Freddie Stroma has replaced Chris Conrad in HBO Max's Peacemaker TV series. The upcoming superhero drama centers on John Cena's eponymous vigilante-cum-antihero, who will make his DCEU debut in James Gunn' upcoming The Suicide Squad movie on August 6. Gunn had directed The Suicide Squad as a standalone, R-rated sequel to David Ayer's critically-panned 2016 film during his brief firing from Guardians of the Galaxy. But clearly, the forthcoming film isn't Gunn's final association with DC, as his Peacemaker spin-off series is making substantial progress at HBO Max. In the new show, Cena's character is described as a "douchey Captain America," who is tormented by his father's suicide. He will do anything to achieve peace, no matter how brutal.
Currently, Peacemaker is filming in Toronto and Vancouver, with plans to wrap up production in June. The series has already been scheduled for a 2022 release by Warner Bros., although a specific premiere date is yet to be announced. Given Cena and Gunn's participation, it's hardly surprising that the upcoming series is building so much hype. But besides Gunn and Cena, Peacemaker's stellar cast has also given the series' popularity a major boost. The ensemble has already been rounded out with Steve Agee and Jennifer Holland reprising their roles from The Suicide Squad, and Danielle Brooks, Robert Patrick, Lochlyn Munro, Annie Chang, Christopher Heyerdahl, Elizabeth Ludlow, and Rizwan Manji joining to play new characters. Originally, The Next Karate Kid actor Chris Conrad was also primed to appear in the series, but his part has since been recast.
As announced by Deadline, Bridgerton's Freddie Stroma will now step into Chris Conrad's shoes to portray Vigilante/Adrian Chase in Peacemaker. At the moment, it's not entirely clear why Conrad left the series, but as the report suggests the actor was on a different creative page than the production team, and the concerned parties failed to seek an amicable solution to the issue. Stroma, who most recently starred opposite Kevin James in the Netflix sitcom The Crew, hasn't yet commented on his new role in the upcoming HBO Max series.
In the DC lore, the Adrian Chase version of Vigilante first appeared in New Teen Titans Annual #2 in 1983. Initially, Chase works as a district attorney in New York City, but after some gangsters kill his wife and children, he goes rogue, transforming into the cynical Vigilante, who viciously wages a war on crime. Chase's Vigilante is an extraordinary sharpshooter, a masterful lasso bearer, and he can recover from severe wounds and injuries in a matter of seconds. He is an arch-nemesis of Peacemaker, whom he blames for the death of his friend, Dave Winston. Throughout the course of the comics, Vigilante faces off against Peacemaker in numerous showdowns, and it is during one such combat that Vigilante's identity is revealed before the world.
Some may argue that Conrad possesses more star power than Stroma, thanks to his acclaimed film roles as Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation and Jack in Airborne. But Stroma is also an incredible actor who is more popular among younger audiences due to his stints in several Harry Potter films and Pitch Perfect. At the moment, it's difficult to predict how the new recast will bode for Peacemaker. One thing is clear, though, and that is the show is going for a big swing with its depiction of Vigilante. Stroma is much younger than Conrad, and his build is also leaner than that of The Next Karate Kid star. This means that Peacemaker has altered its characterization of Vigilante significantly, and it's probably no longer intending on setting the character up as a main, physically similar rival to the titular anti-hero. Hopefully, there will be more to learn about Stroma's version of Vigilante once Peacemaker sets a look at the character. And that shouldn't be too far away, considering the show is already midway through filming its freshman season.
Source: Deadline