James Gunn's The Suicide Squad was one of the best superhero films in recent years, and thankfully the director isn't finished bringing his unique style to the DCEU: he serves as creator and main writer of Peacemaker, an HBO Max series centered on John Cena's scene-stealing, peace-loving anti-hero after the events of The Suicide Squad. With Gunn at the wheel, there’s no telling what could happen or what other characters we’ll see.
Speaking of characters, there’s a good chance that Peacemaker’s first season will feature appearances from characters that have already debuted in either The Suicide Squad or the DCEU in general, along with characters from the comics that have yet to make their live-action debuts before. It’s exciting to think about who could show up, and we’ve come up with an appropriate list of characters both familiar and unfamiliar that could show up for Peacemaker’s solo outing, as seen below.
8 Amanda Waller Will Almost Certainly Make Her Presence Felt
Seeing as how she's the one who assigned John Economos, Emilia Harcourt, and their team to work alongside Peacemaker on a new mission, there's no doubt that Viola Davis's Amanda Waller will appear in some way or form during Peacemaker's first season.
What long-term plans she has for Christopher Smith and his cohorts seems to be unclear, but Waller is nothing if not several steps ahead of those around her. Having Peacemaker's unique talents at her disposal would surely come in handy for more suicidal missions that require merciless action, possibly as part of the Checkmate division of Task Force X--though this might conflict with what seems to be Peacemaker's change of heart in the series, which could pit him against Waller in interesting ways.
7 Nathan Fillion's T.D.K. Is Alive According To James Gunn
The Suicide Squad's opening scene saw the majority of its characters killed in hilariously gruesome ways, including Captain Boomerang, Mongal, and Javelin. One member of Task Force X who was thought to have been killed in that scene was Nathan Fillion's T.D.K.--The Detachable Kid--though Gunn himself has implied that while T.D.K. was critically injured, there is evidence pointing to his survival.
Unless his body and limbs were recovered, it wouldn't be impossible to imagine the character appearing somehow on Peacemaker if one of Peacemaker's additional missions is to find and either assassinate or recruit certain survivors of the Project: Starfish mission for a new version of Task Force X (as T.D.K. would still have a bomb in his head, as Bloodsport's group were released from their prison sentences). T.D.K. may not be able to offer much help given his skillset but seeing him try would be nothing short of entertaining, and more of Nathan Fillion is never a bad thing.
6 The Electrocutioner Is A Character That Gunn Could Have A Blast With
Several characters have gone by the name Electrocutioner in the comics, including Lester Buchinsky, the version that appeared in the video game Batman: Arkham Origins. There he was one of the assassins sent to kill Batman by The Joker and despite his boastful taunting before their fight, Batman humorously defeated him with a single blow to the face.
A similar characterization of Electrocutioner as a hot-headed buffoon who can't wield his powers correctly would fit right into Gunn's wheelhouse and be a fun addition to Peacemaker, particularly because Adrian Chase/Vigilante--who's set to be a main character in the series--went up against and killed a different version of Electrocutioner in the comics. In the series though, Vigilante and Peacemaker could be sent to either take out or apprehend the incompetent Buchinsky as part of a mission. If apprehended, Buchinsky could make another great addition to a new lineup of Task Force X if such a plan is in the cards.
5 Rick Flag’s Last Words Should Continue To Haunt Peacemaker
The ending of The Suicide Squad saw Rick Flag create a hard drive that he intended to leak as evidence of the U.S.’s involvement in the Starro experiments, though Peacemaker had been given orders from Amanda Waller to keep this information private if it meant achieving peace. A fight between the two of them broke out, leading to Peacemaker fatally stabbing Flag; before dying, Flag ridiculed Peacemaker’s actions with the words “Peacemaker…what a joke”.
It’s likely that these words still haunt Peacemaker and are the cause of him suddenly questioning his ruthless morals and actions, as seen in a recent trailer when he is unable to assassinate a child. If the series plays visually into the idea that Peacemaker’s helmet contains the ghosts of the people that he’s killed and can communicate with them, then it’s likely that a vision of Flag could appear to Peacemaker at times and either criticize his actions or offer him advice.
4 Introducing General Wade Eiling Would Be A Great Set-Up For Future Storylines
A recurring antagonist for many of DC's heroes is General Wade Eiling, an arrogant military tactician who works within the government. In many ways, he is essentially DC's answer to Marvel's General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, as both are willing to do despicable things in the name of national security and have a particular distaste for metahumans.
Having Eiling appear on Peacemaker in some capacity would open up more appearances from him in future DCEU projects--whether he's pitted against any number of heroes, serving time on the Suicide Squad, or overseeing government projects involving nuclear energy.
3 A Weasel Appearance Has To Be In The Cards
Despite his limited screentime in The Suicide Squad, Sean Gunn's Weasel stole the hearts of fans thanks to his eccentric visual design, animal mannerisms, and the fact that he may or may not have killed twenty-seven children. While he seemed to have drowned at the beginning of the film, Weasel was revealed to have survived in a mid-credits scene. Gunn has stated that he has more plans for Weasel in the DCEU, so it's not unlikely to think that Peacemaker could feature his next appearance.
As with T.D.K., Peacemaker could be sent after Weasel on either an assassination mission or to recruit him for a new incarnation of the Suicide Squad. Regardless of what happens, madness and hilarity will ensue once Weasel's in the picture.
2 An Appearance From Deathstroke Hopefully Isn't Impossible
Joe Manganiello's Slade Wilson/Deathstroke was set to be a major player in the DCEU following his debut in the post-credits scene of Justice League. Warner Bros.'s plans for the franchise have changed in the years since however, leaving little possibility of another appearance from the iconic mercenary, and Manganiello has seemingly given up on reprising the role. As odd as it might sound, Peacemaker could be just the entry in the DCEU to bring Deathstroke back into the fold.
Issue #6 of the DC Comics anthology series Showcase '93 featured Deathstroke saving Peacemaker from a reptilian soldier sent by the villain Kobra, with the two of them teaming up to stop him. Theoretically, the Peacemaker series could take some inspiration from this story by having Peacemaker encounter Deathstroke while on a mission, with the two of them coming to blows before forming an uneasy alliance. Having the character appear would open up more appearances for him, though both Gunn and Manganiello have denied a Deathstroke appearance on the series. Anything is possible, however.
1 A Captain Atom Appearance Would Be A Welcome Surprise
Peacemaker originally hails from Charlton Comics, whom DC bought several characters from in the 1980s. Another Charlton hero, Judomaster, is set to appear in the Peacemaker series, and it's possible that he might not be the only other Charlton character making his live-action debut there. Another fan-favorite hero who has long deserved the live-action treatment is Captain Atom.
It's highly doubtful that he would appear as a fully formed superhero, but Peacemaker could at the very least lay the foundations for him in the DCEU: Nathaniel Adam could be a wrongly imprisoned USAF officer who is forced onto Task Force X or Checkmate as punishment, where he forms his antagonistic relationship with General Eiling and develops as a character before being exposed to the experiment that gives him his powers.