Peacemaker Season 2 premiere unleashes full-frontal orgy, Justice Gang roast, and a multiverse twist in James Gunn's DC Universe
James Gunn’s Peacemaker returned for Season 2 with a premiere that raises the stakes in every possible way. The HBO Max series, which debuted in 2022 as a spin-off from Gunn’s 2021 feature film The Suicide Squad, became an instant standout by presenting superheroes as flawed, foul-mouthed, and deeply human. Season 1 charted the journey of Christopher Smith, better known as Peacemaker (John Cena), as he struggled with his violent past while awkwardly trying to become a better person.
Peacemaker Season 2 opens with explicit chaos, a Justice Gang rejection, Rick Flag Sr.’s rise, and a violent multiverse clash with Alternate Peacemaker.
Jessica Miglio/HBO Max
The new season wastes no time pushing boundaries further. The opening episode of Peacemaker Season 2 features one of the most explicit sequences ever seen in a live-action DC project, introduces major multiversal elements, and ties directly into Gunn’s developing DC Universe, which officially begins with Creature Commandos and Superman.
From Killer to Broken Hero
Christopher Smith’s transformation was the central arc of Season 1. Originally introduced in The Suicide Squad as a ruthless killer who would do anything “for peace,” Chris evolved into a conflicted, remorseful hero. Along the way, the show leaned into sharp profanity, gory violence, and dark humor, but also grounded its story in working-class dysfunction and trauma.
Season 2 opens with Chris in a state of despair. He remains haunted by killing his virulently racist father, Auggie (Robert Patrick), in the Season 1 finale and by the childhood memory of accidentally causing his brother’s death. His fragile hope lies in finally earning respect as a legitimate hero.
The Justice Gang Rejection
Chris believes he has a chance when his ally Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) drives him to an interview with the Justice Gang. Adebayo, optimistic after their world-saving efforts in Season 1, insists the team will be eager to recruit him.
The reality is brutal. Justice Gang founder Maxwell Lord (Sean Gunn), alongside Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) and Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), mocks Chris openly during the interview. Believing themselves unheard behind soundproof glass, the trio ridicules him as a failure. Their microphones, however, broadcast everything directly into Chris’ ears. The humiliation is complete, and Chris storms out before the meeting ends, bitterly telling Adebayo, “Apparently one of my skills is sucking dick… that’s not a put down, that’s a compliment.”
A Failed Connection with Harcourt
Seeking comfort, Chris visits Harcourt (Jennifer Holland). Their bond is strained after she was blacklisted from every U.S. intelligence agency by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), who retaliated against her daughter Adebayo’s betrayal in Season 1. A fleeting hookup between Chris and Harcourt on a party boat has left Chris hoping for more, but Harcourt shuts down the possibility: “It was fine… but it was also a mistake.”
The rejection deepens Chris’ spiral.
The Orgy Sequence
Back home, Chris turns to drugs. A bong hit and a line of cocaine rapidly dissolve into one of the most surreal and explicit sequences ever depicted in a DC live-action project. His house transforms into a chaotic sex party, with bodies of all shapes, colors, and genders dancing, kissing, and colliding.
Chris remains the only person fully clothed. Despite receiving attention from both male and female participants, he is too numb and heartbroken to engage. The explicit spectacle underlines Peacemaker’s subversive approach: it presents superhero reality as messy, unglamorous, and human rather than physically perfected fantasy.
The Dimensional Portal and A.R.G.U.S.
Chris eventually retreats to his bedroom, where he opens the dimensional portal hidden within his late father’s quantum storage area. The action triggers alarms at A.R.G.U.S., the intelligence organization left in turmoil since Amanda Waller’s fall from power.
A.R.G.U.S. is now led by Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo), a character who first appeared in animated form in DC Studios’ Creature Commandos before appearing in a supporting role in Superman. The connection is personal and intense: Rick Flag Jr. (Joel Kinnaman) was killed by Chris in the climax of The Suicide Squad. Now, Flag Sr. has reason to watch Peacemaker closely.
DC Universe Retcon in the Recap
The Season 2 premiere also reshapes continuity with a surprising recap sequence. In the Season 1 finale, the Justice League made a cameo, with Ezra Miller and Jason Momoa briefly reprising their roles as the Flash and Aquaman, alongside silhouettes of Superman and Wonder Woman.
For the recap in Season 2, Gunn reshot the sequence. The Justice League is replaced with the Justice Gang from Superman, featuring Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl and Nathan Fillion’s Green Lantern. The silhouettes now represent David Corenswet’s Superman, Milly Alcock’s Supergirl, and Edi Gathegi’s Mister Terrific. The creative retcon signals Gunn’s selective integration of The Suicide Squad into the new DCU, blending past projects with the franchise’s rebooted direction.
A Glimpse into the Alternate Universe
Chris’ exploration of the portal reveals far more than a security breach. Six months earlier, he had stumbled upon a doorway to an alternate universe where his father Auggie and brother Kevin (David Denman) were still alive.
In this world, Auggie is not a cruel racist but a supportive father, and the Smith family is celebrated as a crime-fighting team. To Chris’ shock, the alternate Peacemaker is both beloved and admired, a stark contrast to his own fractured reality.
The Other Peacemaker
Chris’ discovery turns dangerous when he finds a framed photograph of Alternate Chris in a loving relationship with that universe’s Harcourt. The moment of bittersweet recognition ends when Alternate Peacemaker arrives and attacks.
A brutal fight ensues within the quantum storage area. Alternate Chris nearly kills Chris, who is beaten within an inch of his life. At the last moment, Chris manages to activate his counterpart’s jet pack, impaling him on a ceiling spike. The violent end to Alternate Peacemaker leaves Chris shaken and further deepens the season’s exploration of fate, identity, and alternate paths.
Themes of Season 2
The Season 2 premiere of Peacemaker establishes multiple threads that will drive the season forward:
• Chris’ unresolved trauma and search for identity.
• The looming presence of Rick Flag Sr. and A.R.G.U.S. oversight.
• The introduction of multiverse storytelling into the DCU.
• James Gunn’s creative retcons tying past and present DC projects together.
• The question of what paths are possible for a man trapped between guilt and hope.
Even amid explicit sequences and wild humor, the series continues to frame its story around deeply human struggles.
