Rumors regarding the significant second season revelation in Peacemaker were buzzing online since the premiere. Viewers quickly theorized that the alternate universe that Christopher Smith ended up couldn't be as wonderful as he believed. Many anticipated it was an alternate Earth, a grim comic book reality in which Nazi Germany triumphed in the Second World War leading to the United States becoming a racist regime.
The Shocking Truth Is Revealed
That's what transpired. Once the main version of the character Harcourt crossed over into Earth-X during the sixth episode, Harcourt immediately spotted all the clues Chris overlooked—including the striking absence of non-white people as well as a literal portrait of Adolf Hitler adorning the ARGUS headquarters. This kind of narrative isn't revolutionary: Alternate realities in which Nazi forces took over the world have long been a common device. Even major shows like The Man in the High Castle explored this concept. However, due to our present timeline, Peacemaker nonetheless managed to ignite a controversy in some corners of the internet.
The backlash are absurd. There's a reason Nazis have been among the most popular antagonists in popular culture for decades: They embody pure evil.
Why Nazis?
Nazi Germany of the 1930s and '40s existed as authoritarian, brutal, as well as violent. They murdered countless of innocent people and blamed a fabricated enemy from within in order to build and maintain their power. The idea is terrifying to picture a world in which the Nazis were victorious in the war, which is why they've been an easy foil in film and TV for decades. Nazis are one of the few villains that we all agree are unforgivable, giving heroes and superheroes free rein to do maximum force.
The Core Problem
If everyone can continue to agree that the Nazis of WWII were monstrous—which it's hoped that's the case—so the anger about Peacemaker season 2 isn't really due to the inclusion of Nazis in fiction, but about the unsettling reflection it presents. Some viewers seem irritated because their brand of nationalism, what they view as patriotic pride, might be misinterpreted as fascism. The show's creator appears understanding with this confusion—it's easy to enjoy the world around you everything else—but comes down strongly on a point everyone needs to face: Ethnic nationalism, no matter how it's framed, is a form of bigotry.
The Allure of a Perfect World
As Chris first visits Earth-2, he discovers an ideal existence where his father and sibling remain alive offering the loving family life he's never had, while his love interest he desires is in love with him. These perks to his personal life blind him to the many obvious signs showing he has stumbled into a dystopian, Nazified incarnation of the United States.
Expanding a bit further, the show suggests that it's easier for people to overlook bigger issues if we gain from them, or improve our personal situations. For instance, someone might be fine with an emboldened militia terrorizing innocent civilians based on their race if they believe this will somehow improve their own life. Even the empty promise of employment or a house is sufficient to blind us to atrocities required to achieve it. The U.S. has always been a capitalist society, but prosperity doesn't necessarily have to come by causing someone else's suffering.
In other words: It's easy to overlook the Nazi forest if you're looking at a few appealing details.
Understanding Gunn's Intent
It's understandable that certain people might assume James Gunn is targeting them directly with Peacemaker season 2. He's the show's sole writer and frequent helmer, and he has a long history of loudly criticizing the former president and his political movement. This even got Gunn dismissed from Marvel a few years back when he attracted the anger of multiple far-right activists, who dug up some old, deleted tweets in an effort to smear and fire him.
Gunn's publicly known views have led to some extremely frivolous criticisms of his projects. The 2025 Superman movie got lambasted as overly progressive and pro-diversity. More recently, a different critic became popular by spreading a false claim regarding one character being a gender-bent incarnation of Cyborg—which is not accurate. In this case, however, it's unlikely the writer is equating the political right with Nazis. That's too simple for Gunn, and Peacemaker the storyline isn't even a narrative of his creation: It's based on on a DC comic from the 1970s.
The Universal Lesson
Instead, the show is simply employing a tried-and-true genre device to convey a theme about prioritizing equality and empathy above self-interest. It's a message that applies to all people, irrespective of political beliefs, which is why it's unfortunate that those who need to hear it most are preoccupied stirring up even more rage online to heed the message.
