Review - Peacemaker: Season One (2022)

       Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, with a week away until the release of the second season of James Gunn's HBO Max series Peacemaker, I thought it was time to finally talk about the first season. And, while the upcoming season is set in the DC Universe, and thus shares a cinematic universe with the movie Superman, the first season is set in the old DC Extended Universe. The series itself stars John Cena, Robert Patrick, Chukwudi Iwuji, Jennifer Holland, Steve Agee, Freddie Stroma, and Danielle Brooks. 

       Picking up five months after the events of the 2021 James Gunn film The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker follows the exploits of Christopher Smith, who is discharged from the hospital after the events in the Corto Maltese. However, he is confronted by a team, led by Clemson Murn, and consisting of the trio of John Economos, Emilia Harcourt, and newcomer Leota Adebayo. Murn, ultimately, gives Christopher a choice: either return to Belle Reve prison, or join a new mission called "Project Butterfly." And, of course, he chooses the latter. 

      Now, while John Cena was great as Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad, he is definitely fantastic as the leading man in this series. But, what makes his character so fascinating is in his interactions with the other characters in the series, including other masked figures like Adrian Chase/Vigilante, played by Freddie Stroma, and Rip Jagger/Judomaster, played by Nhut Le. And, I will say that of the two, Freddie Stroma as Vigilante is probably my favorite, as he is one of the handful of characters that actively works to be friends with Peacemaker. Nhut Le as Judomaster, on the other hand, is a great source of humor in the series, but is otherwise not quite on the same level as either Peacemaker or Vigilante, at least for my taste. 

       The trio of Jennifer Holland as Harcourt, Steve Agee as Economos, and Danielle Brooks as Adebayo are all fantastic, and I really enjoyed the reveal that Adebayo was the daughter of Amanda Waller, played once more by the brilliantly talented Viola Davis. And, easily a highlight is the connection that grows between Harcourt and Peacemaker. While initially hostile towards him, Harcourt does grow to trust Peacemaker, and a possible romance is hinted at, and suggested at regular points in the series. 

        As far as antagonists for the season, the main threat is in the Butterflies, which are an alien race attempting to take over Earth. The other noteworthy recurring antagonist is in the form of Peacemaker's father Auggie Smith/White Dragon, played by Robert Patrick. Auggie is a bigot and the leader of the Aryan Empire. And, what puts him at odds with Peacemaker is that Auggie is framed for something his son did, and spends a lot of time in prison throughout the season. But, his goal when he gets out is to kill his son, leading to a confrontation with Peacemaker, where Auggie is the one that gets killed by his own son. 

      Overall, the writing, humor, and storytelling in Peacemaker is on brand for a James Gunn comic book project. In other words,.if you enjoyed the writing and humor of Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad, or the recent film Superman, it's about on brand with this series as well. I, myself, have a lot of fun with James Gunn's comic book projects, so I have no issues with his brand of humor in the Peacemaker series. However, it's pretty damn clear that this season WAS part of the old DCEU, especially when four members of the Justice League showed up. And, while we didn't see who was Superman or who was Wonder Woman, it was pretty clear that both Jason Momoa and Ezra Miller reprised their roles of Aquaman and The Flash in the season finale in a brief cameo. 

       Other than that, though, the first season of Peacemaker was really fun, really funny, and a very enjoyable DC Comics project from the creative genius that is James Gunn. If you haven't checked it out yet, give it a watch, especially with the second season on the way. Hop on to HBO Max and dive in to what is one of the better offerings from the old DCEU. 

      Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and I'll see you in the next review.