The Suicide Squaddirector James Gunn and actor John Cena are reuniting for a spinoff series titledPeacemaker. HBO Max announced it has given the project a straight-to-series order, less than a year beforeThe Suicide Squadis scheduled to debut in theaters.
The series will explore the origins ofCena’s Peacemaker, a master of weapons who believes in bringing peace at any cost, no matter how many people have to be killed in the process. Produced by Gunn’s Troll Court Entertainment and The Safran Company in association with Warner Bros. Television, the first season ofPeacemakeris set to consist of eight episodes. Production onPeacemakeris scheduled to begin in early 2021, after which Gunn will continue his work on Marvel Studios’Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
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“Peacemaker is an opportunity to delve into current world issues through the lens of this superhero/supervillain/and the world’s biggest douchebag. I’m excited to expandThe Suicide Squadand bring this character from the DC film universe to the full breadth of a series. And of course, to be able to work again with John, Peter, and my friends at Warner Bros. is the icing on the cake,” said Gunn in a statement. In addition to writing the scripts for all eight entries, Gunn will direct multiple episodes of the series starting with the first. The filmmaker will also serve as an executive producer on the series alongsideThe Suicide Squadproducer Peter Safran.
“I have said before that it has been a tremendous honor and an incredible opportunity to be part ofThe Suicide Squadand to work with James on what is going to be a fantastic movie. I am unbelievably excited to have the chance to team up with him again forPeacemaker. We can’t wait for fans to see this,” said Cena, who is also on board as a co-executive producer. Chief Content Officer forHBO and HBO MaxCasey Bloys added, “James Gunn has the unique ability to create an expansive universe while also bringing to life the soul and wit of each character. We look forward to a deep dive into the world ofPeacemaker.”
While the prospect of aPeacemakerseries may be exciting, news of the project may come as a disappointment to fans who were hoping Gunn would return toGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3sooner than later. The third installment of theGuardiansfilm series was postponed due to Disney’s decision to fire the filmmaker over controversial social media posts he wrote several years ago, a choice the company reversed after Gunn had already been tapped to directThe Suicide Squad.
ThePeacemakerprequel is just Warner Bros.' latest effort to expand the universe of its DC film franchise into the realm of television.A spinoff toThe Batmancentered on the corruption of Gotham City and its police department is already in development for HBO Max.
The Suicide Squadis scheduled to be released in theaters on June 10, 2025.
