John Cena's Peacemaker rejects his white supremacist father Auggie Smith (Robert Patrick), a KKK-linked White Dragon leader, ultimately killing him in the finale after taunts about sleeping with men and 'whores of polluted blood.' This arc centers on growth away from racist nationalist upbringing. Danielle Brooks plays original character Leota Adebayo, a Black lesbian co-lead and Peacemaker's best friend whose relationship drives emotional beats and contrasts political views.

Peacemaker's bisexuality is explicit via a threesome with male Vigilante (Freddie Stroma) and prison encounters, emerging from Cena's improv per James Gunn. Chukwudi Iwuji's Clemson Murn adds further diversity to the team.

Gunn has described the show as indicting white supremacy and far-right conspiracies, with Adebayo as the heart due to differing backgrounds. Reception shows scattered Reddit and social media complaints labeling it 'woke' for these themes and the lesbian co-lead, though no widespread review-bombing or 'go woke go broke' collapse occurred, with critics largely positive on the ensemble.