Posted in: HBO, Max, Movies, TV | Tagged: peacemaker, thirty seconds to mars

Peacemaker: Were Gunn's Thirty Seconds to Mars Jabs at Band or Leto?

James Gunn dropped some interesting jabs at Jared Leto's Thirty Seconds to Mars during the Season 2 opener of HBO Max's Peacemaker.

To say James Gunn created more than mere ripples in his Peacemaker season two premiere, "The Ties That Grind," would be an understatement. From the drug-induced orgy scene, the return of two presumably dead characters in Chris Smith's (John Cena) father Auggie (Robert Patrick), and brother Keith (David Denman), albeit in an alternate reality, the recap retcon of season one finale from Justice League to Justice Gang, to the slam of Thirty Seconds to Mars, and perhaps by extension, the band's lead singer Jared Leto, who also happens to be the former DCEU Joker.

Peacemaker Pokes Fun at Jared Leto's Band, Thirty Seconds to Mars

With Gunn taking over as head of DC Studios, his DCU embarked on some creative changes to more appropriately align away from the Zack Snyder era, with the shift beginning at the animated Creature Commandos, followed by the David Corenswet-starred Superman (2025). The writer-director was already working within the old regime in 2021's The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker season one. Leto, who played the Joker under Snyder for Suicide Squad (2016) and Snyder's original cut of Justice League (2021), was not retained by Gunn for the reimagining. As we got an origin story for Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn from the David Ayer film, Gunn chose to keep her, Joel Kinnaman's Rick Flag Jr, and Viola Davis's Amanda Waller.

In "The Ties That Grind," Chris, aka Peacemaker, talks with Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), who was drummed out of A.R.G.U.S. for defying Waller last season. Chris, who's had his own share of problems with rejection, having the most unserious job interview with Max Lord (Sean Gunn), Guy Gardiner (Nathan Fillion), and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), largely brushed him off. Following Harcourt's failed job interview with one of several government alphabet agencies, she beat her car dashboard with her right hand, bloody. In the aftermath, the two have a conversation about music choice.

"Last time I was in that car, it was playing Spin Doctors or Thirty Seconds to Mars or some shit," Chris said. "I was gonna kick its ass then, but you two seem like you're on good terms." Emilia responds, "I am not on good terms with Thirty Seconds to Mars — how dare you." The jabs continued in the post-credit scene, something Gunn promised with every season two Peacemaker episode. "You can't be looping Spin Doctors in with Thirty Seconds to Mars," Emilia said. "Spin Doctors: so good!" Chris responds, "Jeez, anyone's better than Thirty Seconds to Mars. That garage band I was in for two seconds is better than Thirty Seconds to Mars."

Jared and his brother, Shannon Leto, founded Thirty Seconds to Mars in 1998, producing six albums, with their most recent being in 2023's "It's the End of the World but It's a Beautiful Day." The band originally also featured Matt Wachter, Simon Bixler, and Tomo Miličević. The Leto brothers completed their Seasons Tour with Miličević as a guest and Stevie Aiello as a touring member. Neither Jared Leto nor the Spin Doctors commented on the episode. Peacemaker, which also stars Danielle Brooks, Freddie Stroma, Steve Agee, and Frank Grillo, streams Thursdays on HBO Max.

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