Review: McFarlane Peacemaker DC Deluxe Theatrical Edition release from Peacemaker Season 2
- Mephitsu
- 4 hours ago
- 7 min read
"I made a vow to have peace, no matter how many people I have to kill to get it."
John Cena’s Peacemaker was one of the few DC characters to survive and transition from the DC movies universe started by Zak Snyder into the new slate of movies and TV projects headed up by James Gunn. In the McFarlane DC Multiverse series of 7-inch collector figures, Peacemaker has had three releases to date, all from 2021 and based on his first appearance in the James Gunn Suicide Squad movie. As the Peacemaker TV series marked its second season in 2025, McFarlane updated the Peacemaker figure to a Season 2 release under their newly established Deluxe Theatrical Edition stable.
The McFarlane Deluxe Theatrical Edition of Peacemaker, as seen in Season 2, was a general release and started shipping in the UK in late November of 2025. It uses the established DC Multiverse box construction with a broad window box with a hanging tab, but uses a stark black colour scheme that contrasts against the yellow of the Peacemaker logo, with that same yellow also providing a border for the window and a nameplate for the figure, as well as a coloured inset for the McFarlane Toys logo.
The back of the box has no details of the character, the figure, or indeed any other McFarlane figures. Instead, it replicates the Peacemaker Season 2 ‘Peace Out M***** F******’ poster with the peace sign and the flaming Eagly symbols. Behind the figure tray inside the box is another callout to the show's promo material with a red backdrop with yellow and red trim and featuring the Peacemaker logo. Attached to this and not removable without causing any damage are the Collector Card and the Display Stand for the figure.
It is probably better to refer to this figure as Peacemaker 2.0 as rather than being an entirely new figure, McFarlane has simply taken the original 2021 Suicide Squad body and tweaked it for this Season 2 figure. The costume, which has remained consistent across Cena’s time in the role, includes a pair of light tan trousers with blue textured side patches, a tight red short-sleeved top with blue trim and central logo, and a pair of black combat boots.
These are all identical to the first release, but what is new is the belt with a holster and a handful of other tools and components. The belt uses the same blue as the outfit trim, with a painted silver buckle and component sections. The arms are cast in a flesh tone, and these plug into the T-shirt line of the upper shoulders. The figure concludes with a pair of dark blue gloves.
The headsculpts included with the figure are new, and the one fitted on arrival is that of Peacemaker wearing his Season 2 helmet. The head is sculpted and cast independently of the helmet in the same flesh tone as the arm, and with a visible likeness to Cena and more accurate paint work. Although this is still not obviously photo-printed like Hasbro.
The helmet is a silver finish and includes cut-out eye panels and is shaped around Peacemaker's nose and down over his cheeks. It features a central sculpted emblem, painted in gold and then with two metallic turquoise stripes leading away and back over the helmet.
The helmet is removable, leaving a partial head underneath that can then accommodate the other two helmets, which are packed as accessories. Each of these alternative helmets is shaped internally with a round socket that corresponds with the very unnatural circular plug on Peacemaker’s partly formed head.
The second helmet is the older Suicide Squad helmet, also used in Peacemaker Season 1. This is silver in colour and shaped very similarly to the Season 2 helmet with the central emblem, but without any other colouration.
The third helmet option is the X-Ray helmet, with a slightly different side trim with a more visible texture and shaped so they don't extend all the way to the crest of the helmet. Like the main piece, this also uses a base silver colour with the gold central badge and the metallic turquoise trim.
In the original 2021 versions, you had to buy two figures to get an unmasked version. In this Deluxe Theatrical Edition, we also get an unmasked John Cena head included, so you can vary the look even further from the three different helmets to an unhelmeted version.
Like the base head, this is cast in a flesh tone with a good John Cena likeness and painted facial details. Here, the lack of photo-real decor is obvious, with a more traditional paint on the eyes and eyebrows. The hair, as sported by Cena through Season 2 (and his farewell tour for WWE) includes a side parting and combed back fringe. Like the facial features, this is flat in its paint decor without any depth through a wash or highlighting.
With the unmasked head in place, any of the three helmets can now also be used as accessories and held in Cena’s hands or under his arm.
The other accessory is Peacemaker’s Desert Eagle handgun, cast in grey and with a silver finish and a painted white handgrip and central shaft. This is designed to be held in either hand or stowed in the holster on the figure's belt. This holster is a tighter fit than I would like as the hole at the bottom to accommodate the long barrel is not quite big enough.
Each of Peacemaker’s hands includes a trigger finger, so he can wield the weapon in both hands with the articulation of the arms suitable to have the weapon raised into a firing position.
The packaging quotes 22 points of articulation. By our way of counting joints, this is 18 in total, with the elbow and knee double-jointed, hence why McFarlane counts these twice. These elbow and knee joints are also pinned, with the pins very visible on the arms in particular. The arms also feature a rudimentary shoulder and a bicep swivel, which, when used, puts the arm out of line with the upper sleeve of the T-shirt.
I also found the double-jointed elbow doesn’t always engage as designed, with a very visible and quite ugly split when bent, as the middle section of the elbow configuration often sticks and doesn't move as intended. As well as gun-firing positions, the arms can also be posed to replicate many of Peacemaker’s gestures, and to a degree, some of the dance moves from the series.
The leg joints are also limited in some areas, particularly the hips behind the rubber groin section. There are no swivels on the legs, either in the thighs or in the bootcut. This keeps the legs oriented in one direction only, with the ability to bend the knees fully, but not to rotate them. The ankle rockers do keep the figure stable once positioned around the secure ratchets to have the feet planted to the surface. Just under these ankle joints are a pair of hinged toes, which also help with some balancing in walking or running poses.
The set is concluded with the first appearance in the McFarlane line of Peacemakers' sidekick, Eagly. This is a static sculpted Eagle with zero articulation. It is painted in basic browns with a white finish for the head and the tail feathers. The talons and feet are picked out in yellow, with black used for the eyes and talons. Colouring is all quite flat, relying on the sculpt for definition and not the application of any washes or drybrushing to enhance the details. Proportionally, it looks fine, but without articulation, you are left with Eagly in take-off/landing mode with the wings outstretched.
We might have expected a clip on the talons or a plug-in option to keep Eagly secured to Peacemaker. This has not been engineered, so instead any pose, including Eagly, has to rely on careful balancing of the two figures and either a very secure display position that won’t get knocked easily, or through the use of external materials like Museum Putty or similar.
The Peacemaker 2.0 figure is a substantial upgrade on the original release, not so much in the body sculpt or decor but certainly in the facial likeness and the included accessories. The release shows the strides McFarlane has made in the live-action figure space since 2021, and this recent switch to the Deluxe Theatrical Edition format is a welcome move. Even though the base price is higher, this is offset by the accessories and display options and is preferable to having to find and buy multiple variations of the same figure.
That all being said, the figures are still dated in some areas against similar collector lines, with the Marvel Legends figures being an obvious comparison. While the McFarlane releases are a larger scale, they are pretty much outdone by Hasbro in all other areas, particularly articulation and realistic facial decor.
Within the McFarlane line, this Peacemaker 2.0 release is at the better end of the scale and while there are some wider improvements the line could make as a whole, this figures only real issue at this moment of time is around the Universe-Building aspect of collecting, with no other figures from either Season 1 or Season 2 of Peacemaker available or even in the works.
Keep Track of all the DC Multiverse figures from McFarlane at our comprehensive
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...
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