Peacemaker Just Introduced Batman's Weirdest Villain to the Worlds of DC

Peacemaker spoilers follow, but they're very minor.

James Gunn is no stranger to the wackier side of comic book lore. After introducing Cosmo the Spacedog and Howard the Duck to MCU fans worldwide, Gunn reinvigorated the Suicide Squad franchise with even more bizarre characters for DC. And no, we're not just talking about Ratcatcher or the Polka-Dot Man either.

The film kicked off with ill-fated villains like Weasel and The Detachable Kid before ending the story with one big showdown against Starro. Despite him being a major Justice League villain in the comics, it's safe to say that no one could have predicted this giant alien starfish would ever appear on the big screen. Yet here we are.

Peacemaker, a C-list anti-hero, probably wasn't on your DC bingo card either. But following The Suicide Squad's success, James Gunn chose him out of everyone to front the film's first spin-off on TV.

And against all the odds, it's paid off. John Cena's comic timing has never been utilized better, and with the help of an impressive supporting cast, Gunn has actually managed to make a Peacemaker show worth seeing. In fact, it could end up being one of 2022's best superhero shows already.

Sure, the humor won't be to everyone's taste, but this tale of a "hero" who will happily kill to ensure the peace hits that sweet spot between R-rated thrills and odd characterization that Gunn's historically done brilliantly. It's just as well then that James wrote every episode in season one here – and directed five of them too.

Gunn's signature style is all over Peacemaker, from the musical opening credits to the weird name drops that only hardcore comic book fans will recognize. And there's one in particular that Batman fans might be shocked to hear mentioned on screen.

We are of course talking about Bat-Mite. In episode one, Peacemaker casually confirms that this obscure character does actually exist in the Worlds of DC universe – assuming that he's to be believed, of course.

If you thought Starro was freaky, buckle up, because Bat-Mite is easily one of the weirdest characters ever created in DC Comics. First introduced in 1959, Bat-Mite is an imp from the fifth dimension who is obsessed with the Dark Knight. Using his reality-warping powers, Bat-Mite has caused plenty of trouble for Batman over the years, although never in live-action. Not yet, anyway.

During a DC FanDome panel for The Suicide Squad in 2020, James Gunn revealed (via CBR.com) that Bat-Mite was actually his favorite Batman villain growing up. Who needs the Joker when you've got this unsettling little imp, eh?

Because of this, Gunn tried to work Bat-Mite into his new version of The Suicide Squad, but to no avail. Even in a film that stars King Shark and Polka-Dot Man, Bat-Mite was just a bit too silly it seems.

However, now that Peacemaker has confirmed Bat-Mite's existence onscreen, the door is technically open for this imp to pop through and finally make his live-action debut. We say "technically" because it still seems unlikely at this point. The closest we've come in the past is with Mr Mxyzptlk, another imp from the same dimension who appeared just recently on Supergirl.

Bat-Mite is arguably even weirder though, so if he does finally appear on Peacemaker or another DC project, Gunn will have a tough time translating that weirdness in a way that makes sense. We say Gunn because we doubt any other filmmaker would even consider Bat-Mite right now.

But then again, if James can make us fall in love with Cosmo the Spacedog or even that freaky Weasel guy, we're confident that Bat-Mite could somehow fit into the world of Peacemaker one day. Consider this the first signature on our 'Bat-Mite for Peacemaker season two' petition.

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