Peacemaker Season 2 Risks Making Vigilante A Better Character Than Cena
Warning: Contains spoilers for Peacemaker season 1.
After the success of Peacemaker season 1, season 2 has some big shoes to fill but its biggest challenge might be making sure that Vigilante doesn’t upstage John Cena’s Peacemaker. Freddie Stroma wasn’t the actor originally cast to play Adrian Chase, but the character was recast despite 5 episodes already being filmed. This risky decision was vindicated however as Vigilante quickly became a fan favorite in Peacemaker.
Peacemaker season 1 focuses on Chris Smith working through the realization that he might not be the person that he thought he was, an epiphany brought about by Rick Flag’s dying words followed by months in the hospital to mull it over. In the one season Peacemaker comes a long way as he comes to terms with the fact that his idea of heroism is fundamentally flawed, manages to stop pushing others away and develops real connections, and pushes back against his father’s ideologies. By the end, Peacemaker is a new man, having killed his white supremacist father and become BFFs (after Eagly) with Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks).
Related: Peacemaker’s Vigilante Obsession Nailed The MCU’s Captain America Problem
All of this presents a problem for Peacemaker season 2 as the majority of what was able to make season 1 so compelling was the nuanced depiction of outwardly loud and obnoxious Peacemaker. With Chris Smith in a healthier place, the story left to tell feels like it will be toned down and less outrageous than the character that James Gunn began with and will leave Peacemaker season 2 to be a more contemplative narrative about how Peacemaker now chooses to be a hero. On the other hand, Vigilante manages to go through the entirety of Peacemaker season 1 without
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