The first official look at HBO Max's Peacemaker series has arrived, revealing the team for the Suicide Squad spinoff and a glimpse of Vigilante.
Entertainment Weekly shared the image along with a few details from writer James Gunn, who directed five of the eight episodes of the DC series. The shot shows John Cena's Peacemaker sitting next to Freddie Stroma as Vigilante, who appears to be the sidekick of the antihero. Joining him, from left to right, are Steve Agee as John Economos and Jennifer Holland as Emilia Harcourt, both reprising their roles from The Suicide Squad. They're joined by new characters Murn and Leota Adebayo, played by Chukwudi Iwuji and Danielle Brooks, respectively.
"You may not have guessed it, but his character is a vigilante!" Gunn joked about Stroma's character. Back in December, Chris Conrad was cast as Vigilante/Adrian Chase, an antihero himself in DC's comics. He previously appeared on Arrow, though Chase and Vigilante were split into two separate characters. In May, Conrad was replaced by Stroma, with the former apparently exiting over creative differences.
"I loved the 1970s Captain America [TV movie] when I was a kid," Gunn said of why he wanted to make Peacemaker, which he began developing during post-production on The Suicide Squad. "I thought making a really f---ed-up version of that with Peacemaker would be fun."
At the end of the DC film, Peacemaker, presumed dead after his fight with Bloodsport, is revealed to be in a coma. The moment ends with a tease of an important mission involving him, Economos, and Harcourt.
"I did exactly the thing I hate when other filmmakers do [it]," Gunn of the moment. "But I did it! I'll have to live with the repercussions, which is the most incredible TV show people will ever see."
Not pictured with the cast is Robert Patrick, who will play Auggie Smith. Iwuji's Murn will be a mercenary who works for Amanda Waller and heads the group, teasing that the villainous government operative will still play a role. Brooks' Adebayo, meanwhile, will clash with Cena's character, unsurprising given his attitude and demeanor in The Suicide Squad.
"She isn't always treated the best by the people around her, but despite her differences with Peacemaker, they form a bond," Gunn said of Adebayo.
As for the future of the character and the show, Gunn is down to return to the world if it's well-received. "I would like to do a season 2," he said. "They just have to tell me that they want to do it."
Peacemaker arrives January 2022 on HBO Max.
Source: Entertainment Weekly