Even if you’ve not seen Peacemaker all the way through (and I recommend that you do), you’ll probably have witnessed the viral dance sequence for the opening credits.
The show made headlines with its choreography, mainly because everyone kept a straight face that didn’t really match their goofy movements (complete with multiple hip thrusts and rude gestures), and all the main players were involved, no matter how serious or diabolical their character’s personality.
And of course, this was all set to the backdrop of Wig Wam’s ‘Do Ya Wanna Taste It’, a glam rock certified banger that was quintessentially James Gunn. The showrunner chose this to “vanquish the skip forward button”, according to Polygon, and the dance was beautifully choreographed by Charissa Barton. You can rewatch it below:
Season 2 is following the same path, and I’ve painstakingly gone through and watched it on repeat for all you fellow DC nerds out there.
What is the song for Peacemaker’s season 2 intro?
As fans of the series will know, the cast has lost old members and gained new additions, so a replacement dance sequence for season 2 makes a lot of sense. The song chosen is ‘Oh Lord’ by Foxy Shazam, which Gunn picked as it reflects the themes of the season, just as Wig Wam’s hit did.
While ‘Do Ya Wanna Taste It’ is characterised by its shredding guitar solos and thumping beat, this is more of a rock ballad with varying pacing. The verses of ‘Oh Lord’ are catchy, but the chorus itself is a belter and much more sombre than the song from season 1. That’s mirrored in the choreography.
I’ve now seen it five times organically (while reviewing the series), and many, many more while writing this piece. During that time, I’ve noticed that some key moments tie into the first episode, which first aired on 21 August 2025. This is confirmed by Barton, who crafted the number with “a lot more of the story of the season in the intro”.
Peacemaker’s season 2 dance intro broken down
As the song opens, we see Peacemaker/Christopher Smith (John Cena) in full regalia, standing in a room of coloured lights which reflect off his helmet.
As the vocals kick in, three spotlights appear behind him, as he performs some sharp “armography” (coined on Strictly Come Dancing). He’s joined by the other four members of the 11th Street Kids – from left to right, Economos (Steve Agee), Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) and Vigilante (Freddie Stroma, in full costume, of course).
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After some synchronised hip wiggles, Harcourt spins towards Chris and briefly touches his face, before he whirls her round in the first of two lifts.
As the camera pans, we see the supporting characters for season 2. These are Red St. Wild (Michael Rooker), Judomaster (Nhut Le), Sasha Bordeaux (Sol Rodríguez), Langston Fleury (Tim Meadows) and Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo).
The five spin and march sideways to the drumbeat, with varying degrees of success – Gunn has jokingly asked viewers to pay particular attention to his longtime friend Rooker, who, despite giving it all, is a beat or so behind the others.
Adebayo, Harcourt and Vigilante do some low, staggered side-to-side steps, as the camera pans to Judomaster executing a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it backflip. We then see the actress Taylor St. Clair (the woman in the pink cardigan) performing a hip thrust, the alien who frequents Chris’s storage chamber doing a shuffle, and Economos performing a slide with his arms wide.
And of course, we can’t forget Eagly, who taps his little claws on the floor along to the tinkling of the piano.
The sequence moves on to a group floor number, which includes a few faces in undisclosed roles – including Anissa Matlock, Reinaldo Faberlle and Brandon Stanley. The dancers perform a few arm wiggles and circles, flexing their biceps and moving from right to left. Interestingly, Christopher Smith has changed into his normal clothes, forgoing his iconic superhero uniform for this section.
After a few leg kicks, the group runs to either side, giving the floor to Chris and Harcourt, who perform a rather impressive lift, with Peacemaker spinning her around on his shoulder as she holds her arms out either side – synchronising nicely with what’s arguably the crescendo of the song.
As he flips her down, the pair caress each other’s cheeks and touch heads before sliding backwards, their arms stretched out towards one another.
Then comes perhaps the most confusing part of the sequence (if you’ve not watched all of episode 1, that is). We see another Harcourt, who wears her hair straight rather than wavy and dresses in a blouse and long skirt instead of a dark vest top and jeans.
She is joined by two masked vigilantes. One is wearing a very similar outfit to The White Dragon, except the red accents have been swapped for blue, and the colours have been inverted. Another is in a red outfit – I won’t spoil who that is here, but you can scroll down for more information.
The trio perform a sequence of steps with their hands flat, before The White Dragon bursts to the front to perform a short jump, spin and what may be an attempt at the splits – ripping off his mask to reveal Auggie Smith (Robert Patrick). In the background, we see the others seemingly hover in the air as they pirouette and then fly upwards, out of shot.
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The group reconvenes, joined by Auggie Smith and David Denman’s character (again, more on him below). Chris is back in his Peacemaker get-up as the gang performs a short sprint forward, leaping into the air. They all throw their arms upwards a few times, holding a power stance and nodding.
After a Michael Jackson-esque hand gesture towards their crotches, the group collapses one by one in the centre of the floor. Rick Flag Sr. leads the charge with a belly flop, with Peacemaker falling next, and the others all joining in a big pile, with Eagly scrambling his way to the top to stretch out his wings.
The group pants, exhausted on the floor as the Peacemaker logo flashes up on the screen, and the final notes of ‘Oh Lord’ taper off.
What are the key moments of the Peacemaker season 2 intro?
Spoilers for Peacemaker season 2 episode 1
The most noticeable section in season 2’s intro is the appearance of another version of Harcourt and two other masked characters.
While one is revealed immediately as Auggie Smith, we now know that the other is Peacemaker’s brother, Keith Smith, from a parallel dimension that Chris discovered through a doorway in his mysterious storage chamber. In this world, Chris, Keith and Auggie are part of the ‘Top Trio’, according to framed newspapers, seemingly heroes.
This world has another version of Chris, someone who never accidentally killed his brother. As such, his father apparently thinks fondly of both his sons, and they all live together in a grand house rather than a modest one in the US suburbs.
We also learn from a framed photo in the alternate Chris’s bedroom that there’s another version of Harcourt, with the pair cuddling up to one another. She’s also wearing her hair straight, so it’s likely that this is the same character from the dance sequence intro.
Chris and the main dimension Harcourt get a lot of focus in the opening credits, with romantic touches and lifts. Considering the foundations laid in season 1, it certainly seems like Peacemaker’s love life will be a key plot line in season 2.
Curtis Bonds Baker/Max
Finally, the group all collapsing on the floor at the end could be significant. Season 1 built towards a huge climactic battle, which saw some characters taken out and our protagonists injured to varying levels. Perhaps we’ll see something similar this year?
Peacemaker season 2 intro lyrics speculation
The end of episode 1 sees Chris confronted by an alternate version of himself, who he accidentally murders. That may play into the lyrics of the song chosen for this intro sequence.
The bridge includes the line ‘You just close your eyes boy, and dream of home’, which may be a nod to this seemingly too-good-to-be-true world where Chris has a loving and supportive family. However, the fact that both Keith and alternate Harcourt float away could indicate that this isn’t permanent (they’re the only characters to do so, so it seems like a meaningful choice).
This is further supported by the chorus lyrics ‘And there will always be a war somewhere to fight’. While the people we’ve seen so far in this parallel dimension seem to support Chris, this may not be the case forever. There may be some sort of conflict further down the line.
As new episodes of Peacemaker season 2 roll out, we may make more sense of the ‘Oh Lord’ intro and what the choreography means. One thing is for certain: it’s less random than the moves to ‘Do Ya Wanna Taste It’.
Peacemaker season 2 is rolling out now on HBO and HBO Max every Thursday night at 9pm ET in the US. UK viewers can watch on Now from 2am BST on Fridays, with the episode airing on Sky Max and Sky Showcase at 9pm BST.
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