Time to Eat Peace: 8 Highlights from Peacemaker Season 1

Peacemaker season 2 is right around the corner, premiering on HBO Max nearly three years after the series’ debut. Needless to say, the anticipation is through the roof. The critical and audience reception for season 1 solidifies the show as one of DC’s best offerings. And if the trailer for season 2 is anything to go by, we’re in for a trippy, dimension-hopping, darkly funny adventure.

To celebrate the return of our 11th Street Kids, I’ve compiled a list of my highlights from Peacemaker season 1. Cue Eagly’s incessant (but gleeful) screeching.

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The Opening Credits

Do you really wanna, do you really wanna taste it?

Hands down, Peacemaker season 1 has one of the most memorable opening credit sequences. Wig Wam’s “Do Ya Wanna Taste It” punctuates intricate dance choreography carried out by the cast. There are bright, flashing lights. Swinging hips. Stage fog. Of course, John Cena’s super serious facial expression as he executes these dance moves is hilarious. The real star of the show is Eagly, who swoops in as the button to the dance scene.

James Gunn announced at SDCC 2025 that season 2 will feature a new song and dance — “Oh Lord” by Foxy Shazam. Like season 1’s theme song, this one is also from 2010.

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Freddie Stroma as Vigilante

The series boasts a host of unforgettable, diverse characters, but Freddie Stroma as Vigilante soars above them all. He’s a bona fide star. Gunn’s razor-sharp writing contributes to the shape of this character; however, Stroma’s portrayal is what truly makes the character a scene-stealer.

Vigilante is a gleeful, unapologetic weirdo who relishes murdering people but abstains from your typical vices like drinking and smoking. He’s always ready to dispense a witty one-liner. Plus, he has no moral qualms about killing people — especially when it comes to white supremacists, as seen in the episode in which he beats up Auggie Smith’s Nazi pals. We love a champion of the marginalized.

He’s also as unfiltered as they come. His observations make those around him wonder if he should’ve let those thoughts marinate a while longer before releasing them into the wild. No, I say. Let ’em rip.

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The Humor

James Gunn’s humor dances on the knife’s edge of dark and edgy. There’s an unabashed, no-holds-barred vibe to it. He’s not afraid to poke fun at these characters (lovingly, of course) or the world they inhabit. He doesn’t take it all too seriously.

Some hilarious comedic bits from season 1 include all the cop butterflies walking through the station as they attempt to smile in unison. It’s equal parts horrifying and humorous. I also love the brief scene featuring Peacemaker at an elementary school for a career day event. He tells the kids about defeating Kite-Man, and they turn the tables on him, criticizing his inability to name pets and asking prying questions. It’s great fun.

Of course, any scene involving the 11th Street Kids and their dynamic is bound to be hysterical.

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That Murn Reveal

I pride myself on my ability to predict narrative twists and turns, but that Murn reveal took me by surprise. Perhaps it’s because he never gives off alien vibes. He’s very strait-laced and no-nonsense.

However, the butterfly angle gives the fantastic Chukwudi Iwuji ample opportunity to chew the scenery and inject more nuance into the character. It’s proof positive that not all butterflies (the alien, not the beautiful winged insect) are inherently evil, nor do they aspire to world domination.

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James Gunn’s Excellent Music Taste Strikes Again

If, like me, you’ve been an avid Gunn fan since he burst onto the Marvel scene with 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, you know he loves to incorporate his now-signature music taste into his films. His soundtracks are characters themselves, and Peacemaker season 1 is no exception.

“Do Ya Wanna Taste It” will most likely be associated with season 1, as it should be. Other banger hits from the soundtrack include Foxy Shazam’s “Welcome to the Church of Rock and Roll,” “Choose me” by BAND-MAID, “11th Street Kids” by Hanoi Rocks, and Lita Ford’s “Kiss Me Deadly.” It all makes for a killer dance playlist.

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All That Action

The fight sequences and overall action are well-choreographed and entertaining. Admittedly, some of my favorites include Nhut Le’s Judomaster, who inexplicably survives everything that should’ve killed him in season 1. It’s especially funny when he squares off against Economos, the antithesis of him in terms of fight capabilities.

Harcourt kicks a ton of evil butt, as to be expected. Vigilante is all about getting as gory as possible with his kills. Peacemaker’s main strength is his combat skills. However, I also love watching the inexperienced Adebayo essentially learn to fight on the go. In the end, she plays a pivotal role in defeating the butterflies.

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The Emotional Undercurrent

I was unfamiliar with John Cena’s acting prior to Peacemaker, but his work in season 1 really impressed me. He deftly balances the tonal shifts between humor and heart, effectively tapping into the titular character’s traumatic past. Peacemaker is universally hated at the start of the series, and with that comes an innate loneliness for him. Even as the others grow to love him, Peacemaker struggles to shake off his demons and leave his dark ledger in the past.

Peacemaker killing his father is a real turning point for him emotionally. His dad’s spirit hangs over him for the rest of the season. Did Auggie abuse him as a child? Yes. But committing patricide isn’t something one can just shrug off like a coat — this was his father, after all.

Adebayo grows alongside Peacemaker in season 1 as their friendship blossoms simultaneously. She, too, grapples with an abusive parent and learns to overcome her lack of confidence and self-worth. By the season’s end, Adebayo becomes more self-assured and does what’s right, even when it’s terrifying.

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It’s Cow or Never

The season 1 finale is the show’s best episode thus far, delivering a seamless blend of wall-to-wall action, biting comedy, and emotional depth. Plus, those Justice League cameos are as surprising as they are fun. Gunn ensures these characters adapt to the show’s tone without it feeling clunky and jarring.

Additionally, the battle at Coverdale Ranch cements our misfit crew as true heroes. They save Earth from aliens hell-bent on wiping out humanity and seizing control of the planet. Based on the season 2 trailer, though, it’s evident that society collectively forgets their heroic contributions and moves on from the 11th Street Kids. That’ll undoubtedly play into the overarching narrative for the season.

Gunn cleverly sets up season 2, from Peacemaker and Harcourt’s burgeoning romance to Adebayo throwing her mother, Amanda Waller, under the bus on TV. This prep work certainly amps up the excitement for the upcoming season.

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What are your highlights from Peacemaker season 1? Join the conversation with other DC fans over at Sideshow Social Network or in side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!