Peacemaker was a huge star of the newly released The Suicide Squad. The character injected comedy, brawn, and a surprising amount of drama into the movie. And though it's surprising that it was thrown into production so soon after the movie's release, a spin-off TV show of the character was almost expected.
There are several TV spin-offs of movies being released on HBO Max in 2022, but Peacemaker will likely be the best of them. Between John Cena leading the show, the non-linear approach to the narrative, and James Gunn's heavy involvement, there are so many reasons to be excited for Peacemaker.
It'll Be Completely Unfiltered
The Suicide Squad was full of vulgar language, over-the-top murders, and hilarity, and that was all just Peacemaker. Though James Gunn has said that the series will be more grounded than the movie, he also said that it's still "no holds barred."
That means that, while it'll be more like a TV show by delving deeper into characters' story arcs, it'll be the same The Suicide Squad type of violence and graphic one-liners. Given the huge success of The Boys as a graphic superhero series, there's little doubt that Peacemaker will be similarly huge.
John Cena Is A Great Leading Man
John Cena has been climbing up the rungs of the movie star ladder for a while now. He first had a supporting role in the Amy Schumer-led comedy Trainwreck, and now he has had a major role in not one but two blockbuster movies. But between playing Jakob in F9 and Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker is easily one of Cena's best roles.
The former wrestler gave a genuinely great performance and had great chemistry with his costars. And given that Cena is yet to be a lead in a movie, the TV series could be the perfect platform for him to show off how great of a leading man he can be.
He's The Funniest Character
Given how much creative freedom Warner Bros. gave to Gunn with the property, the director could have made a spin-off series about any one of Task Force X. That is still a likely possibility too, but the one that Gunn saw the most potential in was Peacemaker.
It's hardly a surprise, as not only was there a deep backstory hinted at with his father, and not only does he have a complicated outlook on the world, but more than anything, he's hilarious. Peacemaker is an incredibly quotable character, he's full of ridiculous hyperbole, his dress sense is outrageous, and even his music taste is funny.
It'll Have A Better Call Saul Approach
Not much is known about the plot of Peacemaker, but most of it will be set after the events of The Suicide Squad. Immediately after, in fact, as there are scenes in the show of him still recovering in the hospital, where he was in the post-credits scene.
But what makes the narrative even more exciting is that Peacemaker will be set in the past too, taking the Better Call Saul approach. This provides a lot of creative freedom, as well as the ability to add real depth to the character.
There May Be A Story Behind The Helmet
James Gunn has mentioned in interviews that the primary reason he chose Peacemaker to be part of Task Force X was because of his helmet. And as funny as the piece of his outfit is, there is no explicable reason for it, or at least there wasn't in the movie.
For those who think it's just a silly creative design with no purpose, there are actually technical aspects to the helmet, but that's something only comic book fans know about Peacemaker. The TV show could go into detail about what the helmet does and how it protects him. In fact, it could even give some sort of explanation about the whole outfit, as the bright red and blue suit heavily contrasts with the character's personality.
James Gunn Is Directing The Bulk Of The Show
It's safe to say that James Gunn can be considered an auteur, as he has his own sense of style and few other filmmakers are making movies like him. Though he's one of the busiest men in Hollywood right now, having just finished The Suicide Squad and jumping into Guardians Christmas Special and Guardians vol. 3, he was still able to direct five of the eight episodes.
The series can still be good in the hands of other directors, but Gunn had clearly built a great working relationship with Cena, so he'd be able to get a lot more out of the actor on set. Not only that, but few would experiment with dialogue and actions on set like he would.
The Soundtrack Is All 80s Hair Metal
Director James Gunn takes a lot of pride in his movie's soundtracks, and though there are music supervisors who do this kind of thing, Gunn chooses most of the songs himself. Music has a major role in the Guardians series, and though it wasn't implemented into the narrative like in Guardians, The Suicide Squad had a great soundtrack too.
But now, Gunn will be taking it one step further by making the entire soundtrack of Peacemaker entirely '80s hair metal. The soundtrack will no doubt be made up of songs by bands such as Motley Crue, Def Leppard, and Bon Jovi. The reason is presumably because that's what Peacemaker exclusively listens to.
It Might Not Be Just A Limited Series
Disney+ started a trend of limited series for superheroes with WandaVision, and outside of Loki, it's becoming unclear whether most of these shows are limited series or not. But though a season 2 of Peacemaker hasn't been announced, it's looking like what was planned to be a limited series could continue.
Providing the first season is successful, Gunn wants to make a second season. It's quite obvious that Cena would work on a second season too, as he loves the character and wears the outfit outside of production any chance he gets.
The Prospect Of Seeing Other DCEU Heroes
Warner Bros. has announced several spin-off TV shows of upcoming movies. The other two are a Penguin spin-off and a Commissioner Gordon spin-off of the upcoming The Batman. And though they also have the potential to be great, the movie, and by extension, the shows, aren't a part of the DC Extended Universe. That means that there won't be any familiar faces from any of the previous DC movies.
However, Cena's character is a part of the DCEU, which has led to a ton of excitement of the prospect of characters who could appear in Peacemaker. Between King Shark and Bloodsport, there could even be some sort of mini Task Force X reunion.