Fans of superhero satire and over-the-top action, rejoice: Peacemaker is officially back for a second season, and it’s promising to take viewers on a wild, multiverse-bending ride. After three years of anticipation and speculation, the new season premieres August 21, 2025, on HBO Max in the U.S., with UK audiences able to tune in a day later via Sky Max and NOW. The show, a spin-off of The Suicide Squad, is no longer just a quirky outlier in the DC universe—it’s now a foundational piece of James Gunn’s reimagined DCU, and it’s bringing along major twists, new faces, and a whole lot of existential soul-searching.
So, what’s on deck for Peacemaker Season 2? According to The Economic Times, the upcoming installment will feature eight episodes, rolling out weekly every Thursday through October 9, 2025. The first episode, "The Ties That Grind," launches the season, with the rest following suit. This time, John Cena’s Chris Smith—better known as Peacemaker—returns with his signature blend of bravado, insecurity, and “clownish” humor, but he’s facing challenges that go well beyond his usual arsenal of weapons and wisecracks.
The story picks up in the aftermath of Season 1, where Peacemaker’s actions blurred the line between hero and anti-hero. Now, he’s forced to reckon with the consequences. The stakes are personal: Rick Flag Sr., played by Frank Grillo, is hunting him down to avenge his son’s death. But the narrative isn’t just about revenge. Season 2 plunges Peacemaker into an alternate dimension—a place that seems to offer him the life he’s always craved. Yet, as showrunner James Gunn explained to GamesRadar, this isn’t your typical superhero multiverse adventure. “It’s not a Multiverse with all these different permutations. It’s one other dimension in which it seems as if it’s the perfect world that Peacemaker is able to use to learn something about himself,” Gunn clarified. “Everything for me in Peacemaker is a personal journey. You know, he’s clownish at times and oftentimes very funny. But I take this, the character, incredibly seriously, and I think that at the heart of this is the story of Peacemaker’s personal journey, his emotional journey, and that of the other 11th Street Kids. And that is what works with the alternate dimension.”
This shift to a more introspective, character-driven story is no accident. Gunn’s vision for the new DCU leans heavily on emotional arcs and self-discovery, rather than just spectacle and super-powered showdowns. In Season 2, Peacemaker won’t be leaping across countless realities. Instead, he’ll face a single, alternate version of himself in a world that seems almost too good to be true. The result? An absurd, sometimes ridiculous journey that’s as much about internal reckoning as it is about external conflict. As GamesRadar notes, “This could mean that he thinks a fresh start in a new world is a cheat code to finally becoming a hero, only to realize it’s not that simple.”
The season’s themes—revenge, redemption, guilt, satire, and the true meaning of heroism—are woven into every episode. Peacemaker must confront his past, examine his choices, and decide what kind of person (or hero) he wants to be. The stakes are raised by the return of familiar faces and the introduction of new ones. The main cast includes John Cena as Chris Smith/Peacemaker, Danielle Brooks as Leota Adebayo, Freddie Stroma as Adrian Chase/Vigilante, Jennifer Holland as Emilia Harcourt, Steve Agee as John Economos, Robert Patrick as August “Auggie” Smith/White Dragon, Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., Sol Rodríguez as Sasha Bordeaux, Tim Meadows as Langston Fleury, Michael Rooker as Red St. Wild, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern Guy Gardner, and Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord. Additional cast members round out a lineup that’s as eclectic as the show itself.
But that’s not all. Season 2 is rumored to feature a cameo by David Corenswet’s Superman, and eagle-eyed fans might spot clues about the DCU’s next major villain. These nods to the broader DC universe are more than just Easter eggs—they’re part of Gunn’s larger plan to weave Peacemaker into the fabric of a new, interconnected franchise. As The Economic Times reports, the series isn’t just a continuation of its predecessor; it’s a key player in shaping the future of the DCU, which kicked off with Creature Commandos and Corenswet’s Superman.
Of course, the transition from the old DCEU to Gunn’s DCU has left some fans scratching their heads. After all, Season 1 famously featured cameos from DCEU Justice League members like Jason Momoa’s Aquaman, while Peacemaker himself recently popped up in the new DCU Superman movie. Gunn’s approach, however, is refreshingly pragmatic. “Comics are complicated and weird, and so much changes between stories that neither Marvel nor DC has a concrete grasp on its own lore,” notes GamesRadar. The show isn’t bogged down by questions of continuity or canon; instead, it embraces the chaos and focuses on telling a compelling, standalone story.
The episode schedule is set, with each Thursday bringing a new chapter in Peacemaker’s ongoing saga. The full lineup is as follows:
- Episode 1: The Ties That Grind – August 21, 2025
- Episode 2: TBA – August 28, 2025
- Episode 3: TBA – September 4, 2025
- Episode 4: TBA – September 11, 2025
- Episode 5: TBA – September 18, 2025
- Episode 6: TBA – September 25, 2025
- Episode 7: TBA – October 2, 2025
- Episode 8: TBA – October 9, 2025
For those who’ve followed Peacemaker’s journey from the start, the new season promises plenty of the irreverent humor, biting satire, and emotional depth that made the first installment a hit. But it also marks a bold step forward, both for the character and for the DCU as a whole. With Gunn at the helm, the series isn’t afraid to get weird, get personal, and—just maybe—redefine what it means to be a hero in a world where nothing is quite what it seems.
As the countdown to August 21 ticks down, one thing is certain: Peacemaker Season 2 isn’t just another superhero show. It’s a wild, heartfelt, and utterly unpredictable ride through the multiverse—and it’s one fans won’t want to miss.
