James Gunn is celebrating an Emmy nomination for Peacemaker Season 2, just not for anything he wrote, directed, or cast.
The DC Studios co-CEO took to X on Wednesday to congratulate the show’s stunt team on its nomination for Outstanding Stunt Coordination for Comedy Programming (Peacemaker competes at the Emmys as a comedy).
“Congratulations to Hank Amos and Dave Macomber and the whole Peacemaker stunt team on their well-deserved Emmy nomination!” posted Gunn.
Credit where it’s due: the stunt work on Peacemaker has always delivered, and Amos, Macomber, and their team earned the recognition.
Here’s the catch: that’s it. That’s the show’s lone nomination.
Emmy voters shut out the writing, directing, and cast
Gunn wrote every episode of Season 2 and directed a chunk of them himself. Emmy voters passed on all of it. No writing nomination. No directing nomination. Nothing for Outstanding Comedy Series.
John Cena, Frank Grillo, Danielle Brooks, Jennifer Holland, and the rest of the cast were shut out as well.
So the only people getting Emmy recognition for Peacemaker Season 2 are the ones taking the falls, not the guy who wrote and directed the thing.
The “snub” follows the Season 2 ratings collapse
You can’t accuse the Television Academy of being out of step with the audience here, because viewers checked out first with nearly 40% of viewers having bailed, and it came right after Superman, which Gunn billed as the sequel.
As we documented, Gunn took Peacemaker from HBO Max’s biggest show to a ratings flop, with Season 2’s numbers dropping week after week.
Worth remembering the season’s messy path to the screen: Jennifer Holland confirmed the original Season 2 scripts were scrapped so Gunn could retrofit the show into his DCU, and the finished product is what Emmy voters just took a pass on.
Add it to the pile: Gunn has lost a whopping 70% of DC fans, and even HBO boss Casey Bloys has raised red flags about Gunn’s DCU.
What about Peacemaker Season 3?
Good question, and even the cast doesn’t know. Freddie Stroma admitted he’s in the dark about Peacemaker Season 3 and the DCU’s future.
Gunn, meanwhile, has moved on to Man of Tomorrow, which wife and Peacemaker star Jennifer Holland is already hyping as his best movie yet.
The stunt coordination trophy gets handed out at the Creative Arts Emmys ceremony ahead of the main telecast in September. Best of luck to Amos, Macomber, and the team — the one part of Peacemaker Season 2 the industry could get behind.
