Suicide Squad 2.0? Peacemaker Gets His Own Superhero Team In New Photo From HBO Max Show
The Suicide Squad's story might've already ended, but it's clear that John Cena's Peacemaker has yet to wrap up his arc due to the arrival of his upcoming HBO Max series.
Directed by James Gunn, Peacemaker is set to continue Christopher Smith's story after Task Force X's mission in Corto Maltese while also diving deep into the villain's origin.
The series will have eight episodes, and it is slated to premiere in January 2022. Alongside Cena, the cast includes Steve Agee, Jennifer Holland, Danielle Brooks, and Freddie Stroma.
Peacemaker was also confirmed to feature scenes in both the past and present of the DCEU, exploring Smith's tragic past and current mission with the folks from Belle Reeve.
Now, a brand new look at The Suicide Squad spin-off series has been revealed.
A Fresh Look at James Gunn's Peacemaker Revealed
Entertainment Weekly shared an exclusive look at James Gunn's Peacemaker HBO Max series, showcasing John Cena's DC villain, Freddie Stroma's Vigilante, Danielle Brooks' Adebayo, Chukwudi Iwuji's Murn, and The Suicide Squad returning cast members Steve Agee and Jennifer Holland.
Alongside the reveal, Gunn admitted that his love for the 1970s Captain America TV movie led to the creation of Peacemaker, describing it as a "fun" idea:
"I loved the 1970s Captain America [TV movie] when I was a kid. I thought making a really f---ed-up version of that with Peacemaker would be fun."
The Suicide Squad director then shared that showing Peacemaker alive at the tail-end of the DCEU film was "exactly the thing" that he hates when other filmmakers do it, but he did point out that its repercussion is creating the "most incredible TV show people will ever see:"
"I did exactly the thing I hate when other filmmakers do [it]. But I did it! I'll have to live with the repercussions, which is the most incredible TV show people will ever see."
Gunn confirmed that Peacemaker will revolve around "black ops combating something catastrophic that's facing the planet," where the titular villain will be joined by Iwuji's Murn as its leader.
Gunn also described Danielle Brooks' Adebayo, the sixth member of the team, as someone who "isn't always treated the best by the people around her, but despite her differences with Peacemaker, they form a bond."
In a separate tweet, Gunn replied to a fan asking about Vigilante's visor, saying that it is "prescription" while pointing out the villain's history in the pages of DC Comics:
His visor is prescription. #peacemaker https://t.co/D4IELSTmWn pic.twitter.com/4DOZ2CTUzk
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) September 13, 2021
Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad 2.0
Based on what's been revealed, it looks like Viola Davis' Amanda Waller is not yet done with her Task Force X deployment. Although the Suicide Squad leader has not been confirmed to appear in Peacemaker, there's a strong chance that Waller will be referenced in a major way, and it's even possible that this black ops team was her idea in the first place.
Seeing John Cena's Peacemaker collaborate with this new team presents a new opportunity for the character to be fleshed out even more, especially after his "betrayal" against Ratcatcher 2 and Bloodsport in the DCEU film. Given that Christopher Smith is on the road to recovery after Bloodsport's fatal bullet shot toward him, it's likely that Waller once again placed a secret agent among the black ops team.
At this stage, the prime candidate is Freddie Stroma's Vigilante, mainly due to the character's history with Peacemaker. In the pages of DC Comics, Vigilante is the arch-nemesis of Peacemaker because he blames Smith for the death of his friend, Dave Winston.
Given that premise, it's reasonable to assume that Peacemaker will include this major narrative to push the limits on the titular character. On a plot level, it makes narrative sense for Waller to double-cross Smith, especially after he failed his sole mission in Corto Maltese.
From The Suicide Squad to Guardians of the Galaxy, James Gunn has already proven that he can create a unique bond between misfits, and it looks like he will do the same with this black ops team for Peacemaker. It will be interesting to find out how this second-coming of Task Force X will accomplish the mission while forging new relationships (and conflicts) along the way.
Peacemaker is set to stream on HBO Max in January 2022.
No comments: