Posted in: DC Universe, HBO, Preview, streaming, Trailer, TV, YouTube | Tagged: bleeding cool, cable, comic books, Comics, dc, dc comics, hbo max, james gunn, John Cena, peacemaker, preview, streaming, television, The Suicide Squad, tv

Peacemaker: By Calling Out Fake News, James Gunn Made Some News

The last time we checked in on James Gunn's upcoming eight-episode HBO Max series Peacemaker, we learned the names of four more who had joined The Suicide Squad spinoff series cast (updated below). Now, Gunn is giving us a sense of just how intense the series will be- just not in the way either he (or we) expected. Apparently, there was a pop culture rumor site that ran an article "confirming" that Peacemaker would also have a run on The CW (like Stargirl, Swamp Thing, etc.). Well, that "breaking news" was quickly unconfirmed by Gunn with a direct "No"- as you'll see below:

Now we're assuming (and yes, we know what the dangers of doing that are) that Gunn felt his response deserved a little more clarity so he explained that there wouldn't be much of Peacemaker to show if they had to edit it for broadcast standards. To be clear, Gunn's been saying since the series was first announced that it would be an extension of the vibe set by The Suicide Squad– and we know Gunn's going all-in on that. Still, while the line "it would be forty seconds long" was a great response to shut down a bad rumor, it was also a nice way of confirming to the fanbase that Gunn and his team won't be holding back when they go from theaters to streaming screens.

We appreciate Gunn's willingness to go right to a source and shut down any reporting that is blatantly not true- and would go into further detail regarding his thoughts on news and fansites:

Gunn later offered an update that the site in question that posted the original "news" had "corrected" the article, and then wished them the best and asked his social media followers to cut them some slack.

Steve Agee (Super, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Brightburn) rejoins John Cena and Gunn when he reprises his film role of John Economos, a warden of Belle Reve Federal Penitentiary and an aide to Viola Davis' Amanda Waller (the actor also portrays Agee King Shark in the film). Danielle Brooks (Orange Is The New Black) joins the series as Leota Adebayo, with Robert Patrick (Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Perry Mason) in the role of Auggie Smith. Jennifer Holland (Brightburn, American Horror Story) reprises her film role of Emilia Harcourt, and Chris Conrad (Perpetual Grace, LTD., Patriot) takes on the role of Adrian Chase aka Vigilante. Recent additions to the cast include Chukwudi Iwuji (When They See Us) as Clemson Murn, Lochlyn Munro (Riverdale) as Larry Fitzgibbon, Annie Chang (Shades of Blue) as Detective Sophie Song, and Christopher Heyerdahl (Togo) as Captain Locke.

"Peacemaker is an opportunity to delve into current world issues through the lens of this superhero/supervillain/and world's biggest douchebag," said Gunn when the series was first announced. "I'm excited to expand The Suicide Squad and 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." Gunn and The Suicide Squad producer Peter Safran will serve as executive producers, with Cena as co-executive producer. Peacemaker will be produced by Gunn's Troll Court Entertainment and The Safran Company in association with Warner Bros. Television (with production scheduled for an early 2021 start).

Though specific details on the series are being kept under the same kind of wraps as the film, Peacemaker will explore the origins of the character that Cena will play in the upcoming film, a man who believes in peace at any cost — no matter how many people he has to kill to get it. "I have said before that it has been a tremendous honor and an incredible opportunity to be part of The Suicide Squad and to work with James on what is going to be a fantastic movie," said Cena. "I am unbelievably excited to have the chance to team up with him again for Peacemaker. We can't wait for fans to see this."

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