Peacemaker (TV series)
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Peacemaker | ||||||||||||||||||
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"Peacemaker, what a joke" - Rick Flag.
"Are you sure about that?" - James Gunn | ||||||||||||||||||
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Peacemaker is an American superhero television series created by James Gunn for the streaming service Max (formerly known as HBO Max). Based on the DC Comics character titular character, it is the first DC Extended Univers television series. It is a spin-off of the 2021 film The Suicide Squad and further explores the jingoistic killer Christopher Smith/Peacemaker.
Plot
After recovering from the events he suffered in The Suicide Squad, Christopher Smith/Peacemaker (portrayed by John Cena) is forced to join the mysterious A.R.G.U.S. black ops squad called "Project Butterfly"; they are trying to identify and eliminate the parasitic-butterfly-like creatures taking over human bodies worldwide.
Why It's Called Peacemaker
- The idea of a spin-off show about a minor character may sound like a bad idea on paper; however, the results truly paid off at the end of the day. This is another creative risk James Gunn took, and this is an excellent way to make a spin-off to an already great film.
- Since the show is about a minor character, it also focuses on DC's unpopular characters and storylines, such as Peacemaker and the White Dragon.
- Awesome casting choices, even if many of them aren't prominent actors/actresses:
- John Cena continues his role as Peacemaker, and he is even better now, as he explores more emotions and gets character development throughout the show.
- Danielle Brooks shows great chemistry as Leota Adebayo and Peacemaker in their friendship.
- Freddie Stoma plays the hilarious role of the Vigilante.
- Chukwudi Iwuji's role as Clemson Murn is excellent, with his acting being cold-blooded but hot-tempered at the same time.
- Jennifer Holland returns from The Suicide Squad and plays a significant role thanks to her acting and old gymnastics classes.
- Steve Agee also returns from The Suicide Squad; he has an outstanding acting performance, and now his character is more fleshed out.
- Robert Patrick does a great job as Auggie Smith/the White Dragon.
- The soundtrack is excellent, making good use of metal music, such as "Do you wanna taste it?" (the theme song intro).
- The intro is incredible, so well-made that many viewers won't skip it due to how fun it is; to many viewers: James Gunn succeeded, and you will find yourself watching it no matter what.
- It has a great sense of humor, making it similar to Johnny Bravo but more mature.
- The show also makes fun of superhero logic, especially the DC ones, such as Batman not killing anyone.
- Not only that, there are many connections to the DCEU and DC in general; even those who don't know either will enjoy and understand them.
- Unlike most superhero shows and films, the show's end credits aren't teasers to the next episode but rather a funny deleted scene.
- Lots of unforgettable characters, with some new and some returning:
- Peacemaker gets lots of character development throughout the show and has a touching backstory; his bisexuality turns the feud with his father bigger.
- Leota Adebayo, Amanda Waller's daughter, secretly forced to spy on Peacemaker and A.R.G.U.S. agents, has good chemistry with Peacemaker in their friendship.
- Vigilante is a great comic relief with some fantastic action scenes by him; he's an excellent sidekick to Peacemaker.
- Clemson Murn, the leader of Project Butterfly, with a great plot twist on his identity.
- John Economos, while the character is used in the show for jokes about fat people, is great, as he shows that fat people aren't useless and have feelings, too, without encouraging people to stay fat, something rare in films/TV shows.
- August "Auggie" Smith / White Dragon may appear as a grumpy old man at first, but he is a white supremacist who hates his son.
- Eagly, Peacemaker's Eagle companion, is cute and deadly.
- Goff, the leader of the butterfly aliens, can be terrifying.
- There are lots of sad moments, such as the Peacemaker praying for forgiveness for killing his brother.
- Amanda Waller finally gets exposed to the public for her crimes, and her daughter does it, making it even more satisfying.
- "EAT PEACE MOTHERFUCKER!"
Bad Qualities
- The relationship between Peacemaker and Emilia Harcourt can feel forced since there's not much development; however, we might get more development in the second season.
- Some sad scenes get ruined by jokes, even if the jokes are funny.
- The Justice League cameo, while good, only Jason Momoa and Ezra Miller return as Aquaman and The Flash, with Superman and Wonder Woman return as stand-ins (though not as bad as the Shazam cameo) while Batman and Cyborg weren't in the scene at all.
Reception
The show received positive reviews from critics and fans, with many praising the story, action, humor, and focus on one of DC's lesser-known characters. On Metacritic, the show has a score of 70/100 based on 26 reviews.[1]
The title sequence met with critical acclaim, with TV Guide's Matt Roush stating that it "perfectly captures the tongue-in-bloody-cheek spirit" of the series.
Trivia
- According to James Gunn, Batman and Cyborg were going to be in the Justice League cameo scene but were asked to be removed, most likely due to upcoming projects.
- James Gunn wasn't expecting any of the cast to appeal due to the budget. However, Ezra Miller and Jason Momoa agreed after knowing their role and found it funny.