Comic-Con Crowd Gets First Look at Peacemaker’s New Universe

HBO Max dazzled fans at San Diego Comic-Con this past weekend with the first look at Season 2 of Peacemaker, the Emmy-nominated DC spinoff series from James Gunn. The full-length trailer offers the first extended look at what fans can expect from John Cena’s Christopher Smith, AKA Peacemaker, and in typical Peacemaker fashion, the new season is gearing up to be bigger, weirder, and more emotional.

Peacemaker’s eight-episode first season was set five months after the Corto Maltese mission at the center of The Suicide Squad (2021). Smith had barely survived being shot and presumed dead, but was ultimately recruited by the U.S. government to go on a top-secret covert operation titled “Project Butterfly.” He was put on a new team led by Clemson Murn (Chukwudi Iwuji), with the support of A.R.G.U.S. agent John Economos (Steve Agee), NSA agent Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), and Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), the newest member of the U.S. government’s elite tactical team.

But it turns out that Project Butterfly was anything but a straightforward government operation. The squad’s new mission was to defeat an alien species of parasitic butterflies that had invaded Earth by inhabiting human bodies. By the end of the first season, the bizarre team had managed to defeat the deadly butterfly creatures in a gory battle on a ranch, but only barely escaped with their lives—and all the while, the squad suffered serious injuries and emotional trauma.

Now, Peacemaker is back in a much-changed DC Universe. Season 1 of Peacemaker was situated within the now-defunct DCEU, but Season 2 is set in the newly rebooted DCU—confirmed by Gunn himself as part of his “Gods and Monsters” storytelling slate. Gunn did confirm, however, that the events of past seasons are still canon, minus a few cameo appearances by certain Justice League members.

Returning cast members include Cena, Brooks, Holland, Agee, and Freddie Stroma as the fan-favorite psycho vigilante The Vigilante. Joining him again is Nhut Le as Judomaster, as well as Eagly, Peacemaker’s loyal bald eagle sidekick. Robert Patrick also returns as Peacemaker’s dead father, Auggie Smith, whose influence on Chris’s life has proven to be one of the Peacemaker character’s most intriguing elements. Some notable new additions this season include Frank Grillo as Rick Flagg Sr., father of the late Rick Flagg (Victor Cohn), who was gunned down by Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad. It’s revealed that Flagg now leads A.R.G.U.S. and is determined to enact revenge on Peacemaker. Other new cast members are Tim Meadows as agent Langston Fleury, Sol Rodriguez as Sasha Bordeaux, and Michael Rooker as Red St. Wild, who is described as Eagly’s “nemesis.”

Officially, the second season “finds Chris Smith grappling with both the emotional toll of his violent past and his deep desire to be a better man. Still seeking peace above all else—he just wants to prove himself as a hero this time, not follow orders without question.”

Of course, a teaser released in May offered an early glimpse at what to expect in terms of sheer absurdity and intensity. Set to the music of Foxy Shazam’s “Oh Lord,” the brief footage features Cena’s character in front of a Justice League recruitment board, awkwardly attempting to pitch his way into joining the superhero squad—featuring Green Lantern/Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl/Kendra Saunders (Isabela Merced), and Maxwell Lord (Sean Gunn), all reprising their roles from Superman. It goes about as well as one might expect.

The teaser also offered character updates for some of the series’ beloved mainstays. For instance, we learn that Adebayo is “living in the worst level of Grand Theft Auto,” according to Economos. Harcourt, meanwhile, is “suffering from a particularly severe case of toxic masculinity,” while Vigilante has been reduced to the food service industry.

But the biggest surprise of the trailer is revealed when Peacemaker accidentally stumbles through a dimensional portal. The most mind-bending reveal is the introduction of an alternate universe where Peacemaker is just as much of an asshole in his everyday life—but there’s another version of Chris who has already made it big and is loved as a true hero. Frustrated with where he’s at in his own life and his antic escapades, he contemplates staying. But his past, predictably, comes back to haunt him. Harcourt warns Chris: “No matter how green the grass is over there, you belong here. With us.”

James Gunn, who was on hand to speak at the Hall H panel at SDCC, emphasized that this season is all about character growth. “I watch TV shows where the characters don’t just come back every season and they’re the ex-characters,” Gunn said. “I want to see growth. I want to see change—and sometimes regression. Peacemaker is a different guy this year. He’s got demons that he uncovered in the first season, and he’s trying to deal with them, a the world is not accepting him the way he is. They aren’t accepting him as a hero.”

It’s on 2 of Peacemaker will bring the over-the-top action and humor fans have come to love about the series, while also digging deeper into character and multiversal storytelling. Whether Peacemaker can come to terms with who he is—or who he wants to be—remains to be seen.

Peacemaker Season 2 premieres August 21, 2025, exclusively on HBO Max.