Posted in: Max, Movies, TV | Tagged: james gunn, peacemaker

Peacemaker: James Gunn Has Killed Before & He's Willing to Kill Again

During the official Peacemaker podcast, writer/director James Gunn made it clear: "I'll kill anybody" (even if it's your favorite character).

Okay, we will readily admit that writer/director James Gunn gave us some great material to help craft a really fun clickbait headline. That said, if you're reading this under the premise that Gunn is confessing to murder, that's on you because that would just be silly on any number of levels. What Gunn addressed with co-hosts Steve Agee and Jennifer Holland, and guest Freddie Stroma, during the official Peacemaker podcast episode examining S02E02: "A Man Is Only As Good As His Bird," was how he hears from fans about not wanting certain characters killed off, and how anyone is fair game for the Grim Reaper if it fits the story.

Beginning around the 40:00 mark in the podcast episode below, a fan checks in with more of a request than a question: "Not a question, but please, never kill off Vigilante. This is serious." That kicks off a great and all-too-brief conversation about Gunn creating characters that fans connect with – and how they should avoid connecting with them too much, or Gunn will end up killing them off. "You get lots of stuff about not dying. Because I've killed a lot of people, you know?" Gunn notes at one point, adding, "I killed a lot of people." Holland offered some great advice in that for your character to survive, "You always have to stay in the middle somewhere." She continued, "Don't get to the edges. You don't want to be loved. You want to be, like, just another person on the show, because if people love you, James is probably going to kill you."

"Once I killed a rabbit in Guardians 3 [Floor, the genetically and cybernetically enhanced rabbit in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3], all bets were off. Anybody could go. Anybody could go once Floor went… the sweetest little rabbit," Gunn shared, bringing back a heartbreaking moment to make his point that anyone can be fair game for the Grim Reaper. After Holland makes the point that Gunn "likes to murder more like his family members in TV shows," Gunn jumped back to GotG Vol. 3 to remind us that he didn't just kill a rabbbit. I killed Lila [the genetically and cybernetically enhanced otter in GotG Vol. 3]. I killed– I'll kill anybody."

Here's a look at the "Weeks Ahead" trailer that was released earlier this week, with the second chapter of HBO Max and DC Studios' Peacemaker Season 2 currently streaming:

HBO Max's Peacemaker Season 2: What You Need to Know…

Returning with Cena for the second season are Steve Agee (Super, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Brightburn), Danielle Brooks (Orange Is The New Black), Robert Patrick (Terminator 2: Judgment Day), Jennifer Holland (Brightburn), Freddie Stroma (Bridgerton), and Nhut Le (Kroll Show). Joining the cast is Frank Grillo as Rick Flag, Sr. (from Creature Commandos), Sol Rodriguez (Star Trek: Picard) as Sasha Bordeaux, Tim Meadows (Mean Girls, Saturday Night Live) as ARGUS Agent Langston Fleury, and Michael Rooker (The Walking Dead) as Red St. Wild. In addition, David Denman, Anissa Matlock, Taylor St. Clair, Dorian Kingi, and Brandon Stanley star. Behind the camera, Gunn also confirmed that Greg Mottola (Superbad) and Peter Sollett (Ordinary Joe) had been tapped to direct a few of the season's episodes.

The series follows Christopher "Chris" Smith, aka Peacemaker, the vigilante superhero, as he struggles to reconcile his past with his newfound sense of purpose while continuing to kick righteous evildoer butt in his misguided quest for peace at any cost. During the second season, Peacemaker discovers an alternate world where life is everything he wishes it could be. But this discovery also forces him to face his traumatic past and take the future into his own hands.

Gunn penned the eight-episode season, and directed three of the season's episodes. Gunn, Peter Safran, and Matt Miller serve as executive producers, with Cena as co-executive producer. In addition, Lars Winther, John H. Starke, and John Rickard serve as producers. Max's Peacemaker was produced by The Safran Company and Troll Court Entertainment in association with Warner Bros Television and DC Studios.

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