Following his successful work onThe Suicide Squad, a sequel/reboot that corrected many of the wrongs of David Ayer’s disastrous 2016 film, director James Gunn has returned once again with his spin-off seriesPeacemaker. Judging by the first reviews, it appears that Gunn has another hit on his hands.
In a story set before and after the events ofThe Suicide Squad,Peacemakerstars John Cena as the merciless killer (or hero) known as Peacemaker, as audiences are thrown into the anti-hero’s past while also following him on his next missions. Gunn finishedwriting all of thePeacemakerepisodeswhile working onThe Suicide Squad.
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With its premiere right around the corner, first reviews forthePeacemakerserieshave been pouring in, many being overwhelmingly positive. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season currently has a score of 90% while on Metacritic, the series stands at a score of 66. Other than Cena’s show stealing performance that has everyone talking, like his work onThe Suicide Squad, it’s apparent that Gunn’s fun, bonkers energy has translated over toPeacemakerwhile still being a change of pace from many of the previous dark, grittier entries in the DCEU. Below are more initial reactions.
Rolling Stone(Alan Sepinwall)
“An unapologetic parody of superhero shows that’s also a pretty good superhero show in its own right.”
Score: 4/5
ComicBook.com(Jenna Anderson)
“Like the countless DC Comics solo series of the 1980s, Peacemaker proves an essential point about the DCEU - that when you showcase the weirdest possible fringes of a fictional universe, it helps the entire universe feel bigger and more complete.”
Film School Rejects(Brad Gullickson)
“James Gunn’s latest superhero foray places a deplorable human being at its center and asks us to care. The request is large but worthy.”
Score: Unscored
TV Line(Matt Webb Mitovich)
“Peacemaker, if you can stomach the title character’s lunkheaded views (and temporarily forgive if not forget his actions in The Suicide Squad), is a lot of James Gunn fun.”
Score: B
United Press International(Fred Topel)
“The Peacemaker series feels mostly like the Suicide Squad comedy scenes without the big action of a $100 million studio blockbuster.”
While Gunn continues to work on his upcoming Marvel Studios project,Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, he is expected to return to DC to helm many more exciting projects, that is according to DC Films president Walter Hamada. What those future projects entail is still unknown, but there’s no doubt that Gunn will deliver something truly spectacular.
Other than Cena in the leading role,Peacemakeralso sees the return or Jennifer Holland as Emilia Harcourt and Steve Agee as John Economos fromThe Suicide Squad. New faces include Danielle Brooks as Leota Adebayo, Robert Patrick as Auggie Smith (Peacemaker’s father),Freddie Stroma as Adrian Chase / Vigilante, and Chukwudi Iwuji as Clemson Murn.
Peacemakerwill be available to stream on HBO Max on June 07, 2025.
