John Cena Is on the Run in Peacemaker Season 2 Trailer

The first official trailer for Peacemaker Season 2 offers a high-octane glimpse into the next chapter of Christopher Smith’s turbulent life, and it looks like John Cena’s titular anti-hero is a man on the run. The footage, released by Max, underlines that Peacemaker will face relentless pursuit by Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) as a direct consequence of his reprehensible past actions. In addition, this first look at the highly anticipated sophomore season promises a blend of the series’ signature irreverent humor, brutal action, and surprising emotional depth, as Peacemaker navigates a world where his particular brand of peace is still controversial. 

As James Gunn previously confirmed, most events of Season 1 of Peacemaker and The Suicide Squad movie will be considered canon in the nascent DCU, which explains the plot of Season 2. Flag Sr. is the father of the late Rick Flag Jr. (Joel Kinnaman), the decorated soldier whom Peacemaker was tragically ordered to kill by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) during the Corto Maltese mission in The Suicide Squad. That sets Flag Sr. on a direct path of vengeance, hunting Christopher Smith for his son’s death. This setup establishes a high-stakes, deeply personal manhunt, promising to push Peacemaker to his limits as he evades a skilled and highly motivated operative with a legitimate grievance. Meanwhile, Christopher needs to come to terms with his violent past while he struggles to become a better man.

[RELATED: If Peacemaker Season 1 Is DCU Canon, So Are These Surprising Characters]

The new Peacemaker Season 2 trailer also features all the surviving members of the 11th Street Kids, Christopher Smith’s begrudging found family from Season 1. Danielle Brooks returns as Leota Adebayo, whose courageous public exposure of Task Force X and her mother, Amanda Waller, at the end of the first season has shifted the DCu geopolitics, as seen in Creature Commandos. After playing a key role in Creature Commandos, Steve Agee is back as John Economos for Season 2 of Peacemaker. He will be joined by fellow A.R.G.U.S. agent Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), who has now fully recovered from her Season 1 injuries. Completing this core group is Freddie Stroma as Adrian Chase, aka Vigilante, Peacemaker’s dangerously uninhibited crime-fighting partner. The season is expected to continue exploring Peacemaker’s tortured psyche and the enduring bonds of his found family, including, of course, his majestic eagle sidekick, Eagly.

What to Expect from Peacemaker Season 2?

Peacemaker Season 2 holds a unique position as one of the early series in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC Universe. Gunn, who wrote all episodes of Season 2 and is directing several, has confirmed that this new season will directly continue Peacemaker’s story while transitioning him fully into the new DCU narrative. This means audiences will see Chris Smith grappling with the fallout from defeating the Butterflies, killing his monstrous father Auggie Smith (Robert Patrick), and the lingering trauma and moral ambiguities that define him, all while the wider superhero world begins to reshape around him following the events of the upcoming Superman.

Beyond the core ensemble, Season 2 of Peacemaker also sees the return of Nhut Le as Judomaster and Robert Patrick as Auggie Smith/White Dragon, Peacemaker’s deceased and abusive father, who will likely continue to haunt Chris through visions and flashbacks. Other new additions to the cast include Sol Rodriguez as Sasha Bordeaux, a character known in the comics for her ties to intelligence organizations, Tim Meadows as A.R.G.U.S. Agent Langston Fleury, and David Denman in an as-yet-undisclosed role. Brey Noelle has also been confirmed to appear as the Batman villain White Rabbit. Adding to the series’ unique charm, a brand new opening dance number has also been confirmed for Season 2.

Season 2 of Peacemaker premieres Thursday, August 21st, on Max, soon after Superman flies into theaters on July 11th.

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