The climax of Peacemaker Season 2's story repeats a dark James Gunn trend that happened in projects like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Season 1 of the HBO Max series. Gunn has been a significant staple in the world of superhero movies since his MCU director debut in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy. The filmmaker's storytelling often involves complex family dynamics of a ragtag group of characters and unexpected deaths driven by the story's emotional arc.
Several of Gunn's superhero movies feature the deaths of the hero's actual father or father figure. This has resulted in a trend from the director's approach in reinforcing themes of breaking free from toxic parental influence or advanced character growth. This happened again in Peacemaker Season 2's penultimate episode, following the death of an important character.
Peacemaker Season 2, Episode 7 repeats James Gunn's grim trend of killing off the protagonist's father/father figure in front of them. In the episode, Auggie of Earth-X dies before Christopher Smith's eyes at the hands of Vigilante, serving as a heartbreaking realization for Peacemaker since he learns that he was a good man (not a Nazi) before his death.
Auggie's brutal death propelled Peacemaker's story in Season 2, setting the stage for a villainous turn for his brother, Keith. It also allowed Chris to confront his guilt by surrendering to ARGUS in exchange for his friends' freedom.
Peacemaker Season 1 followed the same trend after Chris killed Earth-1 Auggie in front of him before breaking down. While Auggie's death in Season 1 was emotional, the character's violent demise broke Chris free from his toxic parental influence.
Meanwhile, Yondu's death in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was heartbreaking because it redeems Michael Rooker's character by breaking the cycle of abuse, cementing him as a selfless father figure capable of love despite his dark past.
In the same movie, Peter Quill's biological father, Ego, also died after the Guardians of the Galaxy worked together to implant a bomb in his central nervous system, with his human self dying right in front of Quill. His death cemented Peter's choice to embrace his found family (aka the Guardians) instead of choosing to stay with Ego.
Gunn's trend of killing fathers is not exclusive to the MCU and DCU since it also happened in 2019's Brightburn, a dark retelling of Superman's origin story.
In the movie, Brandon, a superpowered alien, killed his adoptive father, Kyle, with heat vision after he tried to get rid of him first.
It's worth noting that the deaths of protagonists' father figures are not the norm in James Gunn's movies. The father-son relationship is one of the core dynamics established in the David Corenswet-led Superman.
James Gunn directed and wrote Peacemaker Season 2, which is nearing its end. The show explores the ramifications of ARGUS' retrieval of the Quantum Unfolding Chamber (QUC). The series stars John Cena, Jennifer Holland, Robert Patrick, Freddie Stroma, Steve Agee, Danielle Brooks, and Elizabeth Ludlow. Peacemaker Season 2, Episode 8 premieres on HBO Max on October 9, 2025 (aka the last big day of the DCU in 2025).
James Gunn Continues Trends in the DCU: Here's Why It Matters
While killing off father figures is a dark trend for James Gunn, many would agree that it is a necessary storytelling device to advance certain characters' progression. It also reinforces the themes of a particular project, mainly centered around personal growth and embracing change or a newfound family.
It isn't surprising that Gunn's imprint is all over the DCU, which is one reason why his new shared universe has a unique feel. Additionally, Superman continued a James Gunn tradition by incorporating music into seamless, fast-paced fight scenes.
Moreover, Gunn's continued use of music to enhance the movie or show's story is still a major fixture within his projects, reinforcing his flair and making the DCU stand out from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The usual team dynamic has been consistent in the DCU thus far, too, starting with Creature Commandos and Superman and ending with Peacemaker. Gunn's brand of mixing characters well is astounding, making it even more exciting to see how well he can craft the chemistry of an eventual Justice League team-up.
