The DC Extended Universe has certainly had its fair share of ups and downs since the release of Man of Steel in 2013. Warner Brothers, the owners of DC Comics films, have seen critically panned films be released, and have even placed their own hands in projects, essentially altering the vision of the writers and directors. This is not to say that there have not been successes within the universe, as there has been. Both Wonder Woman and Aquaman were released to fan and critics praises. Zack Snyder’s cut of Justice League pleased some of the most hardcore DC fans, and Dwayne Johnson’s debut in Black Adam has taken the world by storm. There has also been the release of James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad and subsequent spinoff, Peacemaker. Both the film and the series have received rave reviews and have breathed new live into the DCU. With Peacemaker being declared as the series that declares war on self-serious superheroes, it is clearly changing the game. But what makes Peacemaker one of DC’s biggest successes? Let’s examine.
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James and John
Disney-ABC Domestic Television
The biggest reason for the success of Peacemaker rests squarely on the shoulders of its creator and star, James Gunn and John Cena. With James Gunn now in charge of DC Studios, along with Peter Safran, it will be interesting to see what a new DCU looks like under their leadership. It is undoubtedly the success of The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker that led to Gunn’s appointment, and that is a testament in and of itself to the creator. Gunn has an established talent for taking lesser known franchises and catapulting them into star-studded successes, this has been proven with not only his DC projects but his work with Marvel and the Guardians of the Galaxy as well. Gunn has shown that the rivalry between Marvel and DC does not have to exist and that he can happily work in both worlds. He has a way of injecting fun, horror, and humor into all of his projects in a palatable way for audiences, and Peacemaker is no different.
The other side of the coin is leading man and Peacemaker himself, John Cena. Much like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson before him, Cena’s popularity rose during his time with WWE as a professional wrestler. His acting career is still young and just like The Rock, he has now found himself in a position where he is being offered bigger and bigger projects. Cena has always had the ability to mix action and comedy, both in his wrestling days and so far in his acting. With comedies being his strong suit, thus far, he fit the mold of Peacemaker perfectly. The character comes with a lot of brutality and is a part of a lot of emotional moments, but also a lot of humor in his attitude and personality. Cena also bought into the character 1000%, even doing press interviews for The Suicide Squad in the complete Peacemaker outfit. This commitment translates on screen, and when he was given a longer format by way of the Peacemaker series, fans can see that commitment in him as the character, and it helps to make a complete and successful show. Some actors are perfectly cast for the roles they inhabit, John Cena as Peacemaker is one of them.
Lean Into the Weird & Unknown
WarnerMedia Direct
Both DC and Marvel Comics have no shortage of strange and downright bizarre characters in their collection, but DC may have a slight edge on Marvel when it comes to this. The world of comic books is meant to feature over-the-top and otherworldly characters and creatures, but a lot of times these creatures only work on the pages of the comics. Another credit to James Gunn is his fearlessness to use and successfully use the strangest characters in his projects. Whether that be King Shark, Polka-Dot Man, or the giant alien starfish Starro the Conqueror in The Suicide Squad. Or parasitic butterfly-like creatures who take over human bodies in Peacemaker. Gunn knows weird, and he knows how to use it in interesting and successful ways.
As previously mentioned, Gunn also knows how to handle the obscure and unknown characters and make them into everyday household names. Peacemaker himself is a relatively unknown character to most non-comic book fans, but the series is riddled with other equally unknown characters. Peacemaker’s wannabe sidekick, Adrian Chase AKA Vigilante, is a welcomed addition to the series and his chemistry with Cena is undeniable. Then there is Judomaster, an antagonistic character who may just steal the whole show. We can only hope that season two provides us with more weird superheros we would love to see, because we know James Gunn can deliver.
