My stomach was full of “butterflies” watching the season finale. I’m so happy for James Gunn and the entire cast of PEACEMAKER. Out of a throwaway character in THE SUICIDE SQUAD film, they somehow created a miniature masterpiece with more heart than any of the new DC films involving Zack Snyder.
So how did James Gunn accomplish a feat that most comic book directors can’t achieve? He serviced the story that he wanted to tell and didn’t care about any larger universe that it might be attached to. Think about it. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, JOKER, Christopher Nolan’s BATMAN all did this. Your show/movie will fail when the world-building is greater than the immediate story. Marvel has learned this as well. Their best content connects in a bigger universe, but only in the service of the story for the movie, it’s trying to tell.
But back to PEACEMAKER, who throughout S1 quickly goes from being a “shower” to a “grower.” That’s most noticeable in his relationship with Leota (Danielle Brooks). In it, he has to learn how to forgive and accept her, despite the fact a racist raised him. It’s the show’s strength that we can go from emotional moments of his growth between them to bat-shit crazy alien action and fart jokes.
S2 of PEACEMAKER has already been announced. And yes, I “really wanna taste it.”
The entire first season is available on HBO Max.
