Peacemaker season 2
Peacemaker | |
---|---|
Season 2 | |
Showrunner | James Gunn |
Starring | |
Release | |
Original network | Max |
Season chronology | |
The second season of the American superhero television series Peacemaker is based on the DC Comics character of the same name. It is set in the DC Universe (DCU) and serves as a "soft reboot" of the series, which started as a spin-off from the 2021 DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film The Suicide Squad. The season continues the story of jingoistic mercenary Christopher Smith / Peacemaker. It is produced by DC Studios with James Gunn as showrunner.
John Cena stars as the title character, reprising his role from The Suicide Squad, with Danielle Brooks, Freddie Stroma, Jennifer Holland, Steve Agee, Frank Grillo, Sol Rodríguez, David Denman, and Tim Meadows also starring. The season was ordered in February 2022, with Gunn set to write and direct all eight episodes. Filming was expected to begin in 2023, but work was put on hold when Gunn was made co-CEO of DC Studios and switched focus to the film Superman (2025). The spin-off series Waller was then prioritized over the season, but Waller was delayed by the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes and in March 2024, Gunn announced that the season would now come first. Filming began the next month, taking place simultaneously with Superman at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia.
The season is set to premiere on the streaming service Max and consist of eight episodes.
Episodes
[edit]No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by [1][2][3] | Written by [4] | Original release date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
9 | 1 | TBA | James Gunn | James Gunn | TBA |
10 | 2 | TBA | Greg Mottola | James Gunn | TBA |
11 | 3 | TBA | Greg Mottola | James Gunn | TBA |
12 | 4 | TBA | Peter Sollett | James Gunn | TBA |
Gunn directed two other episodes of the season.[1]
Cast and characters
[edit]- John Cena as Christopher Smith / Peacemaker: A jingoistic mercenary who believes in achieving peace at any cost[5]
- Danielle Brooks as Leota Adebayo: The daughter of A.R.G.U.S. leader Amanda Waller and a member of Team Peacemaker[6]
- Freddie Stroma as Adrian Chase / Vigilante: A self-proclaimed crimefighter who looks up to Peacemaker like an older brother[7]
- Jennifer Holland as Emilia Harcourt: An A.R.G.U.S. agent and member of Team Peacemaker[6]
- Steve Agee as John Economos: An A.R.G.U.S. agent who provides tactical support for Team Peacemaker[6]
- Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr.:
The leader of the Creature Commandos and the father of Suicide Squad leader Rick Flag Jr., who was killed by Peacemaker in the film The Suicide Squad (2021). Showrunner James Gunn said Flag Sr. and Peacemaker had some "unfinished business to take care of" because of this.[8][1] - Sol Rodríguez as Sasha Bordeaux[9]
- Tim Meadows as Langston Fleury: An A.R.G.U.S. agent[10][11]
David Denman has been cast in an undisclosed role.[9] Peacemaker's pet bald eagle, Eagly, returns from the first season.[12]
Production
[edit]Development
[edit]James Gunn, creator and showrunner of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) series Peacemaker, said in August 2021 that he wanted to make a second season and was committed to doing so if the series was renewed.[13] He reiterated this after the first season premiered in January 2022, despite he and star John Cena not yet having deals to return for a second season and Gunn wanting to take a break after a busy few years.[14][15] Gunn did not formally agree to make a second season until he had worked out what he wanted the overall character arcs to be, as he and Cena did not want to agree to something that they would not love to make.[16] Streaming service HBO Max (later renamed Max) officially announced the second season in February 2022, with Gunn set to write and direct all episodes.[5][17] He said it would explore the repercussions, good and bad, of the first season's events.[18]
Discovery, Inc. and Warner Bros.' parent company WarnerMedia merged in April 2022 to become Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), led by president and CEO David Zaslav. The new company was expected to restructure DC Entertainment and Zaslav began searching for an equivalent to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige to lead the new subsidiary.[19] After the surprise cancellation of DC's Batgirl film by WBD in August, Gunn said the second season of Peacemaker was "safe",[20] and would begin filming in 2023.[21] Gunn and producer Peter Safran were announced as the co-chairs and co-CEOs of the newly formed DC Studios at the end of October 2022.[22] A week after starting their new roles, the pair had begun working with a group of writers to develop an eight-to-ten-year plan for a new DC Universe (DCU) that would be a "soft reboot" of the DCEU.[23][24][25] Gunn and Safran said some cast members would return from their film The Suicide Squad and the first season of Peacemaker in the DCU, and a "rough memory" of those events would remain.[26] Because Gunn was busy with his new responsibilities, the second season of Peacemaker was put on hold by January 2023.[27] In February, Gunn said the series was delayed by his work on the first DCU film, Superman (2025), but it was not cancelled and would be made after the spin-off series Waller.[28] He later clarified that the second season of Peacemaker was his next project after Superman,[29][30] and said it would be part of the DCU's Chapter One: Gods and Monsters slate of content.[31]
Gunn said in October 2023 that the season would address its change from the DCEU continuity to the DCU continuity.[32] In March 2024, he clarified that the first season was not canon to the DCU and said the second season would be continuing from the events of Superman instead.[33] At that time, he revealed that Waller had been delayed by the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes and the second season of Peacemaker would now be made first. Production was set to take place simultaneously with Superman later in 2024, in the interest of getting the season ready as soon as possible, so Gunn was no longer able to direct all of the episodes.[34] He ultimately directed three episodes, including the first,[1] with Greg Mottola and Peter Sollett also directing.[2][3]
Writing
[edit]Gunn was writing the season by October 2023, following the conclusion of the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike,[35] and he finished writing all eight episodes by early February 2024.[4]
Casting
[edit]John Cena confirmed that he would be returning as Peacemaker for the second season when it was officially ordered in February 2022.[5] In April 2023, when announcing the cast of the DCU animated series Creature Commandos (2024), Gunn said there were plans for some of the voice actors to reprise their roles in live-action DCU projects and specifically highlighted Frank Grillo as being cast as Rick Flag Sr. across all DCU media.[36] That July, Gunn said Freddie Stroma would reprise his first-season role as Adrian Chase / Vigilante in the DCU.[7] Also reprising their roles from the first season are Danielle Brooks as Leota Adebayo, Jennifer Holland as Emilia Harcourt, and Steve Agee as John Economos.[6] In May 2024, Gunn announced that Grillo would be reprising his role as Flag throughout the second season of Peacemaker.[8] Sol Rodríguez, David Denman, and Tim Meadows were cast the following month, with Rodríguez portraying Sasha Bordeaux and Meadows cast as Langston Fleury.[9][10] Sollett indicated in July that Joel Kinnaman was reprising his role as Rick Flag Jr. from The Suicide Squad in the season.[3]
Filming
[edit]Gunn said in March 2024 that filming was scheduled to begin later that year, simultaneously with production on Superman,[34] at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia.[37] Filming began on April 13, with Gunn doing a "pre-shoot" on a Saturday to work around his Superman filming commitments.[38] He was directing three of the episodes and had hired three other directors for the season,[1][38] including Greg Mottola,[10] who directed the second and third episodes,[2] and Peter Sollett, who directed the fourth episode.[3] Principal photography for the season is reportedly taking place between June and September 2024.[39][third-party source needed]
Title sequence
[edit]After the first season's opening title sequence received positive responses, Gunn said they wanted to "up [their] game" for the second season.[40] Charissa Barton returned to choreograph the second season's title sequence.[41]
Release
[edit]The season is set to premiere on Max.[5][17]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Moreau, Jordan (May 10, 2024). "Frank Grillo Joins 'Peacemaker' Season 2 as Rick Flag Sr". Variety. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
- ^ a b c Anderson, Jenna (June 12, 2024). "Peacemaker: James Gunn Confirms Superbad Director's Involvement With Season 2". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on June 12, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Perine, Aarpn (July 27, 2024). "Peacemaker Season 2 Reveals Surprising Return, New Director". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on July 27, 2024.
- ^ a b Anderson, Jenna (February 8, 2024). "James Gunn Confirms He Has Finished Writing Peacemaker Season 2". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on February 9, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ a b c d D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 16, 2022). "'Peacemaker' Renewed For Season 2 By HBO Max". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Perine, Aaron (February 9, 2024). "James Gunn Confirms New Peacemaker Season 2 Details: Returning Cast and New Intro". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on February 9, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
- ^ a b Lang, Brad (July 10, 2023). "James Gunn Confirms a Major Peacemaker Hero Will Return Before Season 2". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
- ^ a b Pipski, Denise (May 10, 2024). "Frank Grillo Joins James Gunn For Season 2 Of 'Peacemaker'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
- ^ a b c Gonzalez, Umberto (June 10, 2024). "'Peacemaker 2': Sol Rodríguez and David Denman Join Cast". TheWrap. Archived from the original on June 10, 2024. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
- ^ a b c D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 12, 2024). "Tim Meadows Joining 'Peacemaker' Season 2, Greg Mottola To Direct Episodes". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 12, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
- ^ Freitag, Lee (June 12, 2024). "Peacemaker Adds Mean Girls Alum to Season 2 Cast". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on June 12, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
- ^ Barnhardt, Adam (January 9, 2024). "Peacemaker: James Gunn Reveals Major Details About Season 2". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on January 9, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
- ^ Borines, Nobelle (August 5, 2021). "James Gunn Wants to Do Peacemaker Season 2". Epicstream. Archived from the original on August 7, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^ Davids, Brian (January 14, 2022). "'Peacemaker' Stars John Cena and Jennifer Holland on the "Stoic" and "Robotic" Dance Sequence". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
- ^ Davids, Brian (January 12, 2022). "James Gunn on 'Peacemaker' and the Influence of 'Better Call Saul'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 13, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
- ^ Vary, Adam B. (February 17, 2022). "'Peacemaker' Season Finale: James Gunn on Pulling Off [Spoilers'] Shocking Cameo". Variety. Archived from the original on February 17, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
- ^ a b Chan, J. Clara (April 12, 2023). "HBO Max Renamed as Max". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 17, 2022). "'Peacemaker' Season One Finale: James Gunn On Christopher Smith's Alternative Ending & "Repercussions" For DC Hero In Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 17, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
- ^ Lang, Brent; Donnelly, Matt (April 14, 2022). "Warner Bros. Discovery Exploring Overhaul of DC Entertainment (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on April 14, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- ^ Haring, Bruce (August 4, 2022). "'Peacemaker' Season 2 Appears Safe, James Gunn Says, Even As Warner Bros. Discovery Cost-Cuts Loom". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 4, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
- ^ Bonomolo, Cameron (August 9, 2022). "James Gunn Reveals When Peacemaker Season 2 Begins Filming". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on August 9, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
- ^ Kit, Borys; Couch, Aaron (October 25, 2022). "DC Shocker: James Gunn, Peter Safran to Lead Film, TV and Animation Division (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
- ^ Couch, Aaron (November 10, 2022). "James Gunn, Peter Safran Are Mapping Out "Eight- to 10-Year Plan" for DC". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
- ^ Outlaw, Kofi (October 25, 2022). "Warner Bros. Confirms "DC Universe" As Official Name of DCEU". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ Newby, Richard (February 3, 2023). "6 Burning Questions About DC Studios' New Slate". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ Lussier, Germain (January 31, 2023). "James Gunn DC Slate Q&A: Flash, Aquaman, Crossover, More". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
- ^ Vary, Adam B. (January 31, 2023). "New DC Universe Unveils First 10 Projects: 'Superman: Legacy' in 2025, Batman & Robin Movie, Green Lantern Series, Wonder Woman Prequel and More". Variety. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
- ^ Watson, Fay (February 15, 2023). "Peacemaker season 2 hasn't been canceled says James Gunn – it's just very delayed". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
- ^ Flook, Ray (April 7, 2023). "Peacemaker S02, Creature Commandos, Waller: James Gunn on DCU Calendar". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
- ^ McPherson, Christopher (June 14, 2023). "James Gunn Gives First 'Peacemaker' Season 2 Update Since Taking Over DC". Collider. Archived from the original on June 14, 2023. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^ Rangel, Felipe (December 21, 2023). "James Gunn DCU Update Confirms Where Peacemaker Season 2 Fits Into The New DC Franchise". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on December 22, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
- ^ Ezekwe, Nnamdi (October 3, 2023). "Peacemaker Season 2 Will Address James Gunn's DCU Continuity". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
- ^ Hickson, Colin (March 10, 2024). "'Season One Isn't Canon': James Gunn Addresses Peacemaker's Place in the DCU". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ a b Drum, Nicole (March 10, 2024). "DC Chief James Gunn Promises Waller Is Still Happening". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ Bangel, Felipe (October 2, 2023). "Peacemaker Season 2 Gets Major Positive Update From James Gunn". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- ^ Graves, Sabina (April 12, 2023). "Welcome James Gunn's Creature Commandos Cast to DC Studios". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on April 13, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ Ho, Rodney (May 1, 2024). "John Cena's Max show 'Peacemaker' has moved to metro Atlanta from Vancouver". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
- ^ a b Tinoco, Armando (April 13, 2024). "'Peacemaker' Season 2 Starts Filming & James Gunn Shares Photo From The Set". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 14, 2024. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ Browski, Rich (March 14, 2024). "Production Weekly – Issue 1393 – Thursday, March 14, 2024 / 158 Listings – 37 Pages". Production Weekly. No. 1393 (published March 13, 2024). p. 23. Archived from the original on March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ Sepinwall, Alan (January 14, 2022). "Secrets of the Awesomely Eighties Glam-Metal Dance Party that Kicks Off 'Peacemaker'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
- ^ Anderson, Jenna (February 8, 2024). "Peacemaker: James Gunn Teases Season 2's Opening Credits Dance". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.