Who’d have thunk we’d be seriously discussing Peacemaker earning itself an Emmy nomination when a TV show based on the douchiest superhero in all of DC was first announced? But, against all the odds, The Suicide Squad spinoff blew away both fans and non-fans alike thanks to James Gunn’s fresh writing and direction and John Cena’s terrific central performance, which proved to skeptical audiences just how good of an actor he really is.
Superhero TV series don’t tend to get much recognition at the Emmys, but WandaVision changed all that at last year’s ceremony when both Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany came away with Outstanding Leading Actor noms. Now with the full nominations for 2022’s Primetime Emmys having been revealed, we can say whether Peacemaker has managed to follow in its footsteps or not. And the answer is… No, not really, but at least it managed to land itself one whole nomination.
Peacemaker is officially an Emmy-nominated series thanks to the show earning a nom for Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Comedy Series or Variety Program. Its competitors in this category are Cobra Kai, Barry, What We Do in the Shadows, The Righteous Gemstones, and rival superhero streaming series Hawkeye.
Despite receiving this accolade, fans will no doubt be bummed that both Cena failed to a land a spot in the coveted Leading Actor in a Comedy Series category and Peacemaker was snubbed for Outstanding Comedy Series. HBO probably won’t be too crushed about this, however, as their shows still managed to litter the comedy categories, with Hacks, Atlanta, and Curb Your Enthusiasm among those earning the Television Academy’s recognition.
Sadly, Peacemaker and its cast always only had an outside shot at landing some major nominations, so this news comes as something of an expected disappointment. Although we all know that if there was an Emmy for Outstanding Title Sequence, Peacemaker would have preciously zero competition.
On the upside, a second season is confirmed so Cena will be back on our screens as Christopher Smith sometime in the future. Work on it is expected to begin once Gunn has completed work on Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.