Brandon

[This story contains spoilers through Peacemaker season two’s sixth episode, “Ignorance Is Chris.”]

When Peacemaker creator James Gunn conceived season two’s seismic twist, the first person he consulted was his Leota Adebayo actor, Danielle Brooks.

Throughout the second season, Christopher “Peacemaker” Smith (John Cena) has been enamored with an alternate dimension that he was able to access via his family’s Quantum Unfolding Chamber (QUC). Earth-2 seemingly provided him with everything he’s been lacking in his own dimension, including a caring version of his father (Robert Patrick’s Auggie), an emotionally available Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) and a grown-up version of his brother, Keith (David Denman). The latter didn’t suffer the same accidental childhood death that Earth-1’s Keith did at the hands of his younger brother, Chris.

By the end of season two’s fifth episode, “Back to the Suture,” Chris decided to permanently relocate to Earth-2 so that he could finally be the son, brother, romantic partner and well-regarded hero that’s eluded him in his own world. However, he was so caught up in his own personal life that he couldn’t see the forest for the trees. This dimension’s Evergreen, Washington, which he put on a pedestal, turns out to be a round-the-clock “sundown town,” a place that excludes people of color. The reason being is that Earth-2 consists of an alt-history in which the German Reich won World War II.

The 11th Street Kids of Harcourt, John Economos (Steve Agee), Vigilante (Freddie Stroma) and Adebayo had already set out to rescue Chris from Earth-2, and Harcourt’s instincts as an agent who minds her surroundings picked up on the white supremacist haven almost immediately.

Thus, given how sensitive the idea could potentially be for Brooks as a Black actor, Gunn made sure she was his first call.

“When I wrote episode 206, I sent it to Danielle, and I was like, ‘This is where we’re going with this. Tell me what you think.’ And she was really into it,” Gunn tells The Hollywood Reporter. “You’ve got to check yourself with things like this. It’s good to be aware of what you’re dealing with when it comes to audiences’ emotions and feelings. So Danielle was my first stop in making sure that it was all kosher.”

Peacemaker season one may have redeemed Chris for killing Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag Jr. in Gunn’s The Suicide Squad (2021), but the surviving Squad characters of Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Bloodsport (Idris Elba) and Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior) aren’t privy to the story the audience has seen. In fact, they probably still believe Peacemaker is dead from one of Bloodsport’s bullets. But Gunn doesn’t have any interest in revisiting that conflict because he’s already exploring it with Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo). 

“Now, I’m not saying that those characters won’t reappear. I’m just saying that I am [already] dealing with Peacemaker’s guilt over killing Rick Flag Jr. and his repercussions for that,” Gunn says. “That story is being told through his relationship with Rick Flag Sr. To tell it through Bloodsport, who was friends with Rick Flag Jr., would be an emotionally diminished story compared to the one I’m telling now. So it doesn’t interest me at all.”

Gunn currently hosts Peacemaker: The Official Podcast, an episodic aftershow with Holland, Agee and various guests from the series. During a previous episode, Gunn mentioned in passing that he was watching Taylor Sheridan’s 1923. That detail sparked a flurry of speculation that he was checking out popular Batman fan-cast, Brandon Sklenar, who was the breakout star on that particular Yellowstone prequel. Sklenar recently spoke to THR about his ardent desire to play the next Dark Knight.

Unfortunately, Gunn says that his viewing of 1923 was unrelated to his search for the DCU’s Batman.

“I’m definitely not doing scouting for the Caped Crusader. But I’m always scouting when I’m watching TV shows,” Gunn says. “In fact, I really like the young woman [Julia Schlaepfer] in 1923. She is just so fantastic that I suggested her for something recently. She’s Brandon’s [Sklenar] significant other in that series.”

Gunn is a preexisting admirer of Sheridan’s sprawling TV universe, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a fan of Sklenar’s.

“I’m watching [1923] because I like Taylor Sheridan’s stuff, especially that one. That’s my favorite of all his shows,” Gunn shares. “So I’m watching it mostly for fun, and I’m definitely not watching it because I need to find a Batman. By the way, I love [Sklenar]. I think he’s great. I really do. I honestly think he’s great.”

Below, during a recent spoiler conversation with THR, Gunn also discusses Nicholas Hoult’s return as Lex Luthor, as well as how his job as co-CEO of DC Studios has made him feel more compassion for his former Marvel boss, Kevin Feige.

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Peacemaker season two has been asking whether the grass is truly greener on the other side, and “Ignorance Is Chris” has answered that question with a resounding no. 

The original episode title for this episode [206] was “The Grass Is Always Meaner.”

How did you arrive at an Earth-2 in which Nazi Germany won World War II?

It comes from Christopher Smith’s personal journey of running away and his inability to accept the place in which he is. When you think of it not in terms of the political — but in terms of the personal and how that represents our own specific journeys and lives — we try to run away from where we are and who we are and what’s in our lives. The inability to accept where we are is the root of all our issues. 

Christopher Smith does this in a physical way, going from one dimension to another that’s as different from his own life as can possibly be imagined. His father is a loving father, his brother is alive and the girl he’s in love with is fawning over him and thirsty. So he has everything he thinks is different from what he has [in his own world] because he’s not willing to accept the challenges of his own life. Of course, that is a sort of monkey’s paw, and it ends up being way worse than where he started. So I see it from a personal journey perspective, and then it just so happens to coincide with political stuff in our own world. 

The dynamics that Danielle Brooks has to play in this world without visible people of color are a lot heavier than the rest of the 11th Street Kids. How would you sum up your conversations with her about this concept?

Well, she was the first person I checked with. When I wrote episode 206, I sent it to Danielle, and I was like, “This is where we’re going with this. Tell me what you think.” And she was into it. She was really into it.  So she was the first person I checked with, and you’ve got to check yourself with things like this. We can all tell stories that people are affected by or affect them emotionally in ways that we don’t understand. I’ve learned that over the years, and while that doesn’t mean I don’t choose to tell the story anyway, it’s good to be aware of what you’re dealing with when it comes to audiences’ emotions and feelings. So Danielle was my first stop in checking that out and making sure that it was all kosher.

Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor is also reintroduced at Belle Reeve prison. Does Rick Flag Sr.’s (Frank Grillo) offer of redemption lead straight into your Superman follow-up, Man of Tomorrow?

Well, I would say one of the important things is Flag and Luthor’s relationship. It continues into Man of [Tomorrow], yeah. It definitely continues. Their relationship is a part of the DCU going forward.

A month or two in prison seems to have changed Lex. Did you direct Nick to be a bit darker or edgier?

He did that naturally. I think it just comes from the text, really. He’s darker because he’s been chewed up by a Superdog, and he’s now in prison for the rest of his life. But part of it is that there’s a more naturalistic feel to the dialogue and a less heightened feel in Peacemaker than in Superman. So the character just naturally and subtly shifted due to that. 

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special referenced Batman, and now Peacemaker has referenced Spider-Man. Those characters don’t actually exist in either world, but their media does.

That’s right. 

Did anyone have to make a courtesy call to Sony or Marvel?

Nope. I also didn’t when I put Batman in [the Holiday Special]. But listen, I talk to those guys. We’re all good. 

I’m always curious about how the role of studio head is treating you. Have there been moments that have recontextualized your past Marvel experiences? Have there been instances where you better understood what Marvel boss Kevin Feige was going through at the time or why he had to make a certain decision?

Yes, it’s mostly in the day-to-day thoughtfulness of Kevin Feige and talking to him and seeing him sitting there, thinking. I often see myself doing the same thing with directors or writers. So I understand Kevin more 1759031666, and I’ve learned a lot from him. I always liked Kevin. I never had problems with Kevin in terms of working with him. It was a really, really good partnership. The same with [Marvel Studios co-president] Lou [D’Esposito]. So it was a really good situation. 

I haven’t ever been like, “Oh, I complained about this thing about Kevin, and now I see where it is with me.” If there’s one thing that I sometimes would complain about, it was the looseness of things. It was where they were going or where they were heading and how they were connected, or what they were doing with my characters and this or that. So I probably have a little bit more compassion for him in that respect because things shift and change all the time. It’s hard.

The magic trick of Peacemaker season one is that you managed to redeem Chris (Cena) to the audience after he killed Rick Flag Jr. (Joel Kinnaman) in The Suicide Squad. But he’s not redeemed in the eyes of Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Bloodsport (Idris Elba) and Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior). They may not even be aware that Chris survived the Corto Maltese mission. Do you hope to resume that conflict someday?

No.

I’m surprised to hear that. 

No, not really. I don’t [hope to resume that conflict]. People are always asking me about stuff from The Suicide Squad, and The Suicide Squad is a difficult thing because it is not DCU. But there aren’t too many things in it that aren’t [DCU]. Unlike Peacemaker season one — which is completely DCU, besides the ending and one or two mentions of different things — The Suicide Squad brings up more questions than answers. 

Now, I’m not saying that those characters won’t reappear. I’m just saying that I am [already] dealing with Peacemaker’s guilt over killing Rick Flag Jr. and his repercussions for that. And that story is being told through his relationship with Rick Flag Sr. To tell it through Bloodsport, who was friends with Rick Flag Jr., would be an emotionally diminished story compared to the one I’m telling now. So it doesn’t interest me at all. 

I heard you say on the official Peacemaker podcast that you’ve been watching a television program called 1923. 

That’s right.

Besides entertaining yourself, were you also doing some scouting for the Caped Crusader?

I’m definitely not doing scouting for the Caped Crusader. But I’m always scouting when I’m watching TV shows. I’m always watching characters. In fact, I really like the young woman in 1923. She is just so fantastic that I suggested her for something recently. 

Julia Schlaepfer?

Yeah, she’s so, so good. She’s Brandon’s [Sklenar] significant other in that series. But I’m watching it because I like Taylor Sheridan’s stuff, especially that one. That’s my favorite of all his shows. So I’m watching it mostly for fun, and I’m definitely not watching it because I need to find a Batman. (Laughs.) I know what your question is, but that’s not the reason I’m watching it.

Sorry, Brandon. I tried. 

By the way, I love him. I think he’s great. I really do. I honestly think he’s great. 

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Peacemaker season two is currently airing Thursdays on HBO and HBO Max.