It's loud, it's messy, it's absolutely unnecessary—and I couldn't stop grinning. HBO and DC just dropped the official red band trailer for Peacemaker Season 2, arriving on Max August 21, 2025, and it's the kind of trailer that reminds you why Gunn's corner of the DC universe feels so different. The profanity hits harder. The violence feels cartoonishly gleeful. And beneath all the smoke grenades and dick jokes, John Cena's Chris Smith still wears that flicker of guilt like a bruise he can't hide.
This second season doesn't waste time easing back in—it kicks the door down right where Season 1 left us. Peacemaker's patriotic mercenary schtick collides with existential self-doubt, and now we've got a parallel-world subplot involving a dimensional portal that's either brilliant or completely deranged. Maybe both. Gunn's writing has always thrived in that liminal space where absurdity dances with sincerity—remember The Suicide Squad's starfish finale? This feels cut from the same chaotic cloth.
The trailer also drops a sly breadcrumb for the upcoming Superman film, confirming what fans suspected: Gunn's DC sandbox is starting to connect in real time. But in between those meta-threads, there's just the unfiltered joy of watching a cast that knows exactly how ridiculous they're allowed to be. Cena's back, obviously. Danielle Brooks, Jennifer Holland, Freddie Stroma, Steve Agee, Robert Patrick—returning like they never left. Newcomers Frank Grillo and Tim Meadows slide into the madness without missing a beat, and somewhere in there is a greenish alien dude who might be a deep-cut comics reference… or maybe just Gunn trolling us.
Behind the camera, Gunn directs a few episodes himself, alongside Greg Mottola (Adventureland), Peter Sollett (Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist), and Althea Jones (Queen America). It's an eclectic mix that suggests tonal whiplash—in a good way. This is a show that can bounce from grotesque slapstick to quiet character work without warning. Gorgeous. Grating. Gorgeous again.
I kept thinking about how Season 1's heart was buried under all the crude humor—and how that ended up being the hook. Watching this trailer, you can almost feel Gunn pushing that balance further. The humor's broader. The fights look meaner. But there's also that shot of Cena, helmet off, sitting alone in a fluorescent hallway—like he's not sure who he's fighting for anymore. Maybe that's the point. Or maybe not.
What You Should Know Before Season 2 Hits Max
Bolder tone, bloodier gags
The “red band” tag isn't window dressing—this trailer leans into gore and language with joyful abandon.
A direct bridge to Gunn's Superman
For the first time, the series and Gunn's upcoming Superman movie share connective tissue onscreen.
Portal-hopping weirdness
Peacemaker's latest mission takes him across parallel worlds, adding sci-fi spice to the irreverent heroics.
Stacked returning and new cast
Cena leads a mix of Season 1 regulars and fresh faces like Frank Grillo and Tim Meadows.
Gunn's fingerprints all over
From dialogue beats to tonal shifts, the creator's style is impossible to miss—he even directs multiple episodes.
