James Gunn Confirms Peacemaker’s Worst Enemy Isn’t Who You Think (It’s Worse)

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Initially, the central conflict in Season 2 revolved around General Rick Flag Sr.’s (Frank Grillo) desire for revenge against Christopher Smith (John Cena) for the death of his son, Colonel Rick Flag Jr. (Joel Kinnaman), which happened in the 2021 film *The Suicide Squad*. But according to James Gunn, this conflict was actually a secondary storyline, and the true rivalry was more obvious than viewers realized.

On the latest episode of *Peacemaker: The Official Podcast with James Gunn*, James Gunn – the head of DC Studios and creator of the *Peacemaker* series – discussed David Denman’s character, Keith Smith (also known as Captain Triumph), and Chris’ brother. Gunn shared some interesting insights about the character and his role in the show’s seventh episode of Season 2.

I believe this entire season essentially shows how Captain Triumph becomes a supervillain – a truly awful, white supremacist one. You can see in his eyes at the end… and it’s strange to have such an unusual arch-enemy: your brother from another dimension who blames you for your own death.

Okay, so James Gunn is hinting that Rainn Wilson’s character on the show is way more important than we initially thought – it’s not just a quick cameo as an alternate version of himself. It sounds like his character, Captain Triumph, could become a major player in the DC Universe, potentially even setting himself up as the archenemy to Chris Reeve’s Superman. This is a really interesting development, and I’m excited to see where Gunn takes this rivalry!

In the first few episodes of *Peacemaker* Season 2, Steve Agee, who also appeared in James Gunn’s 2019 film, played Keith as a laid-back and loving brother. But the sixth episode reveals a dark side: Keith is a committed white supremacist, reflecting the beliefs common in his alternate reality where the Nazis won World War II.

The next episode is where we really see Keith become a villain, after learning that the Peacemaker from the main timeline caused his brother’s death. If Emilia Harcourt had succeeded in her initial plan – as James Gunn later confirmed – it might have prevented Chris from facing serious consequences.

Who Is Captain Triumph in DC Comics and Peacemaker?

The character Denman plays, Peacemaker, is very different from the original comic book inspiration. Captain Triumph, created by Alfred Andriola, first appeared in issue #27 of Crack Comics in 1943, published by the now-closed Quality Comics. It’s important to note this is not the same character as simply ‘Triumph’.

Captain Triumph isn’t just one hero – he’s actually twin brothers, Michael and Lance Gallant. Both served the United States during World War II: Michael as a fighter pilot and Lance as a journalist. They share a unique birthmark on their wrists, and when they touch them together, they merge into Captain Triumph, gaining incredible powers like flight, invisibility, and the ability to change his appearance and voice.

Season 2 of *Peacemaker* introduced Captain Triumph on screen for the first time, leading fans to wonder if a more accurate portrayal of the character might get its own story. It would be compelling to see Denman’s version of the character gain superpowers as he seeks revenge on Chris, potentially setting up an interesting storyline for a possible Season 3 of *Peacemaker*.

The Peacemaker Season 2 finale premieres on HBO Max on Thursday at 9 pm ET/6 pm PT.

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2025-10-09 15:08