many men, women, and children I have to kill for it”) challenged by lessons from the past. His past and experiences with Task Force X are depicted in the film, when he realizes he is involved in a large-scale secret mission, codenamed Project Butterfly.
The strongest aspect of Peacemaker season 1 is its illustrations of actual and meaningful growth wrapped up in a package that is fun to watch and easy to digest. The toxicity of hyper-masculine bro culture is endlessly reviled while on the other hand it is deeply explored.
The announcement that the series has received the green light to advance to season 2 proves that Gunn’s quirky, extreme, sarcastic, and uncontrollable concoction worked and is still not finished. Not only related to the character of Chris Smith, the Peacemaker alter ego himself, but also to all members of his mission team, be it Leota Adebayo, John Economos, Emilia Harcourt and not to mention the fan-favorite character, Vigilante.
Season finale Peacemaker season 1 successfully wrapped the story of this first chapter satisfactorily, in addition to the insertion of a big surprise in the form of an unexpected cameo. Guaranteed, fans will get all the closings they need, which makes it difficult to find any flaws in this absurdly entertaining series.
Peacemaker managed to close its first season with an emotional, heart touching, and funny ending. There’s less action than some might like, and the main cameo is more spectacle than substance, but this first chapter of Chris Smith’s journey with his quirky gang has a meaningful and enjoyable ending that’s likely to get fans excited for a second season in the future. come.
