Peacemaker’s Vigilante: DC’s Hilarious Deadpool Alternative

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Peacemaker season 2, episodes 1-3

Remarkably, the DCU already has its own version of Deadpool. However, he’s arguably even better than Ryan Reynolds’ Merc With The Mouth. Featured in both Peacemaker’s first season and the ongoing Peacemaker season 2, there’s a lot to love from DC’s best Deadpool equivalent.

Wade Wilson is a hyper-violent, quippy, anti-hero who was a beloved part of Fox’s X-Men universe. Likewise, he’s recently entered the MCU as of last year with 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine. That said, James Gunn’s DCU already has its own hyper-violent and hilarious anti-hero, who’s quickly become one of my favorite live-action DC characters ever.

Peacemaker Season 2 Has Made Vigilante One Of My Favorite DCU Characters

Vigilante talking with Peacemaker in his trailer in Peacemaker (2022)

Played by actor Freddie Stroma, Vigilante is a live-action anti-hero like none other. Having first appeared as the loyal “best” friend of John Cena’s Chris Smith in Peacemaker season 1, Adrian Chase aka Vigilante is an absolute sociopath…who’s also massively moronic to an adorably hilarious degree.

Providing some of the best humor (and violence) in Peacemaker season 1, Adrian is even more hilarious in Peacemaker season 2 episodes 1-3, despite having yet to suit up as Vigilante. He couldn’t be more different from the far more serious version of Vigilante we saw on the CW’s Arrow, in the best way possible.

Likewise, I defy anyone not to laugh at Vigilante’s post-credits scene with John Economous at the end of Peacemaker season 2, episode 3, easily one of the funniest superhero post-credits scenes of all time.

Deadpool Is Great, But Vigilante Has Something Wade Wilson Doesn’t

Chris and Vigilante Cutting Up Alt-Peacemaker

For all their visual and violent similarities, the best thing about Vigilante is that he’s arguably the anti-Deadpool.

Deadpool is a lead character who’s so self-aware he’s meta, breaking the fourth wall while attempting to grow and be a better person. Conversely, Vigilante is this incredibly unaware supporting character who has no intention of changing, as he doesn’t see anything wrong with his extreme violence or incredibly awkward lack of social skills.

Unlike Wade, Adrian unintentionally has zero filter in both his words and actions. This is a guy who somehow manages to be so endearing and quasi-innocent in his personality, despite unabashedly having an absolute ball cutting up the deceased doppelgänger of his best friend (Peacemaker season 2, episode 2).

While he’s yet to really get any kind of major spotlight in Peacemaker season 2 as Vigilante, fingers are crossed for the episodes that are still to come.

New episodes of Peacemaker season 2 release Thursdays on HBO Max.