Ronit J

Peacemaker Season 2 Synopsis:

Smith/Peacemaker discovers a dimensional portal leading him to an alternate reality where his brother is still alive, and everything seems perfect. But, it also forces him to face his dark past and the consequences of his actions.

Peacemaker Season 2 Review:

Despite getting a lot of criticisms before it’s launch, fans loved Peacemaker Season 1. Critics praised it across the board. From being ‘a pointless reboot about a character no one cares about’, James Gunn made Peacemaker a loveable antihero with his own flaws, demons, and challenges that resonated with audiences. No wonder everyone was eager to get season 2.

And now that Season 2 is over, I can say this without a doubt: James Gunn has managed to take everything that made this show awesome, and make it better!

First off, we get a season 1 recap that softly reboots the show from being in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) to the DC Universe (DCU). Basically, the Justice League cameo in the end of season 1 changes to the Justice Gang. After all, the DCU has plans to retain some characters and continuity, whilst disregarding others. The DCU is a very familiar world, and yet a new universe that’s awaiting exploration. And if you’re feeling even a tad bit alienated, just wait till you hear what James Gunn does with it in season 2.

The rapidly changing content landscape is equal parts familiar, yet alienating. The same is true for our real world. We grew up learning that the Nazis were the bad guys, but now we see those same bad guys elected into power. Just as Superman (2025) commented on the Israel-Palestine conflict, Peacemaker subtly comments on the growing support of the extreme right-wing.

Alienation In A Familiar World

The events of the first season have left a strong impact. The “11th Street Kids” aren’t together anymore. Economos (Steve Agee) works for A.R.G.U.S., while Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) wallows in self-pity and unemployment because of Amanda Waller. Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) works towards starting her own private investigation agency, while Chris (John Cena) struggles with feelings of not belonging. He’s still coping with killing his father, White Dragon. After a drunken bender, he stumbles across the inter-dimensional portal in his home, finding a universe where his father and brother are both alive. There, the world celebrates them as heroes.

Spoiler Alert: Everything in this alternate universe is perfect, prompting Chris to leave his world behind and live there. Except, it’s also a world where the Nazis won World War II. The facade of a perfect utopia always has darker secrets of exploitation, discrimination, and marginalisation. This becomes apparent in the last two episodes after Chris realises his blindness towards politics and discrimination, something that’s rampant within privileged communities.

So, what makes someone feel alienated in the world they live in? The solution to utopia is pretty simple, albeit bloody. But, is one person’s utopia everyone else’s as well? What Chris sees as perfect through his myopic lens of ideal familiarity is very clearly a dystopia for literally everyone else in his team. Their original world is nowhere close to perfect, but it’s a world that everyone else strives to make better. Chris leaving that world ends up causing more trouble than he anticipated, leading to far more pain, suffering, and turmoil.

The humour is great. The action and superhero stuff is also familiarly epic. But, what truly stands out in Peacemaker Season 2 is the emotional foundation that makes up the meat of the season. And it is just… *chef’s kiss*.

Confronting Your Traumas, Confronting Your Truth

Season 2 really cranks up the emotional conflicts several notches. Chris’ alienation, Harcourt’s self-destructive behaviour, even the rest of the gang’s struggles to maintain a facade of normalcy in the face of change, all make up for a very strong foundation for the story. And Gunn doesn’t hold back any punches. People make mistakes. People die. And, consequences force themselves to be faced, some much harsher than others.

Peacemaker Season 2 forces Chris to face his truth. Yes, his trauma may have left him broken, but is also made him who he is. The only question is: does he continue to be the antihero he was, uncaring towards the pain he caused, or does he own up to his actions and work on becoming better? That’s where I start deviating from my praise and go into criticism. SPOILER ALERT: the finale’s resolution of these conflicts felt a little too easy. It left me confused and with mixed feelings. It’s not a bad ending, but I was honestly expecting something better.

After all, a season that dared to push its characters so much, resorted to essentially a ‘heart to heart’ with Chris. I loved what they did with Adebayo, but Chris’ emotional finale felt like a repeat of season 1’s conclusion.

The entire season is a huge upgrade to season 1. And honestly, even the finale—despite my complaints—is justified in doing what it did. I can think of at least one better way to make it more impactful, but I’ll leave that for the next section. But, that average ending doesn’t spoil the brilliance of the rest of the season. At least not for me.

Peacemaker Season 2 Ending Explained

Chris surrenders taking sole blame for the whole multiverse portal fiasco. A.R.G.U.S gets possession of the doorway, using it to search for a habitable planet. And they find one: Salvation. Why? Because they want to send every single metahuman prisoner to that distant planet forever.

Chris makes bail, but goes into hiding. Meanwhile, Bordeaux (Sol Rodriguez) approaches Harcourt, expressing her dissatisfaction with how Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) willingly sacrificed so many innocent agents in the doorway hall only to find a prison for metahumans. What follows is a series of reconciliations. Chris finally realises that everything wasn’t really his fault and that he might be wrong but he isn’t inherently broken like he thought. Harcourt confesses her feelings, and the two seemingly start dating. Adebayo finally let’s her ex-wife go, revealing that she cannot live with herself by putting her ex-wife in danger. Finally, the group, including Judomaster & Fluery, all quit A.R.G.U.S. and start a rival agency, Checkmate, using the blood money Adrian has stolen and stored in his basement.

Checkmate is meant to be A.R.G.U.S., minus the fascist undertones and colluding with known criminals/terrorists. Everything seemingly goes back to normal. Except, Rick Flag has his agents kidnap Chris and has him locked up in Salvation to ‘test the effects of the new world on the human body’. The season ends on a cliffhanger with strange growling sounds in the background.

Honestly, the season finale played out entirely like a denouement episode, brilliantly resolving all emotional conflicts. Yet, I have mixed feelings about two things. 1) Chris’ emotional arc resolves a little too easily, and 2) if Chris had actually volunteered for Salvation instead of being kidnapped, it would have been a much more compelling, fitting ending to the season.

Peacemaker Season 2 Worth Watching?

Yes. Season 2 pushes redirects Chris’ emotional conflicts to the centre of the drama, beautifully intertwining the external with the internal. But, that doesn’t mean it’s any less funny or epic. Whether you’re in it for the dark humour, the comic book aesthetic, your love for DC, your love for James Gunn, or the deeply emotional train wreck of a journey that this season is, you’re bound to enjoy this season.

Yes, the finale left me with mixed feelings. Despite that, honestly, this was one of the best shows I’ve watched this year.

Will There Be A Peacemaker Season 3?

Probably. There hasn’t been an official announcement yet. Plus, the DCU’s slate seems to be relatively full for a while. However, Season 2 ended on quite the cliffhanger. Plus, the show is insanely popular, and acclaimed. I wouldn’t be surprised if Peacemaker Season 3 is greenlit, produced, and released sooner than the second season.

In Conclusion:

Peacemaker Season 2 is an absolute blast. From its laugh-out-loud dark humour, to its meaningful character moments, to its complicated emotional journey, this show does (almost) everything right.

Also check out:

• Creature Commandos Season 1 | Review | James Gunn | DCU
• One Piece Movies Ranked | All Films | Mini Reviews
• Gen V Season 2 | Review | Ending Explained
• KPop Demon Hunters (2025) | Film Review
• Good Boy (2025) | Film Review
• Sister Midnight (2024) | Film Review
• Island of the Dying Goddess

What did you think of Peacemaker Season 2 (2025)? Let me know in the comments below! Any other manga, anime, series, book, or movie you’d like me to review? Let me know your recommendations, and I’ll be sure to check them out.

Sign up for my newsletter and get a free ebook of Abandoned by the Gods!

Until next time!