HBO Max will be the home of the first The Suicide Squad spinoff, and here's everything we know about the upcoming Peacemaker series. James Gunn took over the Suicide Squad franchise for the second installment, bringing back some characters from 2016's Suicide Squad, while introducing a plethora of new ones, including John Cena's Peacemaker.
Peacemaker has a history in comics going all the way back to 1966, but The Suicide Squad will be the first time the character has appeared in any live-action adaptation. Peacemaker wants nothing but peace, but he'll do whatever it takes to achieve that goal. This oftentimes includes murdering anyone who tries to stand in his way. He doesn't have any superpowers like super strength, but instead is just one of the most skilled fighters around and a master of weapons, something the film showcases with the character's use of his gun. In The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker is Christopher Smith, a pompous, morally self-righteous man who will go to great lengths to maintain the status quo, even if that means keeping government secrets from the general public and killing his own teammates.
Before Cena debuted as the gun-toting, ultra-violent anti-hero in The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker became a breakout character within Warner Bros. and DC, as well as a favorite of Gunn. So when Gunn was asked who could be at the center of a spinoff show, Peacemaker was his first answer. The series was announced as an HBO Max original in the fall of 2020, nearly a year before The Suicide Squad's release date. Now that fans have seen the film and witnessed Peacemaker's less-than-peaceful persona (and fate), his story has been set up with regards to his return. Here's everything we know about the upcoming Peacemaker show.
Peacemaker Release Date Info
HBO Max is confirmed to be the home for James Gunn's Peacemaker series and, although an exact release date is still unknown, the series is expected to premiere in January 2022. The good news is that it has already wrapped production. The first season will consist of eight episodes, all written by Gunn and with him directing five of the series' eight episodes.
Peacemaker Story Details
Peacemaker is confirmed to tell a story that revolves around the origins of John Cena's titular character. While the show could include flashbacks to Peacemaker's time before he found himself locked up in Belle Reve, The Suicide Squad included a post-credits scene that revealed Peacemaker survived his fight with Bloodsport, who killed the former during his attempt to kill Ratcatcher 2. Peacemaker was found alive and brought back in to work with Amanda Waller, for whom he tried to confiscate the disc that revealed the U.S. government's involvement with the Starro project in Corto Maltese. It seems Peacemaker's loyalty to her will lead to another mission, albeit a solo one, for the anti-hero. To that end, Peacemaker will be a sequel to The Suicide Squad with scenes also detailing the character's backstory and how he came to be the way he is today. Meanwhile, the post-credits scene was filmed at the same time the Peacemaker series was in production, but after The Suicide Squad wrapped, so the scene will likely have something to do with the main plot of the show. What's more, Peacemaker's father will be involved somehow, so fans should expect more insight into their relationship as well.
Peacemaker Cast
The cast of Peacemaker has formed around John Cena. Steve Agee's John Economos and Jennifer Holland's Emilia Harcourt will also reprise their roles from The Suicide Squad. Danielle Brooks is confirmed to play Leota Adebayo, who is a new character not from the comics. Terminator 2 star Robert Patrick will play Auggie Smith, Peacemaker's father. It is also confirmed that Freddie Stroma, will play Adrian Chase aka The Vigilante, replacing Chris Conrad in the role. Adrian Chase most notably appeared as a villain in Arrow and was played by Josh Segarra. Chukwudi Iwuji will play Clemson Murn, who is also a new character without comics origins, while Nhut Le stars as Judomaster. Finally, Lochlyn Munro and Annie Chang will play Larry Fitzgibbon and Detective Sophie Song.
