Common Sense Media Review
By Polly Conway
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Action comedy is raunchy, violent, profane, and hilarious.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
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Peacemaker
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 11 parent reviews
Based on 33 kid reviews
Kids say the show is both hilarious and deeply inappropriate, filled with excessive violence, swearing, and graphic sexual content, which makes it unsuitable for younger audiences. Many viewers appreciate its humorous take on a controversial character while recognizing that its themes of morality and redemption are overshadowed by explicit content that limits its accessibility to a mature audience.
- violence
- graphic content
- adult humor
- character complexity
- unsuitable for kids
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
As fans of James Gunn's 2021 film The Suicide Squad know, PEACEMAKER (John Cena) is a supervillain who's so devoted to peace that he'll do anything to achieve it, including killing people in droves. After spending months in the hospital recovering from the events of The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker gets a chance to stay out of prison by becoming a mercenary for Project Butterfly, a black ops squad that also includes fellow newcomer, Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks). Other members of the team tasked with keeping Peacemaker under control include Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) and John Economos (Steve Agee).
Is It Any Good?
This unbridled supervillain action comedy is a raunchy, rude, and rollicking addition to the growing DC Universe. Like a hard-R version of Guardians of the Galaxy mixed with a hearty helping of Deadpool, Peacemaker has all the touches of a James Gunn vehicle, down to the super-specific rock soundtrack (this time around it's 1980s hair metal). Cena's comic chops are on full display here, and he holds his own as a lead actor who clearly relishes playing an utterly unhinged character. He also manages to add some pathos to the performance, especially in Peacemaker's complicated relationship with his father (Robert Patrick), who makes his son's hero gear but calls him a "simp" and mocks him at every opportunity.
Brooks also shines as a foil to Cena and the show's voice of reason, and the full ensemble is a crack team that plays off each other beautifully. A minor concern: Peacemaker's "thing" is being inappropriate in every possible way, which may wear thin after a while. As Harcourt says, "Just because you're handsome doesn't mean you're not a piece of s--t murderer." Is Peacemaker silly? Yes. Over-the-top? You bet. But it's a welcome dose of rambunctious, filthy fun for the sometimes-dour DC Universe.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about superheroes and supervillains. Which one is Peacemaker? What do you think about villains being given the sympathetic treatment?
Do you think Peacemaker would be as successful with less sex or violence? Why, or why not?
How does the show convey the idea that teamwork is important? Does it emphasize any other positive character strengths? Do characters have to be wholly heroic to model positive traits?
TV Details
- Premiere date : January 13, 2022
- Cast : John Cena , Danielle Brooks
- Network : Max
- Genre : Action
- Topics : Superheroes
- TV rating :
- Last updated : November 5, 2025
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