Season 2 of Peacemaker is underway, and fans are seeing something unexpected from the series. James Gunn and Warner Bros made fans aware that there would be trips to an alternate reality on top of an explanation as to how Peacemaker fits into the new DC Universe, so we knew that those were coming. What wasn't expected was the introduction of Christopher Smith’s brother, Keith.
In the Prime universe, Peacemaker killed Keith when they were kids. It was the defining moment in his life. Decades later, he hasn’t gotten over it. Now, thanks to a trip to a different dimension, Chris can live a life with his adult brother and maybe move past his trauma.
We recently had the chance to chat with actor David Denman, who plays Keith in the series, and he took the time to discuss his crucial role in season 2 of Peacemaker. One of the first questions I asked was what fans should look forward to seeing from Keith Smith. He went on to discuss how he is Chris's guardian.
"In this world, he is Chris’ protector. Even more so than [their father] Auggie. He defends his brother nonstop. He’s constantly looking out for him. He’s trying to keep him on the straight path. There are little hints here and there of the issues that this version of Chris has. And that’s Keith’s role - to be the loving and supportive brother and be there as his protector."
This led me to ask what it was like to get this role. You could tell getting cast for this show was a big moment for David due to the smile on his face when he said, “It was an awesome treat to get those scripts. Before I even read the scripts, I said, ‘Of course, I’m going to do this. It’s James Gunn. Are you kidding me?’ But then you get it, and you’re like, ‘This is really good stuff.’”
There was a funny moment after that where David says he thought the offer to be in Peacemaker was a cruel joke. “I did not expect at this point in my life to ever play a superhero. And, to get that call, it was surprising. To be honest, I thought it was a joke because I got the call on April 1st.”
After talking about being cast, David continued to compliment James Gunn’s writing and Peacemaker itself by speaking about the underrated part of the show, the concept of love.
“This all comes from a place of love. That’s one of the things I love about James’ writing. There’s so much heart to it. It’s not just a comedy, which there is a lot of. It’s funny, and there’s a lot of action, but there’s a lot of heart. And he’s created this amazing character where, all of a sudden, you’re feeling sorry for this antihero. This guy’s had some horrible trauma happen in his life, and you see, through the course of the season, how he became, who he became, and why.”
"I think Chris Smith is on this journey to become whole, and heal some of that trauma. And by having that love from his brother and his father, that he never had and always needed, I think is an interesting thing to play with. "David Denman
Lastly, when I wondered that the grass may not be greener on the other side for Christopher Smith in his alternate dimension, Denman smirked. He couldn’t say much except for, “A lot goes on later in this season.” From the looks of things, that could mean a bumpy ride for Peacemaker, Keith, Emilia Harcourt, Auggie, or any number of the characters.
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