Category: Features

Hey, Look, Everyone…It’s Bryce Dallas Howard

Through its first four episodes, Lucasfilm’s latest Star Wars streaming series, The Book of Boba Fett, hadn’t generated the same volume of discussion around the proverbial water cooler as had its predecessor on Disney Plus, The Mandalorian. While The Book of Boba Fett hasn’t really been divisive among fans and has been treated kindly by critics, it simply seemed to lack the same “pop” as Mando.

Surely some of that is the result of the reality of the show not matching fan expectations: fans wanted Boba Fett kicking ass like he did when he first appeared in The Mandalorian but, instead, have seen a story unfold much more along the lines of The Godfather: Part II, in which flashbacks a bring us up to speed on how Fett rose to his current station. And so, through its first four episodes, much of the buzz had been generated by the live-action debut of Black Krrsantan, Danny Trejo’s Rancor keeper and the hope of something greater just around the corner. And today, in Chapter 5, “The Return of The Mandalorian”, the hope that fans had been clinging to arrived.

The episode waited roughly 20 seconds before introducing Din Djarin to the story and, from there, the character never relinquished the spotlight. As fans have rightly pointed out, this episode was in every way, shape and form, an episode of The Mandalorian that happened to be part of The Book of Boba Fett. It’s not until the end that Fett is even named and the events of this episode have nothing to do with the events of the first four episodes of the series. Outside of the setting and a brief reference to the Pyke Syndicate, Chapter 5 doesn’t even share the same narrative tapestry as the rest of the series.

What it is, however, is a great reminder that The Book of Boba Fett is part of much larger narrative that’s been developing for nearly 15 years, since Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau started to plant the seeds of it over the course of several season of The Clone Wars. Filoni and Favreau seem to have a deep and true understanding of the Galaxy Far, Far Away that George Lucas dreamt up and created. They have a passion and knowledge for the stories and characters that have built Star Wars into the entertainment empire it has become and have rightfully been lauded for their work with the direction they’ve begun to steer the live-action Star Wars series. Following today’s episode, it’s clear that fans need to start sending some of that praise in the direction of director Bryce Dallas Howard.

Chapter 5 stands apart from the rest of the chapters of The Book of Boba Fett. Sure it’s not telling a story about Fett, though it’s obvious Djarin is going to play a big role in the remainder of the series (the creators were kind enough to throw some metahumor at us “Hey, look, everyone. It’s Mando”, as if we had forgotten about him), but it’s also the best episode of the series so far despite a decent chunk of time in it being spent watching Djarin and Peli Motto rattle off a bunch of crazy names for parts of the Naboo starfighter they are rebuilding. Howard shares that same deep understanding of Star Wars that fans love to use to adulate Filoni and Favreau and she shares it because, just like them, she’s a lifelong fan of the franchise.

Howard’s father, Ron Howard, worked on the 1988 film Willow, written by Lucas, and Bryce has talked in the past about how Lucas both mentored her father through his directing career and gave her advice ahead of her directorial debut on The Mandalorian in the first season’s fourth episode. Howard was even present at a dinner in which her father and Lucas met with Akria Kurosawa, the legendary Japanese director whose 1958 film, The Hidden Fortress, served as inspiration for Lucas to create Star Wars and whose influence is still felt even as creators other than Lucas are now taking the reigns of the franchise. Chapter 13 of The Mandalorian, “The Jedi”, directed by Filoni, was the most overt homage to Kurosawa, but it is very clear that Howard values Kurosawa’s influence on the franchise, too. Her first episode of The Mandalorian, “Sanctuary”, was very much in the Kurosawa mold.

What “The Return of the Mandalorian” made very clear was that while Filoni and Favreau may be creating the live-action world unfolding on Disney Plus and are the ones driving the shared narrative that certainly seems like it’s headed for a big battle to reclaim Mandalore, they are incredibly comfortable letting Howard take the wheel and be in charge as they lay the groundwork. Chapter 11 of The Mandalorian, “The Heiress”, also directed by Howard, introduced key characters, storylines and artifacts into live-action that will play major roles in the resolution of this shared narrative. In “The Return of the Mandalorian”, Howard’s voice was again the one Filoni and Favreau chose to tell not only the past of Mandalore (with a little Terminator influence thrown in for good measure), but also set up some key points for the future, such as how Djarin can redeem himself in his religion. For an episode that spent a lot of time repairing a beat up ship, it sure seems like it was a can’t miss to understand things moving forward.

And so with Chapter 5 of The Book of Boba Fett, “The Return of The Mandalorian”, the hope fans were waiting for did arrive…and her name is Bryce Dallas Howard.

January 26, 2022
How ‘Peacemaker’ Changed Vigilante…and Made Him Better

Before Peacemaker premiered, people were a bit uncertain about how the series would be adapting Vigilante, especially after how the character was handled on Arrow. With Adrian Chase serving as one of Peacemaker’s leads and having been recast midway through production on the series, there was some uncertainty surrounding the character. It eventually led to some major payoff, however, with the creative decisions made with Vigilante being among the best in the series.

The version of Adrian Chase we meet in Peacemaker has a different background than his comic counterpart. Vigilante is basically DC’s version of the Punisher, set on a path of vengeance following the death of his family at the hands of mobsters. Adrian Chase was a former district attorney who sought out new ways of enforcing the law.

Peacemaker’s Chase is not a district attorney, he isn’t even a lawyer, instead, he’s a busboy at a local restaurant who spends his free time killing anyone who breaks the law, no matter how minuscule the crime is. He is also obsessed with Peacemaker, confirmed by the thousands of voicemails left on Peacemaker’s phone while he was in prison. This Vigilante is a massive goofball and very akin to the likes of Deadpool, a merc with a mouth who works by a code.

Vigilante was never really a big name in the comics. He was often dry and uninteresting as everything he did had been done before, there was never a ton of defining moments for the character. He would basically just run around the DC universe looking like a really angry Olympic skier with his red goggles and striped outfit.

Gunn is notorious for his work with lesser-known characters and making great strides when adapting them to the big screen. Gunn took Adrian Chase and made him lovable: he may be a ruthless killer but there is an actual character with substance there. He instantly lights up scenes while also stealing them at the very same time. While he may be committing some truly heinous crimes in the name of justice, as Peacemaker does in the name of peace, there’s something admirable to his mission. He isn’t a bad person. He’s got good intentions and just strives to help the world, it’s just that he’s got a really bad way of showing it. The most recent episode showed the great lengths Adrian would go not only to save the mission but also to free Peacemaker from the shadow of his abusive father.

It wouldn’t be the same without Freddie Stroma, brought in during the recast of the character, bringing a quirky and charming attitude to the character. Stroma definitely was the perfect fit for the character. While we haven’t seen what Conrad would’ve brought to the role, and maybe never will in the end I think it definitely worked out quite well.

January 24, 2022
The Appeal of ‘Moon Knight’: Disney+ Finally Matures

Not too long ago, we’ve learned that Moon Knight may have become Disney+’s most anticipated entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only did it get the most likes of any series, it even managed to become its second-most-watched entry within 24 hours. It’s crazy to think how popular it is if you consider that Moon Knight has mostly been known either from a meme calling Dracula a nerd or many Batman comparisons. There’s a lot more to the character, of course, but there must be something about this series that appeals to viewers with its trailer.

I think its biggest selling point lies in the tonal change from the rest of the MCU. The Disney+ shows have been unique and offer different takes on what it means to be a hero, villain, and more. Yet, there’s something much darker at play with Moon Knight compared to the rest. It may be similar to why Loki and WandaVision were such darlings during their release, as they offered something truly unique. We’ve seen enough superheroes and now Marvel Studios has started to break the mold. And, on top of it all, they provided one of their best trailers that found the perfect mixture of intrigue, action, and character.

Their next Disney+ series feels like a psychological horror film that was combined into Christopher Nolan‘s Memento. The initial trailer offers so much intrigue that forces anyone to question what is real. Comic fans might fully grasp the many personalities of Marc Spector and the existence of Khonshu, but an everyday viewer will have no clue. All they saw, was this strange monster stalking him, and the way the first trailer implies it may just be in his head. It’s an eye-catcher in many ways, as you might question how real is Moon Knight as a hero in this universe.

Oscar Isaac‘s performance of a mentally disturbed man, fighting to figure out what is real or not would probably drag quite a few people into theaters if this wasn’t a Disney+ series. Throw in the possibility of him becoming a hero more in line with Punisher or Daredevil‘s Netflix run, you might reach an audience that has been clamoring for exactly that. The poster with a bloody crescent moon-shaped weapon certainly seems to promise that Marvel Studios isn’t holding back this time around.

Disney+ is a family-oriented streaming program at the end of the day, and there were concerns that it could hold back Marvel Studios’ expansion. If they can make this concept work within the perceived limitations of a Disney-owned streaming service, the future of Marvel’s darker characters, which includes Daredevil, Punisher, Ghost Rider, and more, seems – for a lack of a better term – quite bright. Moon Knight may be the point where Disney+ starts to mature and opens the floodgates to welcome in more stories like it.

January 23, 2022
Murphy’s Team-Up, Volume 15: The ‘Moon Knight’ Trailer

Dalbin Osorio

Loved every second of it. From the shot of Egypt that made me immediately think of the Eternals to the use of one of Marc’s alter-egos to the shot of the criminally underrated Ethan Hawke (he’s who everyone pretends Jared Leto is), it set the tone far more than a teaser should. It gave us our first shot at many intriguing things (was that a Lycan? An Animus?), While also setting the stage for what seems to be a more visceral show than we’ve gotten from the MCU on Disney+. FWS had it’s moments, but this seems to up the violence ante. There’s some concern that Marvel didn’t cast a Jewish actor in the title role and that this means they’re going to retcon that for Isaac’s character, and this trailer did nothing to confirm/deny that. It left me wanting more, especially considering I believe Moon Knight will tie into Blade and some of the other properties coming down the pipe. All in all, mission accomplished.

Filip Manka

That trailer put me at ease. Despite my huge hype for this show, I still had some concerns in the back of my mind about adapting this character into a live-action feature. However, the trailer is absolutely fantastic for me and I can’t remember the last time I looked forward to a Marvel project this much. The trailer gave me the emotions I was expecting: disorientation, surreal atmosphere, and confusion.

The focus on DID and the character’s psychological problems is gratifying. The beginning of the trailer in terms of execution is very much in the style of directors Moorehead and Benson, enclosing the character in tight frames with a close-up camera. Somewhere in the back, there is the symbolism of the surroundings being reflected in puddles and mirrors, which I also think will at times serve as an interesting means of expression in portraying Marc’s problems.

Another huge plus is that the story will begin from the perspective of Steve Grant, Marc’s alter ego. I like how the subconscious has repressed Marc’s death, which by the way is very consistent with how DID works. The subconscious has separated the trauma and grief to protect the person from themselves. Such a theme gives room for many interesting narrative treatments, and I hope that the further into the woods the story becomes less linear.

I was also very positively surprised by the fact that the series will be mostly based on the series from 1985. Ethan Hawke’s character himself is named Arthur Harrow, who debuted in the comics in 1985, and the hero himself was studying the theory of pain. Here I think that they will combine Harrow with Sun King and I know that Moon Knight’s fans may turn their noses up a bit because the plot with Sun King was poor, but such a synthesis of these two characters may come out on a good note.

I do love this outfit. I’m glad that they didn’t go for any armor, but something mystical and out of the ordinary for the MCU. Once again, I associate it with the 1985 run where the theme of Egypt and mysticism was present, and according to the description, this element will also be important in the series.

Mary Maerz

I loved it. Take out the last 10 seconds or so, and you wouldn’t even know it was a Marvel or superhero-type series. It definitely came across as more of a psychological thriller with a smattering of horror and a smidge of action. I really like that combination, but it will be interesting to see what that balance actually is in the series, since it’s a solid bet the action (and actual Moon Knight part) will be more prominent. I’m extremely curious how they will handle and explore Marc Spector’s D.I.D., and I hope it doesn’t take 5 episodes to explain it or to reveal Jake Lockely. I definitely felt some elements of the Lemire run with Marc (or Steven) going in and out of perceived realities in really abrupt and harsh ways, and I would love if they played into that consistently throughout the whole series. If Ethan Hawke’s Arthur Harrow is actually who I think he could be, I’m very interested to see how they develop the dynamic between the two in this context. We only really saw Moon Knight going to town punching something in a bathroom for a few seconds, so honestly in my mind the jury is still very much out on the Moon Knight himself. But it’s looking good.

Nathan Miller

I enjoyed the trailer. I think Marvel Studios got almost exactly the right mix of attraction for a casual audience and for more dedicated fans. The trailer makes it clear we are going to have Steven Grant as a gateway to the character of Moon Knight with some subtleties of the wider Moonie mythos. There is a mystery to unravel for Steven as there is for the audience. All of my friends who watch Marvel Studios TV and films in a late-casual way thought ‘it was unlike any other Marvel thing’ they had seen, and were really excited about it. So in that sense, it’s job done. The only thing I think could maybe have been improved on is the music for this particular trailer, as it didn’t get me as hyped up as other Marvel Studios trailer music has done, but it’s not a deal-breaker by any means in my enjoyment of the trailer. I’m excited for the next trailer and for the show itself!

Charles Murphy

My thoughts are simple: the most non-Marvel trailer I’ve seen in a while and I love it. The only real piece of info I had on this show was that it would be partially inspired by Christopher Nolan’s Memento: the trailer showed us that is probably the case and that makes for a very interesting dynamic for the audience, especially anyone who doesn’t have a good handle on who Moon Knight is. I love the quasi-Earth X inspired costume. I think this has the makings of an incredibly fun series that will probably have weekly conversation on the level of WandaVision as fans try to piece together the mystery.

Anthony Canton III

The trailer is interesting in so many ways. First, for the MCU at large this feels like something entirely different than anything we’ve ever seen. For the uninitiated to the character it has to feel trippy as it not only is mysterious, but incredibly psychological. The tone of the trailer is a dark one, bringing us inside the mind of someone who’s clearly lost theirs. Oscar Isaac has a chance to do something special here in playing multiple personalities. Ethan Hawke’s character seems very influential without us knowing exactly who he is. There’s intrigue in all of this, and the Moon Knight suit itself looking so good on screen. Lastly, the brief physicality of seeing Moon Knight hammering a creature of some sort (Anubis perhaps) is exciting as we haven’t seen a fighting style like this one in the MCU. The fans are in for quite the ride with Moon Knight.

Joseph Aberl

The Moon Knight trailer probably goes down as one of my favorites alongside WandaVision and Loki. There’s something about the atmosphere that makes it stand out, especially with the psychological thriller aspect. Khonshu’s arrival as this horror monster makes me wonder just how they might approach the story, and even the strange accent by Oscar Isaac adds that something is off throughout. I really hope the series completely leans into that aspect and sticks to it throughout its runtime, as us questioning if Moon Knight is real or not could make for a great storyline before he enters the wider MCU.

Joao Pinto

For me what stood out the most in the Moon Knight trailer was the project’s apparent cinematic-quality. All other Disney+ MCU series have been great in terms of bringing a lot of the Marvel Studios big screen expertise to streaming, but Moon Knight’s footage seems to be on a different level. The series will be the first MCU show not to count on previously established characters within the franchise to help sell the property and therefore it might be going the extra mile in terms of presenting itself as a must-see television event based on looks alone.

The trailer itself hasn’t given out much in terms of plot, but if the feeling of its footage is anything to go by in terms of the overall quality of the series, one of the most enigmatic characters Marvel has decided to bring into the MCU might very well end up with the best-looking show, on par with the movies. Something that Marvel has been promising ever since its streaming strategy was announced, but that seldomly has been delivered.

January 23, 2022
The DCEU Can Shine Even Without Superman and Batman

Quite recently the internet has been ablaze with rumors and reports regarding the future of the DC Extended Universe. They have stated that Batman and Superman would essentially have no role in the DCEU moving forward. Michael Keaton might take on a role similar to Nick Fury in the early days of the MCU. Their original roles will be taken over by Batgirl and Supergirl of the trinity. While it seems like there’s a bit of uncertainty on what’s to become of the DCEU, I don’t think all is lost. In fact, I feel like there’s even more potential now than there was ever before.

Obviously, Batman and Superman are essential characters to the comics mythos. They are the literal pillars of the DC Universe across all mediums, and rightfully so. Luckily the characters will live on in multiple other projects like Matt Reeves‘ The Batman, Batman: The Caped Crusader, My Adventures With Superman, Superman and Lois, as well as whatever DC has planned. The two aren’t completely gone from DC’s cinematic future. As such, they can continue to exist in their own separate projects while minor characters get a chance to shine in a connected DCEU.

That is exactly why we shouldn’t look at this as the end but rather as an opportunity. In this instance, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has proven how a franchise can build itself without some of its most iconic characters. Yes, there have been comparisons when people pointed out that the DCEU went a little too fast so that they could catch up with the MCU, but in this case, they should take a page out of their book. With this new direction, they may be unshackled like Marvel Studios once was.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe was able to build without its pillar characters, as back in 2008 they only had limited access to their roster of characters. As such, the MCU was forced to start without the likes of Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and even the X-Men. They couldn’t access these characters that put them on the map. Instead, they worked with what was available at their disposal and built a universe with the likes of Iron Man, Ant-Man, Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch, Vision, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and many more. While it seems difficult to imagine a world without them, they weren’t well-known at that time.

The DCEU has a chance to dig through its incredibly rich roster of characters and give the spotlight to those that would’ve otherwise never gotten the chance. Marvel is at a place now where they can introduce characters like the Eternals, Echo, Shang-Chi, and many more to their universe and instantly turn them into household names. Even Moon Knight just recently had more views within the first 24 hours than series like Hawkeye, WandaVision, and even Loki. These are all characters that became fan-favorites after being part of the franchise for years, and this new character managed to outperform them.

So, even if the future for Batman and Superman in the DCEU is uncertain, this isn’t something to fear but rather embrace. These two characters have such a strong place in the cinematic consciousness of the public. They aren’t dependent on the rest, especially with Reeves‘ plans of building an entire universe based solely on Batman. So, the DCEU can reestablish itself and become even more interconnected as minor characters get their time to shine. We’re already seeing the new direction with projects on Black Adam, Blue Beetle, and more. This is just the beginning of a brighter future.

January 22, 2022
‘Peacemaker’ Episode 4 Primer

The first episode of Peacemaker saw Christopher Smith discharged from the hospital, thinking he was free to go as no cops had returned to arrest him. However, it’s upon the return home that he’s introduced to Clemson Murn and his team, featuring a few familiar faces. Murn tells Smith he’d only served four of his thirty-year sentence and could return to prison or work for him.

Welcome to Project Butterfly, another “creatively” named mission in which we’ve learned that an alien species of insects codenamed “butterflies” has infiltrated earth. The butterflies are similar to Starro but are not extensions of one larger being. These butterflies are believed to have infiltrated some of the highest levels of government and influence on earth and it’s up to Peacemaker and his new team to root them out and stop them from taking over the world.

Project Butterfly features the return of not only Peacemaker, but also Emilia Harcourt and John Economos. The two of them are Argus agents who worked on Task Force X during Project Starfish but seem to have much more history with the team. Alongside those two is Murn, an ex-mercenary who brought the issue of the Butterflies to Waller and was directly appointed to lead this task force. The final member is Leota Adebayo, who we learn very early on is the daughter of Amanda Waller and is, of course, there with an assigned ulterior motive: to plant a forged diary in the Peacemaker’s trailer.

Perhaps one of the other biggest reveals from the first three episodes is the alter-ego of Auggie Smith, Peacemaker’s father. After being locked up in prison, the other prisoners salute Auggie and refer to him as the White Dragon, an obscure villain mantle from the comics belonging to white supremacists. We knew Auggie was quite a bad guy, but we didn’t know he was that bad of a guy!

We meet Vigilante early on whose describes himself as Peacemaker’s “best friend” and is just plain crazy, looking to kill anyone who breaks even the most minuscule law. Although he was not an appointed member of the team, he makes space for himself in ‘Better Goff Dead’ in which he kills Senator Royland Goff’s family, all of whom are Butterflies, after Peacemaker hesitates.

Of course, we can’t forget Judomaster making his live-action debut in the series. Judomaster is a Charlton Comic’s character just like Peacemaker, but the one we meet here is a more appropriately reimaged character. Judomaster is the Goff family bodyguard and gives the team quite a beatdown.

Peacemaker Episode 3 ends with quite the shocking revelation as we get our very first look at one of these Butterflies, but also the reveal that this isn’t a contained threat. A map within the team’s surveillance van establishes the Butterflies as a global threat.

Episode 4 of Peacemaker, “A Choad Less Travelled”, is set to HBO Max on Thursday, January 20th.

January 19, 2022
Arkham

First developed by The Batman director Matt Reeves as a Gotham City Police Department series under the name Gotham Central, the project evolved into a series about the inner workings of Gotham’s iconic Arkham Asylum. In late 2022, Antonio Campos joined the project as showrunner.

The GCDP thing, that story has story has kinda evolved. We’ve actually now [moved] more into the realm of exactly what would happen in the world of Arkham as it relates coming off of our movie, and some of the characters… almost leaning into the idea of… it’s like a horror movie or a haunted house that is Arkham.
–Matt Reeves on the evolution of his Arkham project

Originally believed to be an Elseworlds project set in Reeves’ Batman universe, DC co-chair James Gunn revealed that Arkham was developed to be set within the main DCU continuity. “Right now Matt is producing Arkham as a DCU series,” said Gunn on Threads in January 2024, adding that”It was one of the first pitches we bought when Peter [Safran] and I came onboard.” Gunn went on to clarify Reeves’ status with DC Studios, saying “We love Matt as a director and producer so he’ll be producing stories both within his The Batman universe and within the DCU.“

Cast

January 18, 2022
Murphy’s Team-Up, Volume 14: Reviewing ‘Peacemaker’

Anthony Canton III

The first three episodes of Peacemaker are an energetic whirlwind of wild. James Gunn’s fingerprints are all over this in the best way possible. From the opening scene to the can’t skip opening credits, it’s a tour de force of fun. John Cena was born to play this role, and Danielle Brooks is a revelation as Adebayo. Having the intricate knowledge of The Suicide Squad makes this show already feel lived in, but you can totally watch it fresh. I’m anticipating episode 4 already to see what’s next from this wonderful cast and crew. P and V!

Charles Murphy

Peacemaker’s first 3 episodes were a ride! This is the role John Cena was born to play. While he’s otherwise never really stood out to me in any of his other projects, Cena’s work as Peacemaker has been fantastic. And while’s he’s still pretty much just an asshole who works well as the punchline of pretty much every joke, if you’re paying attention you’re seeing something more from Cena in these episodes. James Gunn’s strengths as a writer and director are magnified here with more time to spend on the interpersonal dynamics that he always manages so magnificently and the members of the core team are all doing great work both fitting in and getting their chances to shine. Gunn’s also done a great job taking characters that nobody has given a shit about for decades and making them fun. Vigilante has been hilarious to date and Judomaster’s fight scene was a riot. Robert Patrick has caused a lot of feelings in his limited time as Peacemaker’s piece of shit father and it’s clear he’s got a bigger role to play yet. To be fully honest, I don’t even care to learn more about Project Butterfly or who is behind it. I’d be fine just watching these people go through their day.

Mary Maerz

Peacemaker delivers on its promise to be a parody-like take on the more traditional superhero genre. It’s funny, it’s raunchy, and it confuses the boundaries of hero and anti-hero more than most takes on anti-heroes. John Cena really is perfect as Peacemaker–without that, Peacemaker might have been a non-starter–and the casting overall is phenomenal. Freddie Stroma’s Vigilante is the best part of the whole series, though. I thought the first three episodes had some pacing issues and didn’t quite capitalize on its strongest elements, so to me they felt a bit more flat than I would have liked. But they consistently improved as they went along, and I am pretty confident the series is going to keep getting stronger.

Joao Pinto

Even though Peacemaker debuted to mostly wonderful reviews across the board it didn’t quite grab me in the same way. Even so, I absolutely understand how it being R-rated helps to take such a show to a new level, making it feel, at times, a bit more real and not as squeaky clean, to a fault, as many others. Especially because that angle fits so very well with the bonkers worldbuilding set up in The Suicide Squad by James Gunn. The episodic format does allow us to spend more time in said world, and it’s perhaps the repetitiveness and the double downing on many jokes that comes with that extra runtime, making them the norm and not the exception, that makes them feel a bit odd. As such, the humor has been sort of hit-and-miss but I don’t hold that against the series as its best moments still seem to overshadow its lowest. With just three episodes out so far it’s expected that the best is still yet to come as the script matures alongside the characters in it.
The highlights have been, without a doubt, John Cena and Danielle Brooks’ performances. While Cena seems to have been born to play this role and shines in every chance he gets, Brooks exudes such humanity in every single line spoken that you can’t help but root for her every step of the way.
Above all, it’s palpable how everybody involved had a great time making this show. Even if it might turn out not to be my favorite thing ever, there isn’t much more one can ask for from such a talented cast and crew.

Joseph Aberl

Peacemaker is peak James Gunn, as you see him truly embrace the wackiness of a post-The Suicide Squad world. Not only do we get some good comedy to ease us into understanding these characters quite easily, but they also build up a rather intriguing mystery surrounding its main antagonists. We’re put into Peacemaker’s shoes as we try to find out what exactly he is going up against, as it slowly unravels throughout the episodes. What sells the show are the performances by Freddie Stroma and John Cena, whose attitude completely counteracts the more serious nature of what they are going up against. Cena is also all-in with the wackiness and quite a raunchy continuation of his character, which fits perfectly into the R-rated and brutal world we were introduced to.

Hunter Radesi

Peacemaker is a wonderful, mixed bag. The show simultaneously feels like something born out of the early 2000s and something that could never have existed before now. It is a glorious celebration of the weirdness of comic books while also tearing their self-righteousness apart at the seams. It’s not a show for everyone, but it was never advertised that way. John Cena is a surprisingly capable leading man, the action is great, and when the humor lands, it really lands. It’s James Gunn tapping into his Super days, with a much larger budget. It may not be the most nuanced comic adaptation we’ve ever gotten, but if you’re looking for a good, raunchy time, it doesn’t get much better. I dig it.

John Sabato

Peacemaker has been everything I’ve wanted it to be and more. John Cena shines brighter than his helmet in this series. He’s really acting his ass off here and is becoming such a phenomenal actor. His supporting cast is just as good with Harcourt, Economos, Murn, Vigilante, and Adebayo each bringing something special to the show and just working so well with each other. Of course this wouldn’t be a thing without the maestro himself, James Gunn, who continues to create of the best comic book media in the genre. The way he’s able to bring such emotional weight to the silliest and most outlandish ideas is something to behold. Gunn just knows what he is doing here; he’s a giant nerd in the best way possible and makes some really deep cuts and provides some fantastic world building in the series. There’s some seriously great character work here with Christopher Smith, peeling back those layers yet still letting him be the douchebag we all got to know in The Suicide Squad. I truly hope Gunn continues to build on his corner of the DCEU because this stuff is GOLD.

January 16, 2022
‘Peacemaker’ Episode 1-3 Easter Eggs and References

Peacemaker is finally here and just like any other James Gunn project it’s packed full of Easter eggs and features quite a few deep-cut nods to the DC mythos.

Evergreen

Peacemaker takes place in the fictional city of Evergreen, Washington, the hometown of the most famous Green Lantern: Hal Jordan. Jordan returned to his hometown upon leaving his post at Ferris Aircraft to work as an insurance salesman. At one point, Green Arrow even made his way to Evergreen where he crossed paths with the lantern. There doesn’t seem to be any hint of either character right now, but it’s still a pretty cool bit of world-building in the ever-expanding DC Extended Universe.

Bat-Mite

During a discussion between Peacemaker and John Economos, Economos exclaims that he’d rather be hanging out with Bat-Mite than be working alongside Smith. Peacemaker asks who Bat-Mite is and Economos describes him as a “Two-foot tall interdimensional imp who stans Batman” and that he is in fact very real, leaving Peacemaker wondering what the world is coming to. It’s a bit funny to picture Ben Affleck’s Batman standing next to the likes of Bat-Mite but it’s a fun nod to the Bat’s biggest fan.

Doll Man

As they prepare to set out on their first mission as a team, Peacemaker gets chatty as usual. This time around he name drops a rather obscure DC name: Doll Man. Peacemaker goes into detail about just how much he dislikes “homunculi”, and then name drops Doll Man as an example. Doll Man, also known as “The Worlds Mightiest Mite”, developed a chemical formula that gave him the ability to shrink himself and was one of the first superheroes with that ability.

White Dragon

When Peacemaker’s dad, Auggie Smith, finds himself in jailafter he’s framed for murder by John Economos, he’s worshipped and saluted by the other inmates. In that moment, Peacemaker’s awful father got so much worse as it was revealed that he is the White Dragon, a white supremacist supervillain who was created by John Ostrander. In the comics, Auggie wasn’t the White Dragon, but he was a Nazi who when he died, haunted Peacemaker with the horrible atrocities he committed. Gunn gets original here giving Auggie an alter-ego as a “Cape”.

The DEO

When Peacemaker and Harcourt are staking out the Groff mansion, Smith attempts to pry a bit into Harcourt’s past. As she recalls her career path, she mentions that after she joined the CIA, she ended up at the DEO, better known as The Department of Extranormal Operations. First introduced into the comics in 1998, the DEO is a government agency that deals with everything out of the ordinary in the DC Universe. The DEO was previously heavily featured in Supergirl where they dealt with alien threats.

Peacemaker’s Jetpack

Upon returning to his trailer after leaving the hospital, Peacemaker is quickly greeted by the members of his new team, led by Clemson Murn. Peacemaker has few conditions he wants met before he agrees to join the team, chief among them is that he wants a Jetpack, like really bad. Murn quickly shoots down the jetpack and moves on from his silly request. Peacemaker just really loves his jetpacks and has since his early days ini the comics. The character used to constantly be equipped with a Jetpack in many of his old comic book experiences, so if you thought he was a menace to begin with, imagine him being able to fly. Maybe down the line we’ll be able to see Peacemaker take flight, but for now it’s just a fun nod to his comic book history.

With a Gunn production, there’s always plenty of Easter eggs to be found and with a whole new universe at his fingertips, he’s sure to be pulling anything and everything that he can. Some may never be found, just like the elusive Easter egg in Guardians of The Galaxy that to this day eludes fans.

January 14, 2022
‘Peacemaker’ Episodes 1-3 Primer

The chrome-domed beacon of freedom will be making his return tomorrow when the first 3 episodes of Peacemaker debut tomorrow, exclusively on HBO Max. It’s been a few months since we last saw the character, and since then we’ve had plenty of comic book-based content released, so minds may be a bit cloudy on just how we got here, and some may even be wondering just how is Christopher Smith alive? I mean he looked quite dead last time we saw him, well we’ve got a bit of a refresher for you to be ready to jump right in tomorrow.

We first met Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad, assigned to Task Force X for Project Starfish which found him in Corto Maltese. Smith was assigned to Squad B, the “real team” as Squad A had been sent into the other side of the beach in order to provide a distraction. Peacemaker instantly began butting heads with everyone on the team, determined only to finish the mission and establish peace on the small island nation. It would later be revealed that Smith had been sent with an alternate objective assigned to him by Amanda Waller: to destroy the truth behind Project Starfish at any cost necessary. That lead to multiple altercations, including one that resulted in Peacemaker killing Rick Flag, and one in which Bloodsport took out Smith and left him for dead.

But Peacemaker, of course, is not dead. In the post-credits of The Suicide Squad, he is pulled from the rubble of Jotunheim and barely hanging onto life. After surviving the mission, Smith is met by John Economos and Emilia Harcourt, who defied Waller’s orders and helped to extract Task Force X from Corto Maltese. Both characters will return for Peacemaker.

The series will also introduce multiple new character to Christopher Smith’s team like Clemson Murn, Leota Adebayo, and Vigilante. This new team has been tasked with hunting down targets labeled as “Butterflies” that pose a risk to national security. The team’s first targets are US Senator Royland Goff and his family, who are under the protection of Judomaster, another classic Charlton Comics character introduced in the series.

The series will also see Peacemaker facing his past, reuniting with his father, Auggie Smith, a southern racist who had a very intense method of parenting with Christopher. Hopefully the series is able to give us a glimpse into just what caused Peacemaker to pick up his quest for peace.

The first three episodes of Peacemaker will stream tomorrow on HBO Max.

January 12, 2022