The Peacemaker Scene That Had More Depth Than Even DC's James Gunn Realized

The following article contains spoilers for "Peacemaker" season 2, episode 5. 

DC Studios co-CEO and "Peacemaker" series creator James Gunn puts a lot of thought into the stories he writes and directs, but sometimes there are hidden depths brought out by some of the extraordinary people he works with. Gunn regularly hires some of the same actors to star in his movies and shows — including his brother Sean Gunn, "Castle" star Nathan Fillion, and "The Walking Dead" star Michael Rooker — and while each is able to bring something special to the table, Rooker managed to make one scene in "Peacemaker" season 2 much more meaningful than it had been on the page. 

On an episode of the official "Peacemaker" podcast, Gunn was joined by cast and crew from the series to talk about the episode "Back to the Suture," in which Michael Rooker's bonkers eagle-hunting character Red St. Wild finally came face-to-face with Peacemaker's pet eagle, Eagly, whom he believed to be the "prime eagle." While Gunn had originally intended for St. Wild to go out like a wimp, begging for his life, Rooker took it in a different direction, with his character seeing the error of his ways and trying to make real amends before getting absolutely shredded by eagle talons. Instead of just being a weird cultural appropriation joke and a bit of redemption for Gunn and Rooker's previous crimes against birds in "The Suicide Squad," Rooker's performance makes his death mean something and gives his character an actual arc. 

In "Peacemaker" season 2, A.R.G.U.S. hires St. Wild to try and take out Eagly, who appears to be a pretty powerful eagle. St. Wild believes he is the "prime eagle," and we eventually see this is the case when Eagly swoops down with dozens of other eagles, his eyes glowing. While Gunn originally wrote St. Wild saying "I'm sorry" to Eagly and the other eagles as a way to get them to stop attacking, Rooker meant it quite differently, explaining: 

"He's a changed man. At the last moment, he's a changed man. His spirit has opened up, and he sees the truth. [...] 'I'm sorry.' He's not saying, 'Sorry, I did that.' He's saying, 'I'm sorry for my hollow life.'"

While Eagly being the Prime Eagle is kind of a bizarre thing that gives him powers that feel almost unnecessary, it is great that Rooker made the character into more than just a weird joke. Instead, he's a warning about people who devote their lives to hunting or exterminating others and how that can be a real waste. No wonder Gunn keeps putting Rooker in everything. 

Season 2 of "Peacemaker" is available to stream on HBO Max.