James Gunn’s Peacemaker Attacks Christians in Offensive Earth-X Episode

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James Gunn seems unable to avoid controversy. Shortly after labeling some fans as “racists” in an interview with GQ, the newest episode of Peacemaker featured a storyline that many viewers found deeply offensive-this time, the criticism is aimed at its portrayal of Christians.

“Oh, Him They Love”

The latest episode features a conversation between Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) and Judo Master (Nhut Le) about Earth-X, a parallel world. Earth-X is a dystopian reality where Germany won World War 2 and established a fascist regime across the entire planet. It’s a place marked by the persecution of people of color, those of different faiths, and LGBTQ+ individuals. The episode delves into the specifics of this alternate Earth.

A Judo Master cautioned: “You wouldn’t want to be part of a minority group in this place. Or identify as gay, practice Buddhism, or hold beliefs similar to my own.”

Adebayo replies in disbelief: “Jesus Christ.”

To which Judo Master delivers the James Gunn punchline: “Oh, him they love!”

This episode was written and directed by none other than DC Studios co-head James Gunn himself.

The line is meant to be funny, but it strongly suggests that Gunn and the writers are associating Christianity with fascism. Within the Earth-X storyline, it’s not simply fascists who are successful – it’s also Christians. The meaning is obvious, and it’s difficult to envision someone writing a comparable line about a different faith without facing swift criticism from the entertainment industry.

Comparing Apples to Oranges

As the episode continues, the message becomes even more direct. Adebayo thinks about the terrible events on Earth-X and realizes that it’s “Not as different from our own world as we wish it was.”

Judo Master responds with a smirk, saying, “Damn straight!”

As a fan, that whole exchange just felt…off. It’s *supposed* to be a clever take on things, but it really falls apart when you think about it. Like, on Earth-X, Adebayo is actually running for her life just for being a Black woman out during the day. But in the main DCU, her mom, Amanda Waller, is shown as this incredibly powerful person in the government. Trying to compare those two situations isn’t just hurtful, it feels really dishonest. It just doesn’t land, and it’s frustrating to see.

According to James Gunn, Superman will introduce this show, and then Peacemaker will set up the rest of the DCU this season – it’s incredibly important.”

James Gunn’s DCU

— Nerdrotic (@Nerdrotics) October 3, 2025

This isn’t insightful or groundbreaking. It’s simply careless, uninformed, and deliberately provocative writing that attempts to gain political advantage by criticizing religious beliefs and overstating hardship.

A Familiar Hollywood Playbook

This likely won’t come as a shock to those who have followed James Gunn’s career for a while. The entertainment industry has been employing this strategy for quite some time now.

  • Step 1: Link traditional or religious values with authoritarianism.
  • Step 2: Equate criticism of the writing with bigotry.
  • Step 3: Paint overblown dystopias as “not so different from our own world” as a way of moralizing at the audience.

This is particularly upsetting to many Christians, who feel their beliefs are unfairly portrayed as supporting oppression in Peacemaker. Linking fascism and Christianity within a major DC comic property, as Gunn has done, is deeply insensitive.

Fan Blaming Comes Full Circle

To make matters worse, the timing of this is particularly unfortunate. Just recently, Gunn responded to criticism regarding Episode 6 by stating: “I’ve received some racist comments calling me divisive, but I’m comfortable with that and willing to ignore those who hold racist views.”

This is a familiar tactic from Hollywood: when faced with criticism, they attack the people voicing it. If you didn’t enjoy the episode, you might be labeled with a harmful accusation like racism. And if you object to the connection between Christianity and fascism, the issue is apparently with *you*, not the content itself.

Conclusion

James Gunn is now a key figure at DC, and he’s using Peacemaker to share his opinions on society and criticize Christians. However, there’s a line between clever satire and blatant disrespect. Connecting Christianity to fascism and then labeling anyone who disagrees as racist isn’t a good approach.

After seeing the latest developments, I’m left wondering about the direction of the DCU. It really makes you ask: is James Gunn focusing on compelling stories, or is there a bit too much confidence in the plan? It’s a question I suspect Gunn doesn’t want to answer, but fans are definitely starting to wonder if this new DC is being built on solid storytelling… or just plain arrogance. I’m hoping it’s the former, but the current trajectory is raising some serious questions. #DCU

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2025-10-03 23:41