DC just gave their answer to Loki's coming out.
Mey RudeEditor's note: this post contains spoilers for episode seven of season one of Peacemaker, “Stop Dragon My Heart Around.”
First comes Loki, then comes Peacemaker.
In a pivotal scene from yesterday’s seventh episode of his eight-episode HBO Max series, Peacemaker (a.k.a. Christopher Smith, played by John Cena) is fighting his father, a white supremacist supervillain named The White Dragon. His father has hated him ever since he was a young boy, and during their fight, we finally find out why.
As the White Dragon is beating up Peacemaker while surrounded by a group of his racist cohorts, he starts shouting at Peacemaker, telling him everything he did wrong in his eyes.
“I knew you was unclean when you was born. And even more so when you killed your brother,” The White Dragon says. “I knew when you listened to that devil music. I knew when you shaved your body like a woman. I knew when you slept with the whores of polluted blood! And men!”
Yeah, he just said that.
Screenshots via HBO Max
Honestly, in the moment, we couldn’t help but be reminded of another antihero coming out from a recent show: Loki.
Just like Loki has both his “princesses and princes,” Peacemaker has his “whores of polluted blood and men.” Sometimes all it takes is a single line of dialogue to confirm your lead character is bi, and then you don’t have to do anything else. (Right, Disney?)
Honestly, it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that Peacemaker is bisexual. Earlier in the season, we saw Peacemaker and his best friend Vigilante have a threesome with a woman, so we already knew he wasn’t afraid to get up close and personal with other men.
And Peacemaker isn’t the only queer character on his show. In the first episode of the season, we learn that Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), one of the people on Peacemaker’s team, is a lesbian, and has taken the job so she can help support her wife, Keeya. We love some gay/lesbian solidarity!
DC is well known for using its TV shows introducing viewers to queer superheroes. On Greg Berlanti’s Arrowverse shows, LGBTGQ+ superheroes like Sarah Lance, Captain Cold, Dreamer, Thunder, The Ray, John Constantine, and Mr. Terrific have all gotten their times to shine. And HBO’s animated Harley Quinn series has seen her enter into a relationship with Poison Ivy.
Even in the mainline DCEU there are queer characters. Bisexual antihero Harley Quinn has appeared in several movies, including her own, Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, where she was joined by lesbian crimefighter Renee Montoya.
However, it seems like Peacemaker is the first confirmed on-screen queer man in the DCEU. James Gunn’s Suicide Squad also included the villain Savant, who had no lines about his sexuality in the movie, but is gay in the comic books.
The season finale of Peacemaker airs next Thursday on HBO Max.
RELATED | 8 Superhero Coming Outs We Can't Stop Thinking About
0HBO Max's Peacemaker Just Confirmed This Superhero Is Bisexual
0