James Gunn Says He’s ‘Perplexed’ After Fortnite Pulls Peacemaker Dance Emote Over Swastika Claims

James Gunn was reportedly puzzled after Epic Games temporarily pulled a Fortnite emote that used the dance intro from Peacemaker season 2, following concerns that the choreography resembled a swastika. Cast member Steve Agee says the choreography wasn’t tied to the show’s Nazi twist and that the choreographer didn’t have script context when she created the routine.

1. James Gunn’s reaction and Agee’s quote
2. Choreographer context and timing
3. How the season 2 intro was made
4. Fortnite emote removal and re-release
5. Where to watch Peacemaker

James Gunn’s reaction and Agee’s quote

Steve Agee told Polygon that DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn was “so perplexed” by the concern. Agee said, “I talked to James about this just about a week and a half ago,” and then quoted Gunn directly: “I am so perplexed by this.” Agee added that the choreographer didn’t know the Nazi storyline when she created the number, and that any resemblance to a swastika was unintentional: “Charissa Barton, our choreographer, never had the scripts. She did not know that Nazis were involved in this season when she created the dance number. So any resemblance to a swastika with this dance is purely coincidental.”

Choreographer context and timing

According to Agee, Charissa Barton first saw the episodes as they aired. He said he believed, “I’m pretty sure that was Charissa’s first time finding out what was happening on the show.” In other words, the choreography was developed without knowledge of the later alternate-history revelation about Nazis winning World War II in that dimension.

How the season 2 intro was made

Agee described season 2’s intro as a larger production than season 1’s. He said, “We shot it over two days, whereas the first dance number, we shot in one day,” and noted that season 2 was filmed on a major sound stage at Trilith Studios with bigger lighting and an LED panel. By contrast, the first season was filmed in a small school gymnasium.

Agee also explained how Barton taught the routine: “it’s literally a four-second section of us dancing, and then it would cut to somebody else,” and she would film each group and send the clip for practice: “we would learn that section, and she would videotape you on your phone and send you home with the video to hopefully rehearse,” although he laughed that, “Although I think a lot of us probably didn’t rehearse a lot.”

Season 1’s dance sequence also became a social media moment and helped revive interest in the Norwegian band WigWam, as reported on Billboard.

Fortnite emote removal and re-release

Late in September, Epic Games removed a Fortnite emote based on the Peacemaker season 2 intro after concerns that some choreography might evoke a swastika. The emote was later re-released in a modified form, according to an update shared on X.

Updated Peaceful Hips Fortnite x Peacemaker Dance pic.twitter.com/1pFGheAmB6

— iFireMonkey (@iFireMonkey) October 9, 2025

Where to watch Peacemaker

Both seasons of Peacemaker are currently streaming on HBO Max. The show’s second season includes the alternate-dimension plotline in question, which led to increased attention on the new intro sequence and its in-game adaptation.