It turns out one of the most emotional moments in ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 was also one of the most personally awkward for its creator. James Gunn, who directed the finale, recently shared that filming the kiss between John Cena’s Christopher Smith and Jennifer Holland’s Emilia Harcourt was far from a casual day on set, for a very human reason.
Jennifer Holland isn’t just one of the stars of the show; she’s also Gunn’s real-life wife. That made directing her in a romantic moment with another actor, even one as universally liked as Cena, something he had to mentally push through.
Filming ‘Peacemaker’ Finale Kiss Was “Awkward But Beautiful” For James Gunn
James Gunn revealed that the discomfort wasn’t just internal. The scale of the production made it even more surreal. “It wasn’t only that I had to direct you kissing a man,” he said to Holland while discussing the scene. “It was that I had to direct you kissing a man in front of 200, 300 extras.” It’s not just telling your spouse to kiss someone else; it’s doing it with a camera crew, actors, and hundreds of background performers all watching. Even for a seasoned filmmaker, that’s a uniquely weird experience.
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However, once the cameras rolled, Gunn says the filmmaker in him took over. The emotion of the moment, the build-up between the characters, and the visual storytelling, all of it overpowered whatever personal awkwardness lingered. What started as uncomfortable quickly transformed into something powerful. Gunn now considers it one of the most beautiful and emotionally effective shots of the entire series.
‘Peacemaker’ has always thrived on an odd balance of irreverent humor and surprising sincerity. The kiss between Cena and Holland’s characters is a perfect example, unexpected, a little messy, but undeniably charged with feeling. And the fact that Gunn had to navigate it not just as a director, but as a husband, adds a layer of real-world vulnerability you don’t often hear about in superhero productions.
James Gunn Teases What Comes After ‘Man Of Tomorrow’ In The DCU
While Season 2 of ‘Peacemaker‘ wrapped with emotional punches and unexpected moments, James Gunn isn’t slowing down. In fact, he’s already thinking ahead to his next projects after ‘Man of Tomorrow’, the sequel to his blockbuster ‘Superman’ film. Speaking with Deadline, Gunn confirmed that ‘Man of Tomorrow’ has been in his head for years and is part of a much larger DCU plan currently unfolding. “I think I know the next few I’m directing,” he said. “So I already know, frankly.”
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However, even as he builds a connected universe, Gunn emphasized that each project must stand on its own. “On the one hand, I want everything to be okay to watch by itself,” he explained. He doesn’t want audiences to feel like they need a homework list to enjoy a single movie. That said, the bigger story is already moving. Gunn noted that ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 episode 8 has ripple effects across the wider DCU. This was particularly in relation to characters like Lex Luthor, Rick Flag Jr., and Superman.
He specifically mentioned Salvation as part of that overarching arc. “There’s a bigger story being told that involves, say, Salvation, and that story involves Rick Flag, it involves Lex and Superman,” Gunn said. “There are those movies that I’m going to be directing.” For fans wondering how long Gunn plans to stay behind the camera, the answer is: at least a bit longer. “That’s the plan right now, at least,” he admitted. “I may get so f*****g tired that I can’t do it, because I’m pretty tired, but we’ll see. But there’s a plan that I’m going to do a couple more, at least.”
