Peacemaker spoilers follow.
Peacemaker season two was inevitable since the moment it started breaking viewing records at its streaming home, HBO Max. The show increased its audience week on week, thanks to the winning combination of John Cena, James Gunn and a CGI eagle named Eagly.
According to Sarah Aubrey, Head of Original Content at HBO Max: "The brilliance of James Gunn once again shines with Peacemaker. He took this character, brought to life by the inimitable John Cena, and created an exceptional series that’s simultaneously thrilling, hilarious and heartfelt, showcasing the humanity beneath this team of misfits living in a superhuman world.
"As the first original DC show to have its series premiere on HBO Max, we are thrilled that the viewers agreed to give peace a f**king chance."
John Cena was also overwhelmed by the show's success: "I am incredibly honored and humbled by the response to Peacemaker and the experience of playing this character."
Deadline confirmed the follow-up season in February 2022, with James Gunn releasing a statement to mark the announcement.
"Creating Peacemaker has been one of the true highlights of my life, both professionally and otherwise, with John Cena and the incredible creative team around me, as well as our partners at HBO Max. To have something we all love so much be loved by the audience in turn has been a wonderful experience. I can’t wait for folks to see where Team Peacemaker goes in season two."
The Suicide Squad spin-off packed a lot into its eight-episode run, including cameos from the Justice League. But what will season two contain? Grab your guns, ammo, and tighty- whiteys, because we're about to tell you everything you need to know.
Peacemaker season 2 potential release date: When is it being released?
If news of Batgirl's cancellation caused your stomach to flip in regard to Peacemaker's future, you're probably not alone.
Axing a movie that's virtually complete and already has a dedicated fan base seems crazy. So crazy it could happen again, right? 110 per cent. Especially with the DC shake-up announced in late January of this year.
The DC studio heads James Gunn and Peter Safran threw a spanner in the works when they revealed their 10-year plan for the DC Universe, with more shows (RIP Titans and Doom Patrol) and movie plans axed or changed.
Not even actors are safe, as fans also are being forced to say a teary goodbye to Henry Cavill as well!
So, what of Peacemaker? Take a deep breath, it's all going to be fine. It seems, at least for now, there are no plans to send Peacemaker to the chopping block.
In response to a worried fan's query over whether cancellation was in Peacemaker's future, Gunn replied: "Heck no, just postponed while I work on Legacy. Waller first. Peacemaker after."
Short and sweet, but that's all we need. As for when we’ll be getting the second instalment, that is still up in the air.
In fairness to Gunn, the director does have his hands full with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 (AND Waller AND Legacy) but hopefully, we'll hear soon.
Peacemaker season one launched on January 13, 2021, and it led to the most successful series in HBO Max's history. So you'd better believe that the rule 'if it ain't broke, don't send Vigilante to fix it, because he'll probably end up shooting it' applies here.
That said, there's one thing that may complicate things. According to James Gunn (via Variety), he's also working on another The Suicide Squad spin-off for HBO Max, which could drop at the same time.
"That's advanced a lot. Hopefully, in not too long, people will know more about that," he said. "It's not 100%. But we've been working heavily on it. So that would be something that would happen in addition to Peacemaker season 2."
UK fans will be well aware that the series didn't actually air for us until two whole months after it premiered in the US. Gunn did sympathise with his British fans, though, and said that if it was up to him then it would have aired simultaneously with America.
"I'm frustrated by the whole journey," he told Radio Times. "Listen, I have a lot of fans in the UK. DC has a lot of fans in the UK. And plus, I have a lot of cousins in Ireland, so they haven't been able to see the show.
"I've been fighting... I've really, really wanted Peacemaker to be there since the beginning. I had hoped it was going to air simultaneous to when it was airing in the United States. That unfortunately didn't work out, and it's nobody's real fault. There's a bunch of legal weirdness with all this stuff."
Gunn has since promised that whenever season two of Peacemaker is released, it will be available to fans in the UK at the same time as its US airing.
"Everywhere, every household," he confirmed. Thanks, James.
Peacemaker season 2 cast: Who will be in it?
Believe it or not, title actor John Cena wasn't always signed up for a second season.
"John and I did not agree to a second season off the bat because we wanted to make sure this is something we really love doing that we really wanted," James Gunn said (via Variety). "That's why it's being announced now, because we had to work everything out. I didn't agree to a second season just off the bat, it wasn't a matter of like, okay, we're picked up. It's a matter of I just wanted to make sure it was really something I wanted to do."
It's good that John and James found a way into the follow-up, because it literally wouldn't work without either of them.
As for the rest of the cast, Freddie Stroma will almost certainly be back as Vigilante, along with key actors Danielle Brooks, Steve Agee and Jennifer Holland. There's a chance Robert Patrick will return too (yes, we know he's dead but he was still bothering Christopher Smith from beyond the grave in episode eight, and we'd expect that to continue in season two: James Gunn loves messed-up father/son relationships).
Peacemaker season 2 plot: What will it be about?
Don't ask James Gunn, he hasn't decided yet.
"I'm still playing with a lot of different things. The most important thing for me in the first season was who Peacemaker was and where was he going – what was his personal journey?" he said (via Variety).
"The Butterflies and the plot and all of that is secondary to who he was as a character and what his changes were, as well as the other characters and where they began and where they end, because they all have little changes for themselves – with the exception of Vigilante, who's sort of a straight line the whole time.
"So I know where Peacemaker starts and where he ends, but I’m playing with other ideas around that and how that’s gonna play out."
In an audio clip posted to Twitter by podcaster Neil Vagg, Gunn explains Peacemaker's emotional state of mind going into the second season.
"I mean, we see where he ends up, in some ways he ends up in a good place, he's been cleared by Adebayo, she sacrificed her own relationship with her mother to clear him.
"And we see at least the beginnings of a friendship between him and Amelia Harcourt, and a true friendship between him and, y'know, some of the other characters. But we also see his father looms, whether or not he was alive, and whatever that infection is that his father is still there, is very much a part of who he is."
Gunn's aware that Vigilante has turned into a popular character, but don't expect Adrian Chase to stay the same in season two just to satisfy fans. If Gunn's talking about him being a straight line in season one, we'd expect his arc to be a bit more complicated across the follow-up. Gunn likes going deeper on characters he thinks are a bit one-note.
We also predict we'll get at least one cameo from The Suicide Squad movie. We saw the Justice League in season one, it's time for the Peacemaker to be reunited with some of his Task Force X pals for season two. Bloodsport would seem to be the logical choice (Idris Elba's The Wire is another popular HBO Max show), both as a cameo, and as the focus of the spin-off series, but we'd be just as happy with King Shark.
Peacemaker season 2 trailer: When can I see it?
Not yet, but you can enjoy the epic title sequence above, until we're hired to track down the first footage and forcefully recruit it into this feature. Keep us bookmarked for all the latest news, scoops, and social media reveals until then.
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