HBO Max released a teaser for tonight's fifth episode of Peacemaker after the previous episode aired on September 11... the day after the assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.
This proved to be terrible timing, as the promo began with Judomaster taking aim and firing at Chris Smith with a sniper rifle. These things do happen - more frequently these days, it seems - but there was quite a bit of backlash from those that felt someone at the network/studio really should have been more on the ball and re-called the teaser after the news of Kirk's shooting was made public.
At any rate, a new version of the promo has now been released, and it edits out Judomaster's scene from the beginning completely and replaces him with more of Emilia Harcourt waiting to spring A.R.G.U.S.' trap on Peacemaker. The rest plays out pretty much the same.
We don't know for certain that the teaser was edited because of Kirk's murder (the original version is still online), but it seems like a pretty safe bet.
Check out the teaser below, along with some stills from tonight's episode, which is titled "Back to the Suture."
Critics were only provided with the first five episodes for review purposes, and Gunn recently explained why.
"I am the one who's keeping the three episodes away from everybody because there are too many surprises in those last three episodes," he revealed. "Especially 6 and 8, they are just crazy, my favourite things I've ever done of anything."
Will David Corenswet's Superman make a cameo? That's the prevailing theory, but there's a chance Gunn will take the opportunity to reintroduce some characters from The Suicide Squad.
"The new season follows Christopher 'Chris' Smith, aka Peacemaker, the vigilante Super Hero as he struggles to reconcile his past with his newfound sense of purpose while continuing to kick righteous evil-doer butt in his misguided quest for peace at any cost.
In season 2, Peacemaker discovers an alternate world where life is everything he wishes it could be. But this discovery also forces him to face his traumatic past and take the future into his own hands.”