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Theories regarding the major season 2 surprise in Peacemaker were spreading online since the first episode. Audiences early on suspected that the alternate universe where Christopher Smith landed couldn't be as perfect as he believed. Many anticipated it was Earth-X, a grim comic book reality where Nazi Germany won World War II and America becoming a white-supremacist regime.

The Revelation Is Revealed

That's what happened. Once the main version of the character Harcourt traveled to this alternate world during the sixth episode, Harcourt right away noticed all the clues Chris failed to see—including the obvious lack of non-white people as well as a literal mural of Adolf Hitler adorning the ARGUS base. This type of narrative is not revolutionary: Parallel worlds where Nazi forces took over the globe are a classic genre staple. Even major series like The Man in the High Castle explored this concept. But, due to the current timeline, Peacemaker nonetheless managed to ignite outrage in some corners online.

The reactions were overblown. There's a reason Nazis have been one of the go-to villains in fiction for decades: They symbolize absolute wickedness.

Why Nazis?

The Nazis of the 1930s and '40s were dictatorial, brutal, as well as deadly. They killed millions civilians and scapegoated an invented enemy from within in order to consolidate their power. It's chilling to picture a world where the Nazis won the war, explaining why they've been an easy villain archetype in film and TV for decades. Nazis are one of the few enemies who everyone can agree were irredeemable, giving heroes and protagonists permission to unleash their worst.

The Real Issue

If we can all still agree that the Nazis from history were monstrous—which it's hoped we can—then the fury over Peacemaker season 2 is not actually due to the presence of fascists in stories, but about the unsettling reflection it holds up. Certain audiences seem peeved that their version of patriotism, what they view as patriotic pride, might be misinterpreted as fascism. The show's creator seems sympathetic toward the mistake—it's easy to focus on the world and ignore everything else—but comes down with force on a point everyone needs to reckon with: White nationalism, no matter how it's framed, is a type of racism.

The Allure of a Perfect Life

As Chris initially arrives in the alternate Earth, he sees a flawless existence where his father and brother are still living and providing the loving family unit he's never had, and the woman he desires is in love with him. These improvements to his personal life blind him to the countless clear indicators that he has stumbled into a dystopian, Nazi-controlled version of America.

Expanding a bit further, Gunn is arguing that it's easier for people to ignore larger societal problems when we gain from them, or enhance our personal situations. As an example, a person might be okay with a empowered militia targeting innocent civilians due to the color of their skin if they believe it will in some way improve their situation. Just the vague hope of employment or a house is sufficient to make us ignore to atrocities required to achieve it. The U.S. is a market-driven economy, but financial success does not always need to come at the expense of someone else's suffering.

Put simply: It's easy to overlook the big picture when you're looking at some tempting details.

Understanding the Creator's Intent

It's understandable that some individuals could think James Gunn is coming after them directly with Peacemaker season 2. He's the series' sole writer and often helmer, and he has a long history of loudly condemning Donald Trump and the MAGA movement. That even got Gunn dismissed by Disney in 2018 after he attracted the ire of multiple conservative activists, who dug up past, deleted tweets as part of an effort to smear and cancel the filmmaker.

The director's publicly known views have led to some extremely superficial criticisms of his work. His recent Superman film was lambasted as too woke and pro-diversity. Additionally, another online detractor gained traction with an incorrect theory about a character as a gender-bent incarnation of Cyborg—a claim that was not true. In this case, however, I don't think Gunn is comparing conservatives to fascists. That would be oversimplified for Gunn, especially since Peacemaker the storyline is not actually a narrative he invented: It's an adaptation on a DC comic from the 1970s.

The Broad Lesson

Rather, Gunn is simply using a tried-and-true genre device to deliver a message about prioritizing fairness and empathy over personal gain. It's a message relevant for all people, irrespective of ideology, which is why it's unfortunate that those who need listen most are preoccupied trying to whip up even more rage online to actually heed the message.