James Gunn is certainly one of the more prolific writers and directors out there in the age of superhero blockbusters. As one of the only big names to be working on DC and Marvel projects simultaneously, Gunn no doubt has a lot on his plate, and fans are excited to see what's coming to them. It would seem Gunn has no intentions of holding back.
As part of his work on DC's The Suicide Squad, the director has cast John Cena in the role of Peacemaker, something of a c-list comic book hero. The original Peacemaker started out as a sort of pacifist, specializing in non-lethal tools and gadgets. Eventually, however, the character had a mental break and became increasingly violent and unhinged until he eventually died attempting to fight the supervillain Eclipso.
Gunn has been pulling some deep cuts for the movie, presumably so he can stack the deck with as much cannon fodder as possible in what is purported to be a fairly violent movie. Peacemaker has been getting special treatment, however, and it is already confirmed that John Cena is on board to create an HBO Max spin-off series starring the character, with the promise of more R-rated fun when it finally launches.
When a rumor started swirling that the Peacemaker show might also air on the CW, where it would inevitably have to be cut down due to graphic content, Gunn was quick to set the record straight. The director shut the rumor down, joking that if the show were to be edited for TV it would have to be "forty seconds long."
It would seem that for the time being the Peacemaker show is intended as an HBO Max exclusive. This plan does line up with Walter Hamada's recent statements that the company intends to double down on HBO Max distribution for DC projects, and one of the benefits is that there is no rating restriction on the platform.
This means that Gunn will be able to make a show that is as violent, gory, and dark as he likes, without any worry of having to cut it down later, or tweak things that can't go on broadcast TV. Whether the show will be successful or not remains to be seen, but at least it seems Gunn is getting the creative freedom to make what he wants without too many restrictions.
Source: CinemaBlend