Well, f***. Season one of Peacemaker has wrapped up with an explosive finale (pun intended) as well as surprise cameos, and we can’t help but want more! Whilst a second season is indeed on the way with director James Gunn and star John Cena set to bring another crude and whacky adventure to the small screen, the season finale did leave fans, including ourselves, with lingering questions as to what this means for season two.
That said, here are 6 questions we have after watching the Peacemaker finale.
#1. Why did Peacemaker turn down Goff’s offer?
Goff revealed to Christopher Smith (aka Peacemaker) that the Butterflies’ plan is not to invade and destroy Earth, but rather to save it. The Butterflies want nothing but peace. When their home planet became inhabitable, they came to Earth but found that humans have been destroying the planet. By taking over people and the world’s government, the Butterflies will finally be able to achieve peace – at whatever cost.
Despite claiming to love peace so much that he’ll kill every man, woman and child to get it, Peacemaker turned down Goff’s invite to join the Butterflies’ cause and kills the kaiju Cow. At the end of the episode, Smith told Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) that he rejected the offer because he knew it would result in his friends getting hurt. This is a big change in his character. Remember how he was willing to kill Colonel Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) in The Suicide Squad in order to complete his mission? Growth, baby!
#2. Will we see Groff in Season 2?
The very final scene revealed that after killing the Cow and the Butterflies, Peacemaker let Goff live and stay at his house. It’s clear that the two have shared a bond but will we see Groff in season 2? If so, what role will he play in Smith’s life? With the Cow, and essentially to goo required to keep Butterflies alive gone too, chances are Groff may not be around for long – but who knows?
#3. We saw the Justice League appear, but it’s not the full team as we know from the larger DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Why?
After successfully completing their Project Butterfly mission, the Justice League made a surprise cameo. In true Peacemaker fashion, he called them “d*ckheads” as they were too late. As he carries an injured Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) past them, Peacemaker makes a rude comment to Aquaman, later revealed to be THE Jason Momoa. Joining Momoa in this brief cameo is Ezra Miller as The Flash too. Sadly, while we see Superman and Wonder Woman, both Gal Gadot and Henry Cavill do not appear, as it has been revealed that Gunn filmed them using stand-ins.
Gunn also shared that he did film two additional cameos, of Cyborg and Batman using stand-ins, but ultimately could not use them and did not provide the reason, only to say, “You know, I don’t know what I can — there are reasons for it, but I’m actually uncertain whether I can say what those reasons are. It might have to do with future stuff.”
We know the issues the studio has with Ray Fisher, who played Cyborg, as well as the complexities of Ben Affleck’s Batman, a character who will reportedly be rebooted in the upcoming The Flash film, and this could be the first that we’re seeing of the changes taking place.
#4. Will the DC Comics characters Peacemaker name drops ever appear on the show, or the larger DC Extended Universe?
Across several episodes, Peacemaker makes mention of several other DC Comics characters, as if they are real, which makes them canon – even if audiences never see them, or if Warner Bros hasn’t mentioned them in the grand scheme of things. There’s mention of Bat-Mite, the inter-dimensional imp who harasses Batman, as well as Doll Man, a superhero who can shrink in size, ala Ant-Man. In the finale, the discussions get to Green Arrow, a well-known character in the comics who has made two small-screen live-action appearances, in the later seasons of Smallville, and on Arrow, which kickstarted CW’s Arrowverse of interconnected TV shows featuring the Flash, Martian Manhunter, Superman and Supergirl.
Gunn is a master at giving nods to smaller obscure characters, but he did a great job with Vigilante, so let’s hope he does more than name drops and turns them into proper introductions.
#5. Is this the end of Task Force X?
After completing their mission, Adebayo goes public about Task Force X in an attempt to cement Peacemaker’s status as a hero. This act of hers inadvertently outs her mother Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) as the mastermind behind the project and puts Task Force X’s future in serious jeopardy. Considering how Waller isn’t the most reasonable person, nor someone you would want to mess with, it is likely there would be some blowback and implications that may or may not be explored in season two.
#6. Will Peacemaker’s dad continue to haunt him in Season 2?
All the jokes and crude humour aside, Peacemaker tends to delve into some heavy topics, including the trauma Smith carries from childhood to adulthood. His traumatic upbringing and the death of his brother has defined who he is for so long. Whilst the season saw Peacemaker learning to confront and unravel his trauma, the death of his father saw him return back to square one.
Peacemaker had a concerning conversation with a vision of his dead dad Auggie Smith (Robert Patrick) in the forest, only stopping when Harcourt intervened. The final moments of the episode also saw both the father and son sitting on a porch. Judging by Auggie’s silent laughter and Peacemaker’s frightened face, it seems like this is an issue that will linger with the titular character moving forward into season two.
BONUS: Does Aquaman really f*** fish?!
It’s a long-running gag that Aquaman mates with fish, and in the show, it was a joke mentioned not once, not twice, but thrice! The third time, straight to Aquaman’s face. When Aquaman called it a rumour, Flash retorts saying that it’s true. LOOK, Peacemaker has said MANY things, of which, not plenty are verifiable but it’s hilarious that Gunn spends some time addressing this. It doesn’t answer the question entirely, but at least we know that the studio is brave enough to address the question head-on. What the fish?
One thing’s for sure though: it’s not every day you see the Justice League superheroes drop the F-bombs left and right.
Don’t judge a book by its cover, for behind all this makeup, is a geek just like you. To simply put it, superheroes, Star Wars, Harry Potter and all things gore and creepy makes this girly girl swoon.
Natalie
