HBO Max Peacemaker TV-sh0w has cast Kroll Show's Nhut Le as Judomaster, James Gunn confirmed on Thursday. The upcoming spin-off centers on John Cena's character from Gunn's DCEU movie The Suicide Squad, which he helmed after his brief firing from Guardians of the Galaxy. Described as an origin story for the titular character, whom Cena calls a "douchey Captain America," the show was first announced in September 2020 with Gunn attached as a writer and director. Cena's Peacemaker is a vigilante-antihero who is haunted by his father's suicide. He'll do anything to achieve peace, even if he has to kill or torture others.
Although there aren't a lot of clear details about the plot and synopsis of the HBO Max spin-off series, the show has already begun filming in Toronto and Vancouver with hopes to wrap up production in June. Given Gunn and Cena's association, it is no surprise that the Peacemaker TV show is creating a lot of buzz. But another significant factor contributing to the series' popularity is its stellar star cast, which keeps expanding day by day. In the show, Jennifer Holland and Steve Agee will reprise their roles as Emilia Harcourt and John Economos from The Suicide Squad. They will be joined by Danielle Brooks, Robert Patrick, Chris Conrad, and Chukwudi Iwuji in the main cast. Supporting performers, meanwhile, include Lochlyn Munro, Annie Chang, Christopher Heyerdahl, Elizabeth Ludlow, and Rizwan Manji. And now another actor has been tapped to appear in the show.
As confirmed by Gunn on Thursday, writer-actor Nhut Le, who is best known for his stints in Raven's Home and Stardumb, has been cast as Judomaster in HBO Max's Peacemaker. Gunn did not reveal the specifics concerning Le's character. Still, he welcomed Le and Judomaster into the DCEU, as it is the first time that the beloved comics superhero is getting a live-action treatment. Le reacted to the announcement of his casting on Instagram, stating that he was "shaking with excitement." He added that he was looking forward to working with the cast and crew. Regarding the script, Le applauded the "phenomenal writing," calling it"hands-down the funniest" that he has ever read.
In the comics, Judomaster was a legacy name used by three distinct superheroes. The first Judomaster, Hadley “Rip” Jagger, was a World War II warrior who first appeared in Charlton Comics in 1965. Charlton eventually sold the character to DC, where it was rebooted by Paul Kupperberg and Michael Collins for Justice League Quarterly #14 (1994). DC's version of Judomaster assists Captain Atom, Nightshade, and Peter Cannon (another Charlton Comics character) in their battle against the vicious Andreas Havoc/ Hooded One. In 2007, DC introduced a female Judomaster, Sonia Sato. Appearing in Birds of Prey #100, Sato works alongside Big Barda and Manhunter, breaking into a Mexican prison on Oracle's orders.
In keeping with the edgy theme of the Peacemaker TV show and the film that inspired it, Le's Judomaster will likely be a gender-flipped version of Sato's character. The Charlton and Justice League Judomasters were rather heroic, as they rescued superheroes and fought beside them against menacing supervillains. Thus, it would be problematic to incorporate them into the grim and grisly show. On the contrary, Sato has ties with the Suicide Squad, and her turbulent relationship with Damage also gives her the shaded texture required by Peacemaker. It will, therefore, be logical and exciting if the show chooses to go down the Sato road. This way, not only will Peacemaker get a character with metahuman powers, but it will also gain the opportunity to crossover to the Black Adam territory as Sato's Judomaster is friends with Atom Smasher and other JSA members. That said, Le is an impressive actor who has entertained fans with several critically acclaimed performances. And he'll likely do justice to Judomaster, no matter what version of the character is assigned to him.
Source: James Gunn