The Suicide Squad director James Gunn and actor John Cena are reuniting for a spinoff series titled Peacemaker. HBO Max announced it has given the project a straight-to-series order, less than a year before The Suicide Squad is scheduled to debut in theaters.
The series will explore the origins of Cena's Peacemaker, a master of weapons who believes in bringing peace at any cost, no matter how many people have to be killed in the process. Produced by Gunn's Troll Court Entertainment and The Safran Company in association with Warner Bros. Television, the first season of Peacemaker is set to consist of eight episodes. Production on Peacemaker is scheduled to begin in early 2021, after which Gunn will continue his work on Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
"Peacemaker is an opportunity to delve into current world issues through the lens of this superhero/supervillain/and the world’s biggest douchebag. I’m excited to expand The Suicide Squad and bring this character from the DC film universe to the full breadth of a series. And of course, to be able to work again with John, Peter, and my friends at Warner Bros. is the icing on the cake," said Gunn in a statement. In addition to writing the scripts for all eight entries, Gunn will direct multiple episodes of the series starting with the first. The filmmaker will also serve as an executive producer on the series alongside The Suicide Squad producer Peter Safran.
"I have said before that it has been a tremendous honor and an incredible opportunity to be part of The Suicide Squad and to work with James on what is going to be a fantastic movie. I am unbelievably excited to have the chance to team up with him again for Peacemaker. We can’t wait for fans to see this," said Cena, who is also on board as a co-executive producer. Chief Content Officer for HBO and HBO Max Casey Bloys added, "James Gunn has the unique ability to create an expansive universe while also bringing to life the soul and wit of each character. We look forward to a deep dive into the world of Peacemaker."
While the prospect of a Peacemaker series may be exciting, news of the project may come as a disappointment to fans who were hoping Gunn would return to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 sooner than later. The third installment of the Guardians film series was postponed due to Disney's decision to fire the filmmaker over controversial social media posts he wrote several years ago, a choice the company reversed after Gunn had already been tapped to direct The Suicide Squad.
The Peacemaker prequel is just Warner Bros.' latest effort to expand the universe of its DC film franchise into the realm of television. A spinoff to The Batman centered on the corruption of Gotham City and its police department is already in development for HBO Max.
The Suicide Squad is scheduled to be released in theaters on August 6, 2021.
Source: WarnerMedia