Suicide Squad director James Gunn revealed that he developed the spinoff TV series Peacemaker because of COVID-19 quarantine boredom.
The streaming platform HBO Max announced Wednesday that it ordered eight episodes of Peacemaker with John Cena in the titular role. Gunn will write and direct all of the episodes.
The director confirmed the series order on his Twitter account. He said that the COVID-19 lockdown allowed him more breaks in between working on the Suicide Squad sequel and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. So, he did the next best thing and wrote a TV show.
I’m doing #Peacemaker in the time always allotted between #TheSuicideSquad & #GotGVol3. Normally I would have been taking more of a break in this space but it’s Covid, I’m stuck at home, so I wrote a TV series. https://t.co/lARE63ypwI
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) September 23, 2020
Plot, cast, and release date
According to Variety, the plot of Peacemaker is a well-guarded secret, but it is supposed to be an origin story. The series will expand the same universe as Suicide Squad.
“Peacemaker is an opportunity to delve into current world issues through the lens of this superhero/supervillain/and world’s biggest douchebag,” Gunn said in the press release.
So far, Cena is the only confirmed actor, but casting will soon be underway. Filming the spinoff is reportedly going to start in early 2021. The actor also expressed his excitement in working on the show and re-teaming with Gunn.
So, who is the Peacemaker?
Cena’s character will be introduced in the upcoming Suicide Squad sequel, which will be in theaters in the middle of 2021. Peacemaker is actually Christopher Smith, a diplomat who established the Pax Institute. This pacifist character, however, is also an extremist. Because he loves peace so much, Smith is willing to kill for it.
Gunn reportedly hired Guardians of the Galaxy actor Dave Bautista to play the role after the director had serious disagreements with Disney bosses Bob Iger and Alan Horn. According to reports, Bautista actually played the peacemaker between Gunn and the Disney executives, but the role eventually went to Cena.
Fans didn’t know about Cena’s role until Gunn revealed this information over the summer. The director compiled a list of potential characters for the former wrestling star but then said that they finished filming the Suicide Squad sequel before COVID-19. At first, Cena denied his role in the sequel as many fans started guessing he’s the Peacemaker.
Peacemaker is going to be the second TV series in the DC franchise. In July, HBO Max signed on Matt Reeves and Terrence Winter to develop Gotham PD, which will tie-up with the big-screen release of The Batman starring Robert Pattinson.
Image courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)