{"id":70729,"date":"2025-08-16T07:33:08","date_gmt":"2025-08-16T07:33:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/70729\/"},"modified":"2025-08-16T07:33:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-16T07:33:08","slug":"peacemaker-season-2-first-reviews-even-better-than-the-first-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/70729\/","title":{"rendered":"Peacemaker: Season 2 First Reviews: Even Better Than the First Season"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

John Cena<\/a> is back as the eponymous DC Comics character in Peacemaker: Season 2<\/a>, and the first reviews of the show\u2019s return have arrived online. Continuing as a spinoff of The Suicide Squad<\/a>, the second season is also now part of the new DC Universe, carrying the franchise forward after the events of Creature Commandos<\/a> and Superman<\/a>. The reviews are mixed but lean positive for Cena\u2019s performance, the enjoyment of the character-driven ensemble overall, and the R-rated humor and action.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what critics are saying about Peacemaker: Season 2:<\/p>\n

How does it compare to the first season?<\/p>\n

Season 2 is somehow even better.
\u2014 Rachel Leishman, The Mary Sue<\/a><\/p>\n

Three and a half years later, an official universe rebrand and double name change for its streaming service has only given this show the opportunity to get better.
\u2014 Abe Friedtanzer, Awards Buzz<\/a><\/p>\n

Season 2 is more character-driven, more brutal, and more heartfelt than the first.
\u2014 Alise Chaffins, MacGuffin or Meaning<\/a><\/p>\n

Peacemaker\u2018s second season is darker and sadder than the first year, but there\u2019s still a lot of fun to be had with the 11th Street Kids.
\u2014 Will Salmon, GamesRadar+<\/a><\/p>\n

Peacemaker hasn\u2019t been toned down in its second season. If anything, Gunn takes things even further for round two.
\u2014 Trent Moore, Paste Magazine<\/a><\/p>\n

For better or worse, Gunn doubles down on what people liked about season 1.
\u2014 Josh Wilding, ComicBookMovie.com<\/a><\/p>\n

In taking Peacemaker himself more seriously, and putting more of the comedic burden on the supporting cast, season 2 feels much more akin to the second\u00a0Guardians\u00a0film than the first.
\u2014 Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone<\/a><\/p>\n

Peacemaker\u00a0season two\u2019s quality is lacking from its previous eight-episode run.
\u2014 Ryan McQuade, AwardsWatch<\/a><\/p>\n

\"John(Photo by Curtis Bonds Baker\/Max)<\/p>\n

What makes this season better?<\/p>\n

Peacemaker season 2 [is] genuinely heartwarming and humane in ways the first one couldn\u2019t even dream of.
\u2014 Joonatan Itkonen, Toisto.net<\/a><\/p>\n

Chris and his teammates\u2019 deep state difficulties this time around are of a more down-to-earth nature; they\u2019re character-based and smarter for it.
\u2014 Bob Strauss, TheWrap<\/a><\/p>\n

Despite the existence of an interdimensional portal and a parallel universe, season 2 of\u00a0Peacemaker\u00a0is far more\u00a0grounded in the characters\u00a0than the first season.
\u2014 Alise Chaffins, MacGuffin or Meaning<\/a><\/p>\n

How is the action?<\/p>\n

Exciting\u2026with impressive fight choreography and a decent amount of gore.
\u2014 Cassondra Feltus, Black Girl Nerds<\/a><\/p>\n

The action does not disappoint and is gnarly as ever.
\u2014 Julian Roman, MovieWeb<\/a><\/p>\n

The action scenes are bloody, brutal, and a blast to watch play out.
\u2014 Josh Wilding, ComicBookMovie.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Season 2 is on track to have even more gratuitous deaths than came before.
\u2014 Bob Strauss, TheWrap<\/a><\/p>\n

The fight scenes are still inventive while everyone works with a far more modest budget than Gunn gets in his movies.
\u2014 Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone<\/a><\/p>\n

There are some truly inspired action sequences, with the same creativity in the combat you\u2019d normally see in slasher movies.
\u2014 Dais Johnston, Inverse<\/a><\/p>\n

\"John(Photo by Jessica Miglio\/Max)<\/p>\n

Is this season funnier?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s just as silly, dark, and bizarre as you remember.
\u2014 Trent Moore, Paste Magazine<\/a><\/p>\n

Season 2 of Peacemaker is still filled with laughs, sometimes so rip-roaring that they overshadow the seriousness of the story at hand.
\u2014 Kaiya Shunyata, RogerEbert.com<\/a><\/p>\n

The series is more acerbic than ever, with a continuous barrage of verbal and physical humor.
\u2014 Joonatan Itkonen, Toisto.net<\/a><\/p>\n

As with Gunn\u2019s other R-rated projects, the humour is hit-and-miss, and your mileage will vary.
\u2014 Josh Wilding, ComicBookMovie.com<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not quite as funny as season 1.
\u2014 Will Salmon, GamesRadar+<\/a><\/p>\n

Do we need to do any homework beforehand?<\/p>\n

Peacemaker\u00a0season 2 is an entry point that delivers a DC primer while also delivering a touching story.
\u2014 Dais Johnston, Inverse<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s all tied into the larger universe at hand, with a surprising amount of\u00a0The Suicide Squad\u00a0in the mix \u2014 almost as if Gunn has been preparing for his eventual cinematic takeover of the DC universe since well before he and Peter Safran were officially\u00a0handed the keys to the kingdom.
\u2014 Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence<\/a><\/p>\n

There are also some fun surprises and references, especially for fans of\u00a0The Suicide Squad\u00a0and, perhaps most surprisingly, 2016\u2019s\u00a0Suicide Squad.
\u2014 Josh Wilding, ComicBookMovie.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Screening the first season does feel critical. But season 2 doesn\u2019t dwell much on the past, inviting in many new characters and fully investing in them.
\u2014 Abe Friedtanzer, Awards Buzz<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Jennifer(Photo by Curtis Bonds Baker\/Max)<\/p>\n

How is the writing?<\/p>\n

Gunn displays a new level of maturity with his second season writing.
\u2014 Bob Strauss, TheWrap<\/a><\/p>\n

That Gunn has found a way to make a parallel universe storyline in a superhero project both engaging and unpredictable in 2025 is impressive.
\u2014 Will Salmon, GamesRadar+<\/a><\/p>\n

The plotting in the first five episodes provided to critics isn\u2019t too intensive, a smart choice as it keeps the focus on this eclectic ensemble just\u00a0being\u00a0together.
\u2014 Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a complex narrative where everything doesn\u2019t always work, but is sure as heck fun to watch.
\u2014 Julian Roman, MovieWeb<\/a><\/p>\n

Just as the later\u00a0Guardians\u00a0films lost a bit of their energy by making Star-Lord a primarily dramatic character, there are definitely stretches of this season that had me wishing Gunn would go back to giving Cena retrograde, infantile lines to deliver so that co-stars like Jennifer Holland and Danielle Brooks could roll their eyes at him.
\u2014 Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone<\/a><\/p>\n

This second batch of episodes breaks little new ground and lacks the stakes and imagination seen in the filmmaker\u2019s better projects.
\u2014 Josh Wilding, ComicBookMovie.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Does this show elevate the DCU franchise?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the sweet spot of what role TV spinoffs should play in a franchise: enhancing the story of the movies, not requiring it.
\u2014 Dais Johnston, Inverse<\/a><\/p>\n

Gunn even finds emotional resonance in the multiverse concept \u2014 something Marvel, for all its efforts in that dimension, has so far failed to locate.
\u2014 Bob Strauss, TheWrap<\/a><\/p>\n

It all helps to flesh out the world of the DCU, in which\u00a0Peacemaker\u00a0has emerged as something of an early, unexpected jewel.
\u2014 Amon Warmann, Empire Magazine<\/a><\/p>\n

Seeing just how good Peacemaker is in the DCU makes this one of the best things I\u2019ve seen this year.
\u2014 Rachel Leishman, The Mary Sue<\/a><\/p>\n

Season 2\u2026feels like an entirely superfluous addition to the new DCU, delivering more of the same gags and rarely exploring its Multiverse concept in a way we haven\u2019t seen a million times before.
\u2014 Josh Wilding, ComicBookMovie.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"John(Photo by Jessica Miglio\/Max)<\/p>\n

Is it one of the best superhero shows out right now?<\/p>\n

Peacemaker remains a standout in superhero television.
\u2014 Kaiya Shunyata, RogerEbert.com<\/a><\/p>\n

[It] may well be the most creative superhero fare out there today.
\u2014 Abe Friedtanzer, Awards Buzz<\/a><\/p>\n

A standout among a sea of superhero media.
\u2014 Cassondra Feltus, Black Girl Nerds<\/a><\/p>\n

How is John Cena\u2019s performance?<\/p>\n

Peacemaker\u00a0season two is the best work of John Cena\u2019s career.
\u2014 Michael Walsh, Nerdist<\/a><\/p>\n

John Cena is phenomenal in the series, bringing plenty of depth to this character, even when the script is lacking.
\u2014 Josh Wilding, ComicBookMovie.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Cena nails this season\u2019s emotional and moral complexities with the aplomb of an Actors Studio graduate\u2026the most thrilling part of this performance is the way he makes this Super fully Human.
\u2014 Bob Strauss, TheWrap<\/a><\/p>\n

Cena continues to make an excellent case for career transitions since he is genuinely a terrific actor and captures the ego of this hero, mixed with a melancholy longing for the past.
\u2014 Abe Friedtanzer, Awards Buzz<\/a><\/p>\n

Cena is still funny when needed and is able to deliver dramatic scenes with a great range of emotions.
\u2014 Julian Lytle, RIOTUS<\/a><\/p>\n

John Cena\u2019s developed enough acting chops over the years that he can play this angle well, and make Chris into a genuinely sympathetic figure.
\u2014 Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Tim(Photo by Curtis Bonds Baker\/Max)<\/p>\n

What about the rest of the returning cast?<\/p>\n

The returning cast is fine, but Jennifer Holland remains a standout,\u00a0even though Harcourt\u2019s arc is one of the least interesting this season.
\u2014 Josh Wilding, ComicBookMovie.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Holland gets to do a lot here with Harcourt, as she has to play two versions that are not much alike.
\u2014 Julian Lytle, RIOTUS<\/a><\/p>\n

Danielle Brooks remains an emotional anchor for the series, bringing a lot of humor and heart with her.
\u2014 Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence<\/a><\/p>\n

Are there any standouts among the new characters?<\/p>\n

David Denman is excellent, as is\u00a0Tim Meadows.
\u2014 Josh Wilding, ComicBookMovie.com<\/a><\/p>\n

As A.R.G.U.S. agent Langston Fleury \u2013 whose \u201csole weakness is bird blindness\u201d \u2013 Tim Meadows is a droll standout.
\u2014 Amon Warmann, Empire Magazine<\/a><\/p>\n

Tim Meadows is a fantastic addition as Economos\u2019 new supervisor who, among other traits, has bird blindness.
\u2014 Abe Friedtanzer, Awards Buzz<\/a><\/p>\n

Meadows\u2019 Fleury takes the overconfident yet bumbling mediocre government agent type to the bank. Every scene he\u2019s in is guaranteed to elicit a laugh.
\u2014 Julian Lytle, RIOTUS<\/a><\/p>\n

Meadows is incredibly funny\u2026but [his shtick] lands differently when those jokes are coming from the periphery rather than from the main character.
\u2014 Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone<\/a><\/p>\n

Does this season have any major problems?<\/p>\n

My one major complaint: there\u2019s not enough Vigilante.
\u2014 Michael Walsh, Nerdist<\/a><\/p>\n

The lack of a cohesive relationship between the core five is noticeable throughout.
\u2014 Kaiya Shunyata, RogerEbert.com<\/a><\/p>\n

In making the focus of this season solely on Peacemaker\u2019s journey so far, it takes away from the rest of the ensemble on the whole.
\u2014 Ryan McQuade, AwardsWatch<\/a><\/p>\n

Peacemaker: Season 2<\/a> premieres on HBO Max on August 21, 2025.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Find Something Fresh! Discover What to Watch, Read Reviews, Leave Ratings and Build Watchlists. Download the Rotten Tomatoes App.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"John Cena is back as the eponymous DC Comics character in Peacemaker: Season 2, and the first reviews…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":70730,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[944,948,96,11521,3842,391,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-70729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-action","tag-dc-universe","tag-entertainment","tag-hbo-max","tag-streaming","tag-tv","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70729","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70729"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70729\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/70730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70729"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}