Peacemaker Season 2 Review: John Cena elevates a wild, funny and emotionally rich chapter two

Peacemaker 2 review

‘Peacemaker,’ Season 2 directed by James Gunn, began streaming on JioHotstar on 22nd August and stars John Cena, Jennifer Holland, Danielle Brooks, Steve Agee, Robert Patrick, and Freddie Stroma.

A risky but rewarding return

After a wait of more than three years, ‘Peacemaker’ is finally back, and the Season 2 premiere shows right away that it isn’t afraid to take risks.

The first episode, titled ‘The Ties That Grind,’ keeps the show’s mix of crude humour and surprising emotion but adds something new: a multiverse twist. James Gunn leans into the strangeness while keeping the heart of the series intact.

It’s still foul-mouthed and over the top, but there’s more sadness and weight underneath the jokes. The result feels fresh but also true to the messy, chaotic world fans loved in Season 1. One thing is certain—the show isn’t playing it safe this time.

An alternate life revealed

The episode begins with Eagly waking Chris (John Cena) in the middle of the night. What seems like a simple gag turns serious when the eagle leads him to a hidden doorway in his trailer. On the other side, Chris finds himself in an alternate reality.

In this world, his father, Auggie (Robert Patrick), is kind instead of abusive, and his brother, Keith (David Denman)—whose death has haunted him for years—is alive. The moment is heartbreaking, giving Chris a glimpse of the life he always wished for.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team is struggling too. Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) ends up in a bar fight, Economos (Steve Agee) is stuck dealing with new ARGUS bosses, and Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) feels cut off from everyone after exposing her mother’s secrets.

Each of them is trying to move forward, but none of them seem to know how. The episode lays the foundation for conflicts that will echo throughout the season.

Balancing humour and pain

Even with all this darkness, the show never forgets to be funny. Vigilante once again steals scenes with his clueless but hilarious attempts to cheer Chris up, often making things worse in the process. The highlight is Peacemaker’s audition for the 'Justice Gang,' a clumsy parody of the Justice League that leaves him humiliated and us laughing.

By the end of the episode, the comedy gives way to a brutal fight between Chris and his alternate self, a jetpack-wearing Peacemaker. The battle is messy and violent, ending with the counterpart’s death—a shocking moment that promises bigger and stranger conflicts to come. It’s this sharp mix of absurdity and pathos that makes the series stand out.

Cast keeps it grounded

The cast keeps all these shifts in tone grounded. John Cena continues to prove he can carry both sides of Peacemaker—the brash, immature clown and the broken man underneath. His scenes in the alternate world, especially with Keith, are quietly devastating. Danielle Brooks, Jennifer Holland, and Steve Agee give weight to their smaller storylines, showing how each character is still living with the scars of Season 1.

And Freddie Stroma once again makes Vigilante the funniest part of the show, playing him as both ridiculous and unsettling in equal measure. The balance between comedy and pain works because the actors never play it too big. Each performance makes the wild premise feel strangely believable.

A darker, stranger road ahead

By the end of the first episode, it’s clear Season 2 won’t just repeat what came before. Instead of hitting reset, it digs deeper into the characters’ wounds and sets up a season-long story about identity, regret, and the lives we wish we had.

The show is still outrageous and silly, but it’s also thoughtful in ways superhero series rarely are. Funny, violent, and unexpectedly emotional, the first episode proves ‘Peacemaker’ has more to say. If this first hour is any clue, the new season will be darker, stranger, and just as entertaining as ever. It feels like a bold new chapter for Gunn’s world of misfits.

Rating: 4/5