While the response to Peacemaker season 2 has been positive for the most part, with fans and critics praising both the acting and plot — even if that big episode 7 twist wasn’t exactly a surprise — one critique has only grown stronger as the season continues: dwindling episode runtimes.
In recent weeks, viewers have voiced frustration over the noticeably shorter runtimes this season, and it’s true, the episodes have been getting shorter and shorter. Episode 7, titled “Like a Keith in the Night,” ran just 28 minutes (excluding the recap, title sequence, and end credits), marking the briefest installment yet. On threads, Gunn confirmed that the upcoming finale will make up for this, promising an episode nearly twice as long as the latest chapter of the DCU series.
“You’ll be happy to know next week’s episode is over 57 minutes long,” Peacemaker showrunner and DCU boss James Gunn wrote on Threads, responding to a disappointed fan.
Despite this news, it’s unknown exactly how much of 57 minutes will be actual new footage, uncluttered by opening and ending sequences, or recaps of previous events. However, even if the episode includes all the aforementioned filler, that still leaves between 45 and 50 minutes for the finale, which is a big upgrade after episode 7. (Assuming you equate longer runtimes with quality, which we wouldn’t; although in this case we’re looking forward to a meaty season 2 finale.)
Gunn previously teased that the finale would not only wrap up Peacemaker but also give a hint towards the direction the greater DCU at large will be heading and serve as a prequel of sorts for the next Superman movie, Man of Tomorrow. Given the cameo of Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor from episode 6, many are anticipating a juicy cameo to cap off the series.
Peacemaker’s finale, episode 8, is titled “The Full Nelson,” and we’ll just have to wait to see if fans’ suspicions are confirmed.
