The first season of HBO Max’s Peacemaker proved to be a somewhat surprising hit for DC at a time when the company was struggling to find its footing following a series of box-office disappointments and behind-the-scenes upheaval. As such, getting ready for Peacemaker Season 2 not only requires you to recall what happened in the first season, but know a little more about things like the “DCU vs. DCEU” than many of us would probably prefer to know about in a better, simpler world.
The good news is that we’re here to help as best as we can. Here are some of the major things you need to know about Peacemaker Season 2:
Where and when can I watch Peacemaker Season 2?
The first episode of Peacemaker Season 2 will be available to stream on HBO Max on August 21st starting at 9 p.m. EST. The show’s second season is expected to run for eight episodes with each new episode being released every Thursday leading up to the series finale on October 9.
Is there a trailer for Peacemaker Season 2?
There have been a couple of Peacemaker Season 2 trailers released thus far, though they’ve been pretty light on details given the rumored scope of this season. You can find one here and the most recent trailer embedded below. Just be warned that it’s a Red Band NSFW preview:
And if you need a little more info, here is the (brief) official description for the upcoming season:
In season 2, Peacemaker discovers an alternate world where life is everything he wishes it could be. But this discovery also forces him to face his traumatic past and take the future into his own hands.
Weirdly, I can see John Cena, but who else is in the Peacemaker Season 2 cast?
Yes, John Cena is definitely back for Peacemaker Season 2, and he’s joined by most of the main players from the show’s first season. That list includes:
- Danielle Brooks as Leota Adebayo
- Freddie Stroma as Vigilante/Adrian Chase
- Jennifer Holland as Emilia Harcourt
- Steve Agee as John Economos
Joining them will be some notable new names such as:
- Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr.
- Tim Meadows as Langston Fleury
- Sol Rodriguez as Sasha Bordeaux
- Michael Rooker as Red St. Wild
Of course, those are just the cast members we know about so far. Based on everything that has been said or hinted at, you can safely expect quite a few familiar and new faces to pop up as the season rolls along (even if only for a “Did you see that?” cameo).
Wait, what about Eagly? Is Eagly still with us?
My apologies for the scare. Not only will the real star of Peacemaker (Eagly the eagle, as voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) return in Season 2, but Eagly will have his own archnemesis (Michael Rooker’s Red St. Wild) and his own action scenes.
Are we getting more of Peacemaker’s incredible opening dance sequence?
The good news is that Peacemaker’s dance sequence opening credits (arguably the most universally praised part of the show along with the aforementioned Eagly) will return.
However, whereas Peacemaker’s first season saw the principal cast members dance to “Do Ya Wanna Taste It” by Wig Wam, this season of Peacemaker will feature a new opening credits song (“Oh Lord” by Foxy Shazam) and new opening credits dance footage to go along with that fresh track. Peacemaker showrunner James Gunn referred to Foxy Shazam as “objectively the greatest rock ’n’ roll band in the world,” but you can draw your own conclusions by listening to the new track below:
Speaking of James Gunn, how does Peacemaker Season 2 fit into his new DC universe? Isn’t he ignoring most of the DC movies and shows that came before?
James Gunn has explained that Peacemaker Season 2 exists within the realm of the DC Universe (DCU) initiative that Gunn and Peter Safran launched when they became co-CEOs of DC Studios in October 2022. So far, the only projects that belong to that universe are Gunn’s Creature Commandos animated series and his 2025 Superman film. However, numerous upcoming projects (including Supergirl, Clayface, and James Mangold’s Swamp Thing) will eventually belong to the DCU and help fill out this rapidly expanding multimedia universe.
However, James Gunn has also made it (relatively) clear that much of Peacemaker’s first season remains canonical and is softly being incorporated into the DCU. While some things about that season (most notably, direct references to the Justice League movies and other DCEU projects) are being ignored or re-imagined, the events of the first season will largely be acknowledged and built upon.
Oh no. Does that mean Peacemaker is going to drag DC into some multiverse thing?
Maybe, but James Gunn would greatly prefer that you refer to the setting of this new season as a “parallel” or “alternate” dimension rather than a multiverse. While the DCU films and shows may eventually dive deeper into multiverse shenanigans, Gunn seems adamant about treating whatever universe-hopping we see this season as a plot device specific to Peacemaker’s character arc rather than the kind of thing that will have far-reaching consequences on all of the upcoming DCU projects.
Of course, we’ll ultimately have to wait and see how impactful this season of the show ends up being on everything that follows.
So, Peacemaker’s first season is worth re-watching. What other DC shows and movies should I watch before this new season starts?
You should definitely watch James Gunn’s Superman movie before you watch Peacemaker Season 2 as Gunn has been adamant that the upcoming season will tie into that movie in various ways. Plus, the Superman movie includes a cute Peacemaker cameo that at least has the potential to set up a good joke this season.
Beyond that, it doesn’t seem like Peacemaker Season 2 will require much homework. You could certainly watch Gunn’s Creature Commandos series, if for no other reason than to learn a little more about Rick Flag Sr. (who first appeared in that show and will be making his live-action DCU debut in Peacemaker Season 2).
Speaking of which, it might not be a bad idea to give James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad film another watch. Aside from featuring John Cena’s Peacemaker, that movie shows Peacemaker killing Rick Flag Jr. (and understandably setting up his rivalry with Rick Flag Sr. in the process) and may contain a few other lingering plot threads that could be continued or resolved in this new era for the series.
Any word on Peacemaker Season 3?
Though it seems likely that HBO will be more than happy to greenlight a third season of Peacemaker if the show’s second season is a hit, there has been no official word of any plans to continue the show at this time. Perhaps more importantly, Gunn has hinted at the possibility of Peacemaker movies and other spin-off projects in the future, which could change the nature of the show’s release strategy.
