Peacemaker Season 2 Ordered By HBO Max, James Gunn Set To Direct The Entire New Season

We haven't seen the last of director James Gunn's violent, hard-edged, but surprisingly emotional super/antihero series "Peacemaker." The season finale is scheduled to arrive on HBO Max tomorrow, February 16, 2022, but WarnerMedia is already officially moving ahead with a second season. The news comes straight from the studio and will be sure to delight the many fans of John Cena's fiercely freedom-loving Peacemaker, the lovable bird sidekick Eagly, and the sprawling cast of supporting characters who helped expand on the main lead's appearance in last year's "The Suicide Squad." As with the first season, Gunn will return to write all the episodes for season 2. Though while directors Jody Hill, Rosemary Rodriguez, and Brad Anderson subbed in for directing duties on three episodes throughout the season, it has been confirmed that Gunn will also direct every episode in the next season.

Head of Original Content at HBO Max, Sarah Aubrey, released a statement celebrating today's news, punctuated with a pitch-perfect closing note:

"The brilliance of James Gunn once again shines with 'Peacemaker.' He took this character, brought to life by the inimitable John Cena, and created an exceptional series that's simultaneously thrilling, hilarious and heartfelt, showcasing the humanity beneath this team of misfits living in a superhuman world. As the first original DC show to have its series premiere on HBO Max, we are thrilled that the viewers agreed to give peace a f***ing chance."

As for James Gunn, he also weighed in on the announcement:

"Creating 'Peacemaker' has been one of the true highlights of my life, both professionally and otherwise, with John Cena and the incredible creative team around me, as well as our partners at HBO Max. To have something we all love so much be loved by the audience in turn has been a wonderful experience. I can't wait for folks to see where Team Peacemaker goes in Season Two!"

We can't exactly say this news was unexpected. "Peacemaker" only needed a few weeks to shoot to the top of the streaming metrics on a worldwide basis, as we recently reported that a third-party analytics company called the show "the biggest series in the world." WarnerMedia clearly liked what it saw as the numbers started rolling in with each episode, enough to officially give the green light (the prepared statements suggest this has been a fait accompli for quite some time now) before the season has even finished airing. The boost from the announcement will surely be reflected in tomorrow's numbers for the season 1 finale, as viewers can watch comfortably knowing that the story won't necessarily end for good, or on a cliffhanger or unresolved plot points.

James Gunn also celebrated the news of the season 2 renewal on Twitter, posting, "That's right, #Peacemaker is coming back for Season Two. Thanks to Peter Safran, @JohnCena, our incredible cast & crew, our wildly supportive & lovely friends at @HBOMax – and mostly all of you for watching! @DCpeacemaker"

That’s right, #Peacemaker is coming back for Season Two. Thanks to Peter Safran, @JohnCena, our incredible cast & crew, our wildly supportive & lovely friends at @HBOMax – and mostly all of you for watching! @DCpeacemaker pic.twitter.com/wZSZBivrDQ

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) February 16, 2022

And, of course, the star of the show John Cena let his thoughts be known on the subject:

"I am incredibly honored and humbled by the response to 'Peacemaker' and the experience of playing this character. Thank you to James Gunn, Peter Safran, HBO Max, the crew, and my castmates who worked tirelessly to make this unforgettable series."

As mentioned, viewers can look forward to the season finale tomorrow on HBO Max and, subsequently, a whole new batch of season 2 episodes to come at a to-be-announced date. Stay tuned to /Film for more updates as they come in!