The Peacemaker Opening Credits Are Incredible
Opening credits sequences began as a functional part of film and television. They existed simply to let the audience know the title of the thing that they were watching and the creatives involved with it such as the production company, the writer, the director, and the main stars. However, as time went on, they would evolve to set the tone for the movie or the show they were preceding. There are even some opening credits that have become just as iconic as the characters or the shows themselves.
"The Dick Van Dyke Show," "All In The Family," "Cheers," "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air," "Scrubs," and "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" are just a few of the shows throughout television history that have memorable openings. Though it may not be as legendary as those all-time favorite intros just yet, James Gunn's "Peacemaker" touts one of the best opening credits sequences in recent history and deserves recognition.
Do You Wanna Taste It?
By now, everyone knows that every project James Gunn does is going to feature a kick-ass soundtrack. The writer and director has become a master needle dropper, and he's proven it time and time again throughout his filmography. For him, music doesn't just set the tone and provide a backdrop for the events playing our onscreen. As hokey as it might sound, Gunn makes music another character in his work. The soundtrack is just as important of a storytelling device as the dialogue or the cinematography. And "Peacemaker," the series based on characters from DC Comics, is no different.
For the highly-anticipated John Cena-led spinoff, Gunn (and probably music supervisors Evelyn Klean and Ian Broucek) chose "Do You Wanna Taste It" by the Norwegian glam metal band Wig Wam as the theme song. Released in 2010, it was the single from the band's third studio album. It also happens to capture both the spirit of the show and the character Peacemaker. The track is a wild, outrageous throwback to a bygone era, as Chris Smith's villainous/somewhat anti-heroish alter ego aligns himself (for better or worse), "when men were real men because they weren't afraid to be women." Honestly, I'm surprised that the song is only 12 years old rather than 35 or 40 years old.
But the real highlight is the dance that accompanies the song. Back at their Television Critics Association panel in September, when Gunn mentioned the spectacular musical number, it's safe to say that no one was expecting this as the opening credits. When you hear the first lines of the song, we see Cena's Peacemaker in a dark room illuminated by spotlights. As the drums, guitar, and bass kick in, he springs into action by performing animated dance moves with the most deadpan expression on his face. Soon, the lights come up and it's filled with neon colors. Peacemaker is quickly joined by the rest of the cast including Danielle Brooks, Freddie Stroma, Steve Agee, Jennifer Holland, and Chukwudi Iwuji, also dancing with completely deadpanned faces. Even Robert Freakin' Patrick joins in on the fun. And it all ends with Peacemaker's faithful companion and pet bald eagle Eagly flying in and striking a pose as the title appears.
To say that this sequence got a huge pop from me is an understatement. I couldn't stop laughing the first time I saw it. I even had to rewind to catch up with what happened when the story from the cold open resumed.
There are truly no lines that Gunn won't cross in "Peacemaker." Just like in "The Suicide Squad," he goes all in on these characters' most unhinged and outrageous impulses with surprisingly hilarious results. Sure, many of the things in the show are messed up. But it's not just half-assed shock and awe or gore for the sake of gore. James Gunn delivers a symphony of unexpected fueled by the gasps and laughs of the audience. And let me tell you, this is definitely one of the most unexpected things to come from the latest DC Extended Universe series. It's not like you see superheroes (or in this case, supervillains?) perform a musical number every day, right?
Considering that I am basically an old now, I don't really know what the latest TikTok fads are. But with any luck, we'll be seeing a legion of "Peacemaker" fans doing this dance all over social media soon enough.