Christopher Smith, aka Peacemaker, is a complex antihero within the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). He first appeared as the secondary antagonist in The Suicide Squad (2021) and later became the central protagonist of the Max original series Peacemaker.

Driven by a deeply warped sense of justice, Smith is a ruthless vigilante who believes in achieving peace at any cost—even if it means committing murder or other atrocities. His ideology makes him a morally ambiguous figure, often teetering on the edge of heroism and villainy.

Smith became part of Task Force X—also known as the Suicide Squad—after Amanda Waller offered him a pardon in exchange for eliminating all traces of U.S. involvement in the classified operation known as Project Starfish. Initially working alongside Bloodsport's secondary team, Peacemaker seemed to bond with his fellow squad members. However, his loyalty faltered once it was revealed that the true mission was not to destroy Project Starfish, but to cover up the U.S. government's role in its creation.

In an effort to fulfill his end of Waller's bargain, Peacemaker killed team leader Rick Flag, who had threatened to expose the government's secrets. This betrayal led to a confrontation with Bloodsport, who ultimately shot Smith and used the recovered evidence to blackmail Waller into freeing the rest of the team. Peacemaker, however, was excluded from that deal due to his actions.

After surviving his injuries, Smith spent five months recovering in a hospital. He was then forcibly re-enlisted into Task Force X to participate in another high-risk operation: the elimination of the parasitic alien threat known as Project Butterfly. Alongside his battles against global threats, Peacemaker also faces deeply personal demons, most notably confronting and killing his own father, the White Dragon, who serves as his archenemy.

Peacemaker is portrayed by John Cena, who brings both physicality and dark humor to the role. A younger version of Christopher Smith is portrayed by Quinn Bennett in flashbacks.

Personality

Peacemaker is a deeply flawed and conflicted individual—brash, arrogant, and often insufferably literal. His abrasive personality, marked by condescension, bluntness, and a lack of social awareness, makes him difficult to get along with. Despite this, his motives—however extreme—are rooted in an unshakable belief that he is doing the right thing. Peacemaker is obsessed with achieving peace, but his methods—often violent, misguided, and morally bankrupt—stand in stark contradiction to his ideals.

He is ruthless in pursuit of his mission, willing to go to disturbing lengths to achieve his goals, including harming innocents if he believes it serves a greater good. This was evident in his confrontation with Ratcatcher 2, where he coldly prepared to kill her despite their previous camaraderie. He’s overzealous, bombastic, and emotionally stunted, often masking his vulnerabilities beneath crude humor and bravado.

Yet, buried beneath his delusions and self-righteousness, Smith possesses a flicker of conscience. He does build genuine bonds with teammates—until those relationships conflict with the mission—and his remorse over killing Rick Flag reveals that he’s not entirely devoid of empathy. In fact, he hesitated before their fatal fight, pleading with Flag to avoid confrontation, and later exhibited visible guilt and emotional turmoil over his death.

Following the traumatic events of The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker begins to show signs of growth and self-awareness. He reflects on his past actions and acknowledges how far he’s fallen from being the hero he wants to be. His guilt over Flag’s death haunts him, and he struggles with the realization that no one sees him as a hero—something he desperately longs for. This internal reckoning becomes even more evident when he's ordered to kill the Butterfly leader Goff’s children but ultimately cannot bring himself to follow through, showing that his morality, though buried, is still present.

In the Peacemaker series, Smith’s journey continues as he confronts both global threats and personal demons—most notably his own father, the White Dragon. Killing his father marks a turning point, allowing him to symbolically break free from the toxic legacy that shaped him. By the end of his mission against the Butterflies, Peacemaker consciously chooses to live up to his name—not out of delusion, but as a form of redemption for his past sins, especially the murder of Rick Flag.

Outside his brutal lifestyle, Smith has a surprisingly enthusiastic love for 1980s glam rock and hair metal, a passion that reveals a more lighthearted, nostalgic side of his otherwise hardened personality.

Appearance

Christopher cuts an imposing figure with his tall, muscular build and clean-cut looks. He has fair skin, sharp brown eyes, thick eyebrows, and slicked-back brown hair that adds to his bold presence. His clean-shaven face further sharpens his overall militaristic and disciplined appearance.

Peacemaker is almost always seen in his signature costume—a bold, brightly coloured ensemble that reflects both his patriotic zeal and over-the-top persona. His outfit consists of a fitted red short-sleeved shirt with blue accents and his iconic dove of peace emblem prominently displayed at the centre. This is paired with beige tactical trousers neatly tucked into rugged black combat boots, along with blue gloves and a matching blue ammunition belt that completes the look.

The most eye-catching (and infamous) element of his appearance is his chrome helmet, designed with a large horizontal fin meant for combat protection. It covers the top half of his face, giving him a distinctive and intimidating silhouette. However, its unusual shape hasn’t gone unnoticed—Bloodsport once quipped that it looks more like a toilet seat than a helmet, a jab that highlights Peacemaker’s often outlandish and ironic presence within the team.

Notable Victims in the DCEU

Throughout his appearances in the DC Extended Universe, Peacemaker has left a trail of casualties—both intentional and collateral—driven by his unrelenting belief in achieving peace at any cost. Below are some of his most significant known victims:

• Keith Smith – Christopher’s own brother, Keith, tragically died from a seizure triggered during a forced fight instigated by their abusive father. Though not intentional, Peacemaker bears deep guilt over the incident and considers it his first major trauma.

• Multiple Unnamed Maltese Resistance Members – Mistaking them for hostile threats, Peacemaker mercilessly gunned down several members of the Corto Maltese resistance during a covert operation, unaware they were allies.

• Unnamed Maltese Resistance Member – In the same raid, Peacemaker also killed a member of the resistance in close quarters, using a knife in a silent takedown.

• Corto Maltese Armed Forces – During the assault on Jotunheim, Peacemaker engaged in brutal combat, slashing and killing multiple soldiers aligned with the island’s authoritarian regime.

• Colonel Rick Flag – One of the most pivotal and emotionally charged moments in The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker fatally stabbed Rick Flag during a conflict over exposing the U.S. government's involvement in Project Starfish. Despite being a teammate and leader, Flag's intentions conflicted with Peacemaker's orders, leading to a fatal betrayal.

• White Dragon (Auggie Smith) – In Peacemaker (2022), Christopher confronts and ultimately kills his father, the White Dragon—a white supremacist and domestic terrorist. This act was both a personal and symbolic severing of the toxic legacy that shaped him.

Trivia

• Mortal Kombat 1 marks the first video game appearance of a live-action version of Peacemaker.

• John Cena famously described Peacemaker as a “douchey Captain America”, a phrase that quickly resonated with fans and became a mild meme across social media.

• Cena starred in both F9 and The Suicide Squad, which were released in 2021, further boosting his popularity as an action star that year.

• Director James Gunn originally envisioned Dave Bautista for the role of Peacemaker, but Bautista turned it down in favor of starring in Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead.

• Peacemaker serves as a narrative foil to several key DCEU characters:

  • Bloodsport: Both share similar backstories and skillsets, with Bloodsport even commenting on their overlap. However, while Bloodsport grows into a team leader, Peacemaker remains tethered to his fanatical ideology.

  • Rick Flag: Both are patriotic soldiers, but while Flag's loyalty is grounded in integrity, Peacemaker’s blind nationalism leads him to kill Flag to preserve a lie.

  • Superman: Both represent patriotic ideals and wear heroic symbols, but where Superman only kills when no other option exists, Peacemaker chooses violence even when peaceful alternatives are possible.

• Peacemaker’s hallucinations of his father, the White Dragon, mirror his teammate Polka-Dot Man’s hallucinations of his mother—both rooted in childhood trauma. This parallels Peacemaker’s comic book origins, where he is haunted by visions of his father during moments of extreme stress.

• Along with Harley Quinn, Peacemaker is one of the few openly bisexual characters in the DCEU, contributing to greater representation within the franchise.

• John Cena’s portrayal of Peacemaker is among the few confirmed castings to remain consistent in the evolving DC Universe overseen by James Gunn, underscoring the character’s lasting popularity and Cena’s standout performance.

Conclusion

From his brutal origins in The Suicide Squad to his evolution into a reluctant hero in Peacemaker—and now stepping into the arena of Mortal Kombat 1—Christopher Smith continues to surprise, provoke, and entertain fans across the multiverse. With his unwavering, if misguided, commitment to peace, his over-the-top charm, and the unforgettable presence of Eagly by his side, Peacemaker has carved out a unique legacy in the DC Universe and beyond.

Whether you admire his raw combat skills, his conflicted morality, or just love watching John Cena bring him to life with swagger and sincerity, one thing is clear—Peacemaker is here to stay.

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