Is Peacemaker a Movie or a Series?

The Suicide Squad, released in 2021, may not have done well in the box office because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it was still able to garner positive reviews from critics. Because of how well it did as far as the critics were concerned, Warner Bros. Pictures still ultimately decided to proceed with a Peacemaker spin-off that would be available for streaming on HBO Max. But is Peacemaker a movie or a series?

Peacemaker is a series that is written and directed by James Gunn, who is also the one who directed The Suicide Squad. Starring John Cena, who reprised his role as Peacemaker, the series will explore the origins of the character and the missions he took after the events of The Suicide Squad.

As it stands, it appears that Warner Bros. Pictures is also following what other movie franchises are doing in the sense that they are coming up with sequels for side characters that have become popular in the main movies. The same can be said about Peacemaker, who was quite popular in The Suicide Squad and is set to star in his own spin-off series on HBO Max.

Is Peacemaker a Movie or a Series?

The Suicide Squad is one of the better DC movies in terms of its critical reception. While it did not do well in the box office because of the COVID-19 pandemic, that did not stop Warner Bros. Pictures from looking at the bright side of the franchise, especially when it comes to its interesting characters. One of the more interesting characters in the 2021 The Suicide Squad movie is Peacemaker, who played both sides in the film.

Because the potential of Peacemaker’s character was quite high, Warner Bros. Pictures decided to give him his own spin-off, which is entitled Peacemaker. But is Peacemaker a movie or a series?

Peacemaker is actually a series that will be available for streaming on HBO Max on January 13, 2022. It is slated to have eight episodes, while the first three will be released on the same day during the premiere of the series. Peacemaker is written and directed by James Gunn, who is also the same man who directed The Suicide Squad.

Who Will Star as Peacemaker?

After Warner Bros. Pictures confirmed that there would be a Peacemaker spin-off series, it also confirmed that John Cena would be reprising his role as the titular character. That means that there will be a sense of continuity in terms of the actors playing the same roles in the Suicide Squad franchise.

John Cena is mostly remembered as one of the greatest WWE superstars of all time, as he started his career with the world’s biggest and most popular wrestling promotions. After he gained megastar status with the WWE, Cena branched off to acting and did well in movies such as Trainwreck, Sisters, and Blockers.

Who Else Will be in Peacemaker?

Aside from John Cena, Peacemaker has also confirmed the rest of the members of the cast for the series. Steve Agee will reprise his role as John Economos, who we saw in The Suicide Squad. James Gunn’s girlfriend Jennifer Holland joined the cast as Emilia Harcourt, who we also saw in The Suicide Squad. 

Aside from those names, it was also confirmed that Danielle Brooks as Leota Adebayo, Robert Patrick as Auggie Smith, and Chris Conrad as Adrian Chase would be part of the cast. Meanwhile, Chukwudi Iwuji joined them as Clemson Murn in December of 2020.

There will also be special recurring guests such as Lochlyn Munro as Larry Fitzgibbon, Annie Chang as Detective Sophie Song, and Christopher Heyerdahl as Captain Locke. 

What is Peacemaker’s Plot?

Now that we know that Peacemaker is a series and that it will feature some amazing talents, let us now go to what the plot is all about.

If you remember, in The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker appeared to have been killed off after taking a supposedly fatal bullet from Bloodsport in their final confrontation. However, in the post-credit scene, it was revealed that Peacemaker survived the shot and was saved by members of Amanda Waller’s team.

But while it might be true that Peacemaker will revolve around the events that happen right after Peacemaker was saved from what was supposed to be a fatal shot, it is also true that the series will revolve around the origins of the character and his relationship with his father.

This is where we get to understand Peacemaker’s twisted sense of peace, as he famously said in The Suicide Squad that he was willing to kill anyone who stands in the way of peace, which he holds dear in his heart.

In that regard, we will be able to understand the character’s origins and see why he views peace that way such that the ends justify the means in his perception.

While The Suicide Squad took on a no-holds-barred approach in terms of the jokes and the gory scenes, James Gunn said that Peacemaker would also take on a similar approach but is more serious in the sense that it will try to tackle societal issues.

So, while The Suicide Squad was action-packed, hilarious, and very entertaining, Peacemaker will take on a more grounded approach because of how Gunn wanted it to be quieter and more in touch with reality, especially with the way it tries to tackle some of the issues that society faces in the real world.

Given that Peacemaker is more of a serious character compared to some of the other members of Task Force X in The Suicide Squad, it makes sense that his spin-off series will talk about societal issues. 

It would also be very interesting how the series will be able to blend such societal issues with Peacemaker’s own brand of peace and justice. There might be a clash of moral beliefs in this series, especially considering that Peacemaker is someone who is so obsessed with peace that he is willing to do what it takes to keep or achieve it.