John Cena Plays a Big, Lovable Dick– ‘Peacemaker’ Premiere Breakdown

After his outrageously hilarious debut in The Suicide Squad, the spin-off 3-episode Peacemaker premiere did not disappoint.

Just a few minutes into the Peacemaker premiere, audiences get the sense that Cena was born to play this role. Based on the DC Comics character that eventually inspired The Watchman‘s Comedian character, The Peacemaker is the anti-hero America actually needs right now.

After this point, there are spoilers for the first three episodes of ‘Peacemaker.’ I don’t wanna hear any crying or whining about spoilers. Y’all were warned!

‘Peacemaker’ Premiere Reveals Opening Credits Sequence

The opening credits scene is just one of many highlights in the show. A dance number and neon signage create a real party effect. Watching each of the show’s characters do their thrusting movies with entirely straight faces is so entertaining, and the opening jam will get stuck in your head.

Of course, HBO Max will allow you to skip through the title credits. But why would you?

Who is Peacemaker?

From the get-go, John Cena and James Gunn manage to capture the spirit of fun coupled with the personal struggles of his problematic worldview. Much like Squad, the show easily swaps between making you laugh until you can’t breathe and clutch your heart with a sad “aww.” And Cena’s portrayal of Christopher Smith is the key.

Well, until he goes to prison, that is. We find out quickly that he’s known as the White Dragon, and he garners a kind of reaction that implies he’s a powerful white supremacist.

We know that Chris will be battling his problematic upbringing in an abstract sense. But is Auggie a more malevolent adversary than an alien invasion?

Meet the ARGUS. Team

While John Cena brings every bit of his star power to the show, it isn’t just the Peacemaker show. Each member of the team shines with their own backstory, skills, and humor.

Leota Adebayo charms immediately; no surprises from Danielle Brooks there. However, what is surprising is her character’s connection to notorious government hard-ass Amanda Waller, especially when you consider Leota’s nuanced sense of empathy.

Clemson Murn is the stoic agent trying to make up for his past misdeeds, a sentiment that Chris is clearly repressing. Emmelia Harcourt is quick to school Chris when he gets out of line, and John Economos is his own illustration of comedy and insecurity.

Highlights & Easter Eggs

Vigilante (Freddie Stroma) is an adorable mess and a perfect companion to Chris’ conflicting sense of extreme masculinity. He’s an outright fanboy, the representation of a beta-male with plenty of violent tendencies. Like Chris, he’s easy to laugh at and just as easy to love due to his comedic timing and softness.

When Peacemaker has to escape an apartment building surrounded by cops, he busts through the door of a testy couple, Amber and Evan. Amber is definitely thirsty for Chris, while she and Evan have some sort of budding cuckolding dynamic that Chris falls into. Their involvement in the story is hilarious, and the idea that they’ll reappear delights me.

At one point, Economos calls out Bat-Mite, a deep-cut character who apparently exists in the DCEU!

Detective Comics #267 (1959), art by Curt Swan, Stan Kaye, & Ira Schnapp, courtesy of DC Comics

Of course, what would the Peacemaker premiere be without plenty of screen time for Eagley? That’s right; if you were hoping for another classic Gunn adorable creature feature, you came to the right show.

Author: Danni Danger

Danni is a staff writer and editor whose expertise lies in comic books, superhero movies, science fiction/fantasy, horror, and cheesy dad jokes. They spent 8 glorious years working at Austin Books & Comics, and created content for almost 15 years. They've written for the Daily Dot and made YouTube content with the Weirdlings. Danni currently does all the things for BoLS, Screen Fanatic, and TheStreet.