After a brief career interlude, James Gunn is once again a busy man. In between stints directing this year’s “The Suicide Squad” and the upcoming “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” the popular auteur developed a spinoff series designed around the character of Peacemaker “mostly for fun.” Before long, the series was greenlit by HBO Max with Gunn set to direct five of eight episodes.
That project has now finally come to fruition. “Peacemaker” will be the first television series from the DC Extended Universe. The title vigilante will again be played by Jon Cena, reprising his role from Gunn’s well-received “The Suicide Squad.” According to the official synopsis, episodes will explore the character’s origins and subsequent missions. The series will be perhaps the biggest acting showcase yet for Cena, who has floated on the edges of mainstream Hollywood for well over a decade without a proper vehicle of his own.
Aside from Cena, the show will star Steve Agee, Danielle Brooks, Robert Patrick, Jennifer Holland, Freddie Stroma, and Chukwudi Iwuji. In addition to Gunn, episodes were also reportedly directed by Jody Hill (“Eastbound and Down”), Rosemary Rodriguez (“Silver Skies”), and Brad Anderson (“The Machinist”). Like Gunn, these are directors well-suited to balancing dramatic stakes with comic elements.
Although Peacemaker has existed in print since the late 1960s, there hadn’t been a notable screen portrayal of the character until Cena’s. That might have been partially due to Peacemaker’s paradoxical nature (“He loves peace so much, he’d kill for it!”). However, the ecstatic reception of darker, more satirical TV shows like “Watchmen,” “The Boys,” and “Invincible” prove the time is ripe for projects centered on subversive superheroes. If the series is a hit, audiences can bet the character won’t be the last to wind up with a spin-off.
“Peacemaker” is scheduled to premiere exclusively on HBO Max on January 13, 2022.