At first glance, you might think the DC Universe show Peacemakeris a little bit silly. As with Season 1, there’s an outrageous dance number that begins every episode, while John Cena’s titular vigilante is a unique combination of a goofball and a meathead. But if you’ve dipped your toe into the first episode of Peacemaker Season 2, you’ll find quite a bit of depth in the series, which, first and foremost, is a story about men figuring out how to be better. Mild spoilers ahead.
“We’re at a point in the world where a lot of men are going on a similar journey that Peacemaker’s going on,” actor David Denman tells Men’s Journal. And points out that the show is very much about forging a new path for men and their feelings. “For a very long time, men have not been allowed to do that. We’re like, tough guys. You don’t cry. You just suck it up. But, I don’t believe in that one bit.”
Related: ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 Review: The Raunchy Side of the DCU Is Even Better Than ‘Superman’
In Season 2, Denman’s joining the Peacemaker cast is very much a surprise. Starting with the first episode of Season 2, Denman plays Kevin Smith, Chris Smith’s (John Cena’s) brother, who, in the normal timeline, died tragically as a kid. But, in a seemingly more ideal alternate dimension, Peacemaker discovers his brother alive and a full-grown man, and like him, a low-level superhero. This reconciliation isn’t only tender, it’s also hilarious. Denman says that this is partially because director and showrunner James Gunn gave the cast a ton of freedom to mess around.
“James likes to say that there’s a third stage of writing the script, which is when we’re filming it and we’re improving and he’s improving with us,” Denman reveals. “He’s throwing out ad-libs, and he’s laughing, and we’re free to all. So that’s why it makes it feel really natural and conversational and playful.”
Playing Peacamaker’s brother has also given Denman a ton of creative freedom, at least relative to other actors who enter into a superhero-type role. And it’s in that freedom that Denman has made the literal bromance between Kevin and Peacemaker as real as possible.
“A lot of these other people have the history of the characters in comics that they have to balance between what they’re doing with the role. I didn’t have to deal with that, which is nice,” Denman says. And then adds, with a laugh: “I mean, I think the only thing was that they wanted someone as [physically] big as John [Cena] or maybe even bigger. So that’s how they got me.”
