Peacemaker season 2 release date, trailer and Superman connections
John Cena's abysmal antihero is back in action at last.
Following a brief cameo in this summer's Superman reboot, John Cena's Peacemaker is back to dominating the screen again in Peacemaker season 2, which is coming to the UK and US in August.
The series initially span out of Gunn's 2021 blockbuster The Suicide Squad, honing in on Cena's standout character by dropping him in a bizarre conspiracy filled with even more outrageous personalities.
That was more than three years ago, during which time Peacemaker has weathered a major DC Universe restructuring and broader industry disruption, but appears to have come out of the other side stronger than ever.
Expect more jaw-dropping humour and sci-fi infused mayhem as we return to the world of Christopher Smith and his ARGUS handlers. Here's everything you need to know about Peacemaker season 2.
Peacemaker season 2 release date
Peacemaker season 2 will premiere on Thursday 21st August 2025 on HBO Max in the US and arrive the following day on Sky Max here in the UK.
News of a synchronised global rollout should be welcomed by fans, who were burned by a two-month delay between the first season's US and UK releases, which made it rather difficult to avoid spoilers.
Creator James Gunn promised RadioTimes.com at the time that the issue would be corrected for season 2, and despite the long gap between episodes, he's stayed true to his word on that.
Peacemaker's return comes more than three-and-a-half years since the original run, with factors towards the long hiatus including Gunn's work on Guardians Vol. 3, Superman and Creature Commandos as well as Hollywood's sweeping 2023 strikes.
Filming on the episodes finally began in April 2024, but the series was held until after Superman's release in order to incorporate Gunn's rebooted DC Universe continuity into its plot.
Peacemaker season 2 cast: New and returning
Peacemaker's season 2 cast is once again led by John Cena in the title role, with Danielle Brooks (Adebayo), Freddie Stroma (Vigilante), Jennifer Holland (Harcourt) and Steve Agee (Economos) among the returning cast.
On the delay between seasons 1 and 2, Cena said (via Variety): "James [Gunn] and Peter [Safran, executive producer] actually both called me and said, 'You know what, we want to take some time to do this right. But it's just going to take a little time.'
"So it was crazy to know we did something people want, they want more of it, let's do it again. And everybody's like, 'No, wait, we just got to do a few things first. And we have this whole plan, and it's all going to work together. So if you just trust us, we'll be OK.'"
Those "few things" to do presumably included the first official titles in Gunn's relaunched DC Universe, Creature Commandos and Superman, both of which feature Frank Grillo in his latest comic book role as Rick Flag Sr.
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Grillo is also confirmed to be appearing in Peacemaker season 2 and it's safe to assume that he won't be taking any nonsense, given that Cena's obnoxious antihero viciously murdered his son, Rick Flag Jr (Joel Kinnaman), in 2021's The Suicide Squad.
Kinnaman himself has been rumoured for an appearance in season 2, although whether that will actually materialise is anybody's guess for now. The actor playfully batted away the speculation in an interview with ScreenRant.
"I don't know what to say. That's ridiculous. I would never. I would never be on a show like that. It's not what I do," the actor said jokingly (we think so, at least).
Other new additions include Tim Meadows (Mean Girls) and Sol Rodriguez (Star Trek: Picard) as covert agents Langston Fluery and Sasha Bordeaux, while David Denman (of the Gunn-produced Brightburn) has bagged an undisclosed role.
In summary, here's the Peacemaker season 2 cast list so far:
- John Cena as Peacemaker/Christopher Smith
- Danielle Brooks as Leota Adebayo
- Freddie Stroma as Adrian Chase
- Jennifer Holland as Agent Emilia Harcourt
- Steve Agee as John Economos
- Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr
- Tim Meadows as ARGUS agent Langston Fluery
- Sol Rodriguez as Sasha Bordeaux
- David Denman as TBC
Peacemaker season 2 plot: How is it connected to Superman?
Peacemaker season 2 follows Chris Smith (John Cena) as he "discovers an alternate world where life is everything he wishes it could be".
However, the synopsis warns that "this discovery also forces him to face his traumatic past and take the future into his own hands".
The plot of the season appears to have been impacted by broader behind-the-scenes changes, as writer-director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran have since been installed as the joint heads of a newly formed DC Studios.
That resulted in an ambitious reboot of DC's shared cinematic universe, with only certain favoured characters – like Cena's Peacemaker and Viola Davis's Amanda Waller – being transferred to the new continuity.
Peacemaker season 2 looks poised to explain exactly how that works, with Gunn teasing in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that the so-called "pocket universe" in this summer's Superman movie will be one connecting element.
"Lex's version is much jankier than the one in Peacemaker," said Gunn, referring to the Quantum Unfolding Chamber located in the home of Peacemaker's father, Auggie Smith (Robert Patrick).
The screenwriter continued: "The one in Peacemaker works better. What the whole season of Peacemaker revolves around is that."
Gunn acknowledged that the concept of multiverses has been rather worn out in recent years, with a slew of blockbuster films dealing with the concept to varying success, but insisted that his series takes a decidedly different approach.
"I think of Peacemaker as more of a high-concept story about one other world... It isn't Deadpool & Wolverine. It's really a very simple, simple story about his relationship to this one other world," he added.
One element of the first season that certainly won't be addressed is the surprise appearance of the Justice League in the finale, as that incarnation of the superhero team (including Jason Momoa's Aquaman and Ezra Miller's The Flash) is no longer canon.
How many episodes will there be in Peacemaker season 2?
Peacemaker season 2 will consist of eight episodes in total – the same number as the first.
Gunn is writing all of them, but directing only three, with Greg Mottola (The Newsroom), Peter Sollett (Metal Lords) and Alethea Jones (High Potential) drafted to helm the remaining chapters.
Peacemaker season 2 trailer
The full-length trailer for Peacemaker dropped in July 2025, complete with a brief introduction from star John Cena. Watch here:
Previously, fans had been treated to a shorter teaser offering a glimpse of what's in store in the next episodes. You can see that promo here too:
Peacemaker season 2 premieres on Sky Max on Friday 22nd August 2025.
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Authors
Louise Griffin is the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor for Radio Times, covering everything from Doctor Who, Star Wars and Marvel to House of the Dragon and Good Omens. She previously worked at Metro as a Senior Entertainment Reporter and has a degree in English Literature.
