As filming continues for HBO Max's Peacemaker, so does the bloody good time on set.Behind-the-scenes photos from James Gunn's upcoming series show its leading star John Cena being surprised on set with a birthday balloon from Twitter user @IamStarrider.
The shared photo set shows Cena greeting his fans nearby Peacemaker's Vancouver set while dressed in his Peacemaker suit that's drenched in fake blood. Cena, the former WWE Champion-turned-action star, celebrated his 44th birthday on April 23.
Production for the eight-episode HBO Max series began on Jan. 15. Recently, and as part of a playful message to Cena on his birthday, Gunn confirmed on Twitter that the series is about to start filming its finale. Peacemaker is expected to premiere sometime in January 2022.
Although Peacemaker's plot is being kept secret, Gunn previously stated that the show "delve[s] into current world issues through the lens of this superhero/supervillain/and world’s biggest douchebag." The series will also build off the world and established character of Christopher Smith/Peacemaker that'll debut in Gunn's upcoming film The Suicide Squad.
The comic character Christopher Smith/Peacemaker was originally created by writer Joe Gill and artist Pat Boyette, appearing in Charlton Comics' Fightin 5 #40. In his first incarnation, Peacemaker was a democratic pacificist that used non-lethal weapons and sought peace.
However, when DC acquired Charlton comics in the 80s, Peacemaker turned into a vigilante that demanded peace at any cost, despite how many kills it takes to get there. Known as an unstable anti-hero who believes his helmet contains the voice of his dead father and anyone he's killed, he's seen as the embodiment of the chaos factor.
When previously asked what fans can expect out of Peacemaker's live-action debut in the upcoming film The Suicide Squad, Cena stated, "I would say douche-y, bro-y, Captain America."
Written and produced by James Gunn, Peacemaker stars John Cena, Steve Agee, Danielle Brooks, Robert Patrick, Jennifer Holland, Chris Conrad, Chukwudi Iwuji, Lochlyn Munro, Annie Chang and Christopher Heyerdahl. The eight-episode series will arrive on HBO Max in January 2022.