Christopher Smith, AKA Peacemaker, is a man who loves peace so much that he is willing to kill for it. The little known Charlton Comics character has hit the big time after John Cena's breakout performance in The Suicide Squad, as James Gunn's script gave Cena a real chance to show off his acting chops. Cena delivered a hilarious performance full of menace, making him ripe for his own series on HBO Max.
James Gunn wrote the eight-episode series in lockdown, as he felt that Peacemaker’s story was incomplete compared to other Squad members. Here's what we know so far about Peacemaker's plot, release date and trailer.
What Is Peacemaker's Story So Far?
WARNING: The following section contains major spoilers for The Suicide Squad, now playing in theaters and on HBO Max.
Very little is known about Smith when we find him in Belle Reve at the beginning of The Suicide Squad. Similar to Bloodsport, Peacemaker was trained by his father since birth to become an unstoppable killing machine. How he ended up in prison however, is never explained.
Described by Gunn as a "douchey Captain America," Smith is incredibly self-righteous and nationalistic. His methods are obscene and oxymoronic, immediately putting him at odds with the supervillain team in The Suicide Squad. Amanda Waller secretly tasks Peacemaker with destroying the evidence that would uncover the U.S. government's role in Project Starfish. Another Squad member vows to get the information to the press before Smith interferes, however. If the world learned that the United States ran heinous experiments on people to create a giant space monster, it would lead to countless wars, thereby disrupting peace. And Smith isn't about to let that happen.
When a different Squad member gets a hold of the evidence, Peacemaker hunts them down and subdues them. But before Smith can kill them, another Squad supervillain comes crashing down through Jotunheim and shoots Peacemaker to save his teammate. However -- a post-credits scene reveals that Peacemaker is still alive, and Waller's team has been assigned to look over him as punishment for their brief mutiny.
What Is the Story Going into the Peacemaker Spinoff?
Details have been kept under wraps, but the official HBO Max press release states that the show will focus on the origins of the extreme agent for peace, despite not being billed as a prequel, and Cena has explained that series will delve into exactly why Peacemaker "sucks."
Gunn has explained that the show is an ensemble about six characters. They are the titular Peacemaker, Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), Adrian Chase/Vigilante (Freddie Stroma), Clemson Murn (Chukwudi Iwuji) and John Economos (Steve Agee). There's also Robert Patrick as Peacemaker's father, Auggie Smith.
Although he does live in a single-wide trailer, there is no trailer for Peacemaker at this time.
While no exact release date has been given, Peacemaker is scheduled to debut in January 2022, and it will consist of eight episodes. Filming for the series wrapped in July 2021, and Gunn says he's hoping for a Season 2.
This article will be updated as more information is made available.