What is it about the superhero genre that James Gunn just gets? Now, while I loved The Suicide Squad, I was a little miffed at the fact that we were getting a Peacemaker series. Not because of John Cena, but because I was still a little pissed off that Peacemaker killed off my favorite character in the live-action Suicide Squad world. Spoiler alert if you haven’t seen The Suicide Squad – I’m talking about Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag. I mean, c’mon! Peacemaker was entertaining in how ridiculous he was, but a whole series on him? I wasn’t sure about it.
I’m Hooked on this Show
Now, I’m completely sure that I’m hooked on the Peacemaker series. If you’ve been missing The Boys on Amazon Prime then hop over to HBO Max and watch this show – it’ll absolutely satisfy your cravings. I’ve been hopeful for John Cena’s acting career since I saw him in that one awful Amy Schumer movie – Cena’s great at comedy and it’s all the more apparent here.
The Peacemaker series does not take itself seriously and that makes the campiness of its work. I don’t mean to keep referencing The Boys, but I think it’s that satirical take on superheroes that make both projects great. I mean, if you haven’t seen the opening credits yet, you’d ought to. It’ll give you exactly an idea of what you’re going to get here. The character is the living and breathing embodiment of insecurity and awkwardness that’s caused by the tremendous amount of daddy issues he has. The tension between the two was well-written and directed and a perfect superhero companion/critique of modern-day issues.
John Cena Can Act
On top of John Cena just being completely comfortable in his skin, I want to highlight more than just his comedic timing here. Which, he executes perfectly. In addition to Cena bringing that same goofiness to the character as he did in the movie, he also brings another layer to Peacemaker. As I said before, I saw this character as incredibly one-dimensional and I was still mad at him for killing Rick Flag. However, it seems that Peacemaker is trying to change, albeit how difficult it may be for him. And these are emotions that Cena does well with.
Rating: 4.5/5
In addition, Peacemaker [the series] has a great cast of side characters. Some you may recognize from the movie, but others you won’t recognize (as they’re new characters – duh, Tia). While everyone is entertaining to watch – Jennifer Holland as Emilia Harcourt, Freddie Stroma as Vigilante, Chukwudi Iwuji as Clemson Murn, etc. – Danielle Brooks stands out as Leota. I was already a fan of Brooks from Orange is the New Black, but I’m happy with how naturally she fits in within a superhero world. She’s very human for a series centered around a costumed character and a group of well-trained killers. A necessary compassionate person in a sea of jaded assassins.
I absolutely cannot wait for the fourth episode to come out – check out episodes one through three now!
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