The story
Chris Smith, better known as Peacemaker, is a swaggering vigilante who believes in peace at any cost, however many people he has to hurt to get it. Barely recovered from the events of The Suicide Squad, he is drafted into a covert government squad hunting a mysterious threat, dragging along a pet eagle, a mismatched team and a lot of unresolved trouble with his monstrous father.
Why it matters
Peacemaker showed that a streaming superhero spin-off could take bigger tonal risks than its cinema parent, mixing crude comedy with sincere character drama and a hair-metal soundtrack. Its second season became the first live-action series in James Gunn's rebooted DC Universe, bridging old and new continuities.
Notable facts
- HBO Max ordered it straight to series in September 2020; James Gunn wrote the first season while finishing The Suicide Squad. (source)
- The first season's opening titles feature a dance routine set to Wig Wam's 'Do Ya Wanna Taste It'. (source)
- Its second season is the first live-action series in the DC Universe (DCU), set after the 2025 film Superman. (source)