Peacemaker is rated TV-MA for language, nudity, violence and sexual content. Viewer discretion is advised.

Completely unknown to the public, the DC character Peacemaker suddenly surged into pop culture with the release of the 2021 movie Suicide Squad directed by James Gunn and his own show on HBO Max, appropriately titled Peacemaker.

The season consists of eight forty-minute episodes that stars John Cena as the title character. Peacemaker carries the same exact energy, the same comedic timing, and over-the-top gore that people may have found disturbing in James Gunn’s Suicide Squad.

“I watched it because I previously liked Suicide Squad and thought I’d give it a chance,” senior Isabella Moreno said. 

Without spoiling the show, it is very much not meant for children, earning its TV-MA rating. There is sexual content, gruesome violence, and an excessive amount of foul language that would scare off most children. But while the content is very dark, the show itself is very light-hearted. There are plenty of jokes that land and lighten the mood, but those same jokes tend to go on a bit too long. 

“This show is for superhero fans but like the type of fans who also watch the smaller movies and read comics,” senior Dominic Ruiz said.

Easily, the funniest part of each episode would be the show’s introductory theme song. It is a theatrically produced song with singing, acting, and dances that exemplify the light-hearted tone of the show. And the star of that entire scene would be Eagly, Peacemaker’s Bald Eagle. The bird will steal the hearts of many and the relationship between him and Peacemaker is one that many people would love. 

“The strength of the show was the humor,” said Moreno. 

The acting overall is not too terrible. The cast gives believable performances, with the only weak performances coming from the first episode. It feels like the chemistry has not been developed, but it gets better with each episode. The best character overall would be John Cena as Peacemaker. It is obvious that he is very comfortable with the role, as he was cast as the same character in the James Gunn Suicide Squad and brings even more energy and love to the role. Peacemaker is a surprisingly deep character with obvious flaws but admirable qualities. 

“The bad part about this show as that it was a little too unrealistic at some times but not too bad,” said Ruiz.

The show is a fun ride that would easily be recommended to many, but the dark content may be a drawback for some viewers. Jokes will run on too long and if dark humor is a turn off then this show would be a pass.

“His goal was very intriguing because he wanted to keep peace but he’d do it by killing,” junior Mikayla Castillo said.