Peacemaker (2022-2025) series review
The paradox of learned masculinity
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
In 2021, if you were to tell fans of the newly released The Suicide Squad (2021) that the defacto side-villain, whose caricature of toxic masculinity would grow to become one of the DC Universe’s (DCU) most beloved and respected characters no one would believe you. And yet, here we are today, Oct. 10, 2025: the day after the release of the speculated series finale to Peacemaker (2022-2025). Many fans are left with the sinking feeling of confusion, of uncertainty as to what there is to say about this show. Though no scholar, I hope to add my perspective to the ring and potentially give clarity to this hilariously entertaining yet incredibly introspective show; I hope to get some gears turning in the heads of fans and non-fans, but with that said, be aware of minor spoilers ahead.
Peacemaker (2022-2025) is a show that focuses on the anti-hero Peacemaker after having killed Rick Flag Jr. in The Suicide Squad (2021), recovering from a near-deadly injury, following his redemptive journey from villainy to heroism—in the eyes of the government. Through working with operatives of the Advanced Research Group of the United States (ARGUS), Peacemaker is able to put his history of violence to use while dealing with the shadow of his past which always finds a way to capsize the man's present. This show, while expanding the DCU in various ways, is a character study on the titular man, particularly focused on the violence men are taught to think is their natural display and the effects learned violence has on them throughout their lives.
Christopher Smith, better known as the titular “Peacemaker,” played by John Cena, is where this show finds its heart. And, more importantly, where we find the questions which drive the two seasons of Smith’s story: Can someone truly change for the better or are they destined to always be the same “sh*tty” person? Through a life of feeding into one's rage and violent tendencies in the pursuit of the abstract, unknowable idea of “peace,” how can you break free from that cycle and the guilt that past version of yourself evokes? How can a man come to love and accept all parts of himself—even those that are ‘ugly,’ considered disturbing—when he never allows himself the chance at creating inner peace?
The answer is not a simple one, nor does Smith even come to terms with this, himself, in the series, but one thing is made clear by the series end: Personal definitions of atonement, of reality, can be as flawed as the systems which embedded said thinking. Recognizing flaws does not mean immediate change either, but it means beginning the process of being a better person than you were yesterday, and repeating the same routine tomorrow. It is a continuous process that guarantees that relapse-like situations will occur, where a person gives in to their actions they’re trying to unlearn. Even so, even when you fail to be the person you want to be rather than embody the hated person you deem yourself to be, that state of being is never an absolute.
We are fallible beings striving to be better. No matter your situation, whether it be a multi-dimension spanning familial and relationship conflict or a less grandiose spectacle, you need to remember that it is okay to not be perfect, to not be the ideal person. However, it is never okay to engrain these feelings as absolutes, to let them drive your worldview and decision-making.
You can never, like Smith, let yourself be a puppet devoid of a will of your own and used for another’s conniving goal. You need to recognize your agency and that of those around you, those support systems which you failed to realize, or illuminate themselves. Situations will cause your perspective to change and the light in which they initially appeared, and it is up to you—with the optional help of those around you—to apply these reflections to your guiding emotions. Realize perfection is impossible, but acting out of good intent is easily accessible.
Atonement is a Sisyphus-like struggle, where you fight against your self-hatred and scorn, where you amend the guilt through distance and time—only through developing and striving to center fellow man can one come to terms with who they are.
In short, Christopher Smith stands as the poster child for the guilt plaguing many today; a person's guilt haunting their every action in the present. Yet, we see a way forward, a way to alleviate these depressing feelings: Allow yourself to be aided, to be cared for, and to, most importantly, let those around us in—do not block your true self from them out of fear. People are all flawed, but we are all loving, willing to be loved and to aid the others around us. Nothing except our perception of ourselves and our decision-making power can stop us from mending these flaws throughout the course of our lives.