Peacemaker season 2 trailer introduces James Gunn’s new Justice League. Discover how it connects to Superman and sets the tone for the DCU’s future.
The wait is finally over. The first trailer for Peacemaker season 2 has arrived, and it’s packed with everything fans have come to expect from James Gunn’s offbeat corner of the DC Universe: irreverent humor, absurd action, and a ragtag team of heroes who barely qualify for the name. But what’s making headlines is the debut of a new version of the Justice League, one that brings together unexpected characters and teases a major connection to the upcoming Superman film.
The teaser opens with Christopher Smith, aka Peacemaker, played with signature deadpan bravado by John Cena, entering what appears to be a low-rent studio for a superhero audition. Flanked by Hawkgirl and Guy Gardner—two newly introduced characters in Gunn’s DCU—the scene quickly devolves into awkward hilarity. Yet among the laughs, the presence of Sean Gunn’s Maxwell Lord signals something bigger. This isn’t just another random team-up; it’s a deliberate move toward building Gunn’s new Justice League.
The Rise of a New League: Maxwell Lord Returns
Fans of Wonder Woman 1984 may recall Maxwell Lord as a scheming entrepreneur played by Pedro Pascal. But Gunn’s take is far closer to the comic book original: a manipulative businessman who once assembled his own version of the League. In the comics, this group—eventually dubbed Justice League International—was less about grandeur and more about dysfunction, featuring oddball characters like Guy Gardner, Booster Gold, and Fire and Ice.
In Gunn’s reinterpretation, Lord seems to be filling a similar role, recruiting misfit heroes for a team that could serve as the DCU’s first official League. The trailer’s visuals—uniforms with a black-and-white motif, sharp dialogue, and deliberate callbacks to Justice League International’s chaotic spirit—make clear that this isn’t your father’s Justice League. It’s a team of unlikely champions, tethered together more by circumstance than noble purpose.
Peacemaker’s Struggle and the Multiversal Shift
Season 2 picks up with Peacemaker grappling with his violent past and questionable morality. As confirmed in the trailer, he’s not alone—there are two Peacemakers, possibly representing the shift from the now-defunct DCEU to Gunn’s new DCU. This clever meta-reference not only addresses the continuity shift but also injects new energy into the story.
Returning cast members include Danielle Brooks, Jennifer Holland, and Freddie Stroma, joined by newcomers like Frank Grillo and Tim Meadows. Among the standout reveals is Rick Flagg Sr., a character previously introduced in the Creature Commandos animated series. His vendetta against Peacemaker—who killed his son in The Suicide Squad—adds emotional weight to the season’s central conflict. Flagg Sr. isn’t a stock villain; he’s a grieving father, making him one of the most compelling antagonists in recent DC storytelling.
Will This League Stand With Superman?
What ties this all together is the looming presence of Superman, played by David Corenswet in Gunn’s upcoming reboot. The movie will introduce a world where superheroes are already established, though fractured. The events of Peacemaker season 2 could very well serve as a thematic precursor, showcasing how this new League begins to find its footing.
While Gunn has emphasized that Superman will center on the dynamic between Clark Kent, Lois Lane (played by Rachel Brosnahan), and Lex Luthor (portrayed by Nicholas Hoult), the inclusion of characters like Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, and Guy Gardner indicates a broader universe in play. The Peacemaker trailer helps visualize this by subtly aligning Lord’s team with the kind of morally gray, world-weary heroes that Superman might ultimately inspire to rise above their cynicism.
Could this band of bickering B-listers evolve into a true Justice League? It’s possible. Gunn has a knack for turning fringe characters into household names, as evidenced by Guardians of the Galaxy. With the new DCU leaning into that same formula, Peacemaker season 2 might just lay the groundwork for something bigger—if not the League, then at least its spiritual predecessor.
Peacemaker season 2 premieres on Max August 21, 2025. Expect more laughs, more heart, and a lot more mayhem as this strange new League takes shape.
