I Spoke With the 'Twisted Metal' Cast and Creator About Season 2. Here's Everything to Know

CNET

6 days ago

Twisted Metal -- Peacock's original series inspired by the popular video games of the same name -- broke viewership records for the NBC Universal-owned streamer when it debuted on the platform in 2023. Of all shows people could have binged, they picked the one with an ice cream truck-driving killer clown who loved to set his head on fire. It's like everyone suddenly had my particular taste in entertainment. I'm not mad about it.
Anthony Mackie and Stephanie Beatriz lead the series as John Doe and Quiet, two unlikely partners striving to survive in America's dystopian maw. The tag team duo of Samoa Joe and Will Arnett (who provides the voice) brings Sweet Tooth, the aforementioned evil clown, to life.
I've seen footage from season 2 (which will premiere its first three episodes on July 31), and I'm beyond stoked to tell you that everything is revved up: Explosive action, gory kill sequences and emotional stakes. And yes, there's car-crunching carnage aplenty.
I spoke with the cast and creator of the series over Zoom during the show's press day to get insight into these new episodes. So, without further ado, here's everything you need to know about Twisted Metal season 2.
Mike Mitchell and Samoa Joe return as Stu and Sweet Tooth in season 2 of Twisted Metal on Peacock.
Peacock
That long-awaited car tournament is coming
Twisted Metal is finally going to fulfill the prophecy of its name. We're getting that demolition derby in season 2. In fact, it's one of the driving forces that fuels the overall storyline. The tournament is hosted by a mysterious man named Calypso, played by Anthony Carrigan, who announces that the winner will be granted a wish, no matter how big.
In a world divided by the less fortunate outsiders, who live in squalor outside the walled-in cities, and the privileged insiders, this prize draws out an assortment of competitors. Of the characters joining the race, fan excitement has been on overload regarding the inclusion of Axel, the driver whose arms are connected to two giant wheels. Yet, no one really knew who would play him. Even Mike Mitchell (who returns as Stu) and Samoa Joe revealed they texted at length about this mystery.
The season 2 trailer answered that question.
Michael James Shaw (who you may recognize as Papa Midnite in Constantine or Mercer in The Walking Dead) is the man bringing Axel to life. He has the physicality for the role, which is important considering he had to physically step into a giant rig and really move around the set in it.
"That rig, it's massive," he said. "It probably weighs about 4 or 5 tons. Like, it's big; it's sturdy. Getting in, I was like, 'Oh, wow, I have to support myself here.' It's like I'm surfing. So it's just cool to acclimate to that and then find freedom in that, and find power in that framework. I think you get that one piece of clothing or costume, and it all kind of clicks. In stepping into the rig and feeling that, it all made sense from that moment on."
Peacock
Family is a big theme this season
One of the interesting details about John Doe is that he has no memory of his childhood. He doesn't know his real name, he doesn't remember his parents and has no real information to connect to his true identity. Season 2 digs into these themes by reuniting John with his long-lost sister, Dollface.
According to Mackie, this reunion "exemplifies everything for John."
"He has so many questions and there's so much he doesn't know," he continued. "He finally has the person who can fill all those empty blanks for him. Ever since we've met John, there's always been this desire, this need for connection, to find home. He's now in a position where he's found his sister. That's the closest thing to home he'll ever have. So that connection is very important."
Peacock
What about Quiet? Up until now, she was basically the only sort of family he had forged. In the season 1 finale, she was captured by a gang of masked marauders called the Dolls. In season 2, we find that John's love interest is still rolling with them. And, plot twist, the group's leader is none other than John's sister.
Is Quiet's involvement with the Dolls purely survival-based, or is there more to it?
"She's kind of managed to eke a little community out of these women," Beatriz told me. "She has a ton of respect for Dollface, but she also, I think, ultimately wants what she wants. And when she hears that the tournament is announced by Calypso and that whoever wins this tournament is going to get their greatest wish, I think everything else falls away, and that wish becomes the new target, and that's what she's after."
As twisted as things get, the story remains relatable
Twisted Metal is a show that goes hard in the paint when it comes to unhinged humor and bloody kill sequences. The new episodes take things further into genre territory with the introduction of Mr. Grimm, a man who carries the souls of his victims inside his body.
I asked showrunner Michael Jonathan Smith to make it all make sense. How can a show like this work when, in season 2, you suddenly introduce a supernatural element previously unseen that may feel out of left field for those unfamiliar with video games?
"What's great about our show is that the further you watch, the you learn more about why that character is stuck between those wheels, and the more you learn, the more you see that he is a man who is torn between his human side and his machine side. Grimm is a crazy man who houses a thousand souls in him like an apartment building."
At the end of the day, though, these are humans. And as crazy as things get, Smith's guiding light with the series has been to let their humanity shine. "These are people who have personalities," he continued. "They have wants, have drives -- to use the pun -- and have needs, and that's what makes our show so special. It has heart."
Twisted Metal season 2 will debut its first three episodes on Thursday, July 31, exclusively on Peacock.