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In a time when every superhero cape seems to have a crisis of conscience, “Peacemaker” chooses to lean into the absurd without losing its heart. Showing that superheroes can be done right, James Gunn’s “Peacemaker” — a spin-off from his 2021 remake of “Suicide Squad” — returns for a second season that continues to both poke fun at the genre and redefine it.

While Season 1 focuses more on making a self-aware commentary on the superhero genre, Season 2 of “Peacemaker” moves beyond the jokes to include a genuine reflection of human nature. Even with the addition of the same multi-dimensional plot device so often recycled by recent Marvel films, “Peacemaker” manages to stay true to its unique style of mixing entertainment action with constant character development.

In this newest installment, anti-hero Peacemaker (John Cena) — real name Christopher Smith — stumbles upon a picture-perfect alternate reality where he finds his brother is still alive, his father’s cruelty is erased, and his no-nonsense partner Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) finally reciprocates his love. By limiting this use of multi-dimensionality to a critique of escapism rather than a narrative loophole, “Peacemaker” dodges the tired tropes that have dominated the MCU’s newer phases.

Much of this season’s emotional punch is delivered through Cena’s performance, which solidifies his transition from WWE persona to credible, dramatic actor. Already compelling in Season 1, Cena continues to prove why Gunn made the right decision to create this spin-off, taking a chance on a secondary antagonist from “The Suicide Squad” (2021) who has since become one of the cornerstones of the new DC Universe. Still, some of Gunn’s deliberate attempts to situate “Peacemaker” within his broader cinematic universe end up backfiring, with borderline gratuitous appearances of the Justice Gang in the premiere and Lex Luthor in Episode 6 that veer more into fan service than substance.

Also working to reintroduce a “punk-rock” energy back into DCU after director Zach Snyder's more brooding run came to a close in 2021, Gunn — now Co-Chairman and CEO of DC Studios — successfully infuses humor throughout Season 2 without detracting from some of the more serious themes, all set to a perfectly curated soundtrack. The opening sequence, a hilariously dead-pan dance number set to Foxy Shazam’s “Oh Lord,”perfectly encapsulates this irreverent, kooky tone.

Yet at times, the season’s humor seems to miss the mark, choosing to trade the offbeat originality of Season 1 for cheap laughs that seem curated for a broader audience. Slapstick comedy dominates many of the scenes, replacing well-crafted satire with lowbrow toilet jokes and other overdone gags. Even so, moments of inspired humor emerge throughout the season’s eight episodes, including a contained side plot in Episode 5 surrounding Smith’s pet Eagle — fittingly named Eagly — that is just the right amount of ridiculous.

A trusted source of laughs from Season 1, Smith’s sidekick Vigilante (Freddie Stroma) is curiously underutilized in the first part of Season 2. Despite a satisfying return to prominence as the show progresses — including a heart-breaking performance by Stroma in Episode 5 — this diminished presence dulls some of the trademark chaos and dynamic relationships that defined the early appeal of “Peacemaker.”

Vigilante’s early absence may have resulted from an influx of new characters, most notably Rick Flag Jr. (Joel Kinnaman), who appears in the alternate dimension. Though Flag Jr. appears in both variations of “Suicide Squad,” his brutal death at the hands of Smith in Gunn’s 2021 remake is only briefly touched upon in Season 1. In this newest installment, Flag Jr. assumes a far more prominent role in the plot, with Gunn’s clumsy attempts to retroactively set up a revenge plot for Harcourt that supports her initial mistrust of Smith.

After building up so much momentum from its character-driven storyline and a well-executed plot twist in Episode 6, the season finale seems drawn out over an unnecessarily long runtime of roughly one hour. The series still manages to successfully set up the continuation of these characters’ narratives, whether that be in a potential third season of “Peacemaker” — which has yet to be confirmed — or another project within the broader DCU.

Spanning from “Superman” to “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” Gunn’s recent successes suggest a promising future for superhero storytelling, using narrative depth, comedy, and emotional nuance to prove that “superhero fatigue” isn’t inevitable.

—Staff writer Sara R. Eyjolfsdottir can be reached at sara.eyjolfsdottir@thecrimson.com.