HBO Max has released an extended clip of the upcoming Peacemaker TV series, which is set to premiere on the streaming service early next year. The series stars John Cena as the hyper-violent vigilante who made his first on-screen appearance in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad.
In September, HBO Max teased a brief Peacemaker scene as part of a sizzle reel for their upcoming movies and tv shows. Now, the streamer has released more of that scene, which features Cena's character meeting his new teammates who, from the looks of it, are not exactly thrilled to be working with him. In the clip, we see Peacemaker showing up to a restaurant dressed in full costume. His new team, put together by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) is absolutely flabbergasted that he would show up in his costume, which they are quick to point out is not only ridiculous but also impractical. Predictably lacking in any self-awareness, Peacemaker attempts to defend himself but is further ridiculed by the team.
Spinning off from 2021's The Suicide Squad, the new series will follow Peacemaker as he carries out missions with a new team. In The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker is introduced as a sort of anti-Captain America, that is, a violent and patriotic vigilante who is willing to do anything to achieve peace, including murdering innocent people. Over the course of the film, Peacemaker reveals himself to be not only violent and ignorant but also untrustworthy since he's the only character on Task Force X to betray the team. Near the end of the film, Peacemaker kills Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) after they discover that the US government was behind the very operation they were sent to shutdown. Peacemaker then attempts to kill another teammate, Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior), but he's shot in the neck and seemingly killed by fellow Marksman, Bloodsport (Idris Elba).
It's later revealed in a post-credits scene that Peacemaker survived, and that he'll be getting a new team courtesy of Amanda Waller. The new team consists of several familiar faces and a few new ones. John Economos (Steve Agee) and Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) were featured in small roles in The Suicide Squad as part of Amanda Waller's team. During the film they actually betray Waller, going against her orders to prevent her from executing the members of Task Force X. It seems that as punishment, Waller has saddled them with the most unpleasant member of The Suicide Squad. The new team also includes Leota Adebayo, played by Orange Is the New Black's Danielle Brooks, and mercenary Clemson Murn (Chukwudi Iwuji).
While there are no plot details at the moment, if this clip is an indication of anything it's that Peacemaker and his new team is off to a bumpy start. Considering that the character already has a history of stabbing his teammates in the back, it will be interesting to see how this dynamic plays out. The new show is a bit of mystery, especially since a Peacemaker spin-off series was the last thing anyone expected after Cena was cast in The Suicide Squad.
That being said, Cena is undeniably hilarious in the role, and for many fans, he was one of the highlights of the 2021 film. Gunn's involvement in the series is also likely to quell any worries since the director is known to be able to make even the most obscure comic book character work.
Peacemaker is scheduled to premiere exclusively on HBO Max in January 2022.
Source: HBO Max | YouTube