Posted in: HBO, Preview, streaming, TV | Tagged: hbo max, james gunn, John Cena, peacemaker, preview, trailer
Peacemaker Season 2: HBO Max "Feeling Good"; Quiet on Second Spinoff
It's no secret that Peacemaker series creator James Gunn has expressed interest in a second season of "The Suicide Squad" spinoff series and developing another spinoff from the film (more on that below). Now with the season finale staring us down ahead of its Thursday drop, we're hearing from the HBO Max side of things when it comes to a second season. And from what HBO & HBO Max programming chief Casey Bloys had to say during a TCA interview with Deadline Hollywood, the door is definitely open on their side. "I'm feeling good so stay tuned. The show has been doing great," Bloys responded about the series' potential return. "Looking good." And as for that other spinoff project? "I don't want to take anything away from James," he said. "I think he has been such a terrific partner on the show so I will let him talk about any plans he wants to share." Which is the nicest way possible of saying that HBO/HBO Max has no plans of trying to fix something that is definitely not broken.
Now here's a look back at the official trailer for HBO Max's Peacemaker, with the season (?) finale set to premiere this Thursday:
Early last month, Gunn spoke with Collider confirming that he's looking to return to television land for DC in the future. "You know, we're stepping forward. It keeps happening. We'll see what's happening, and I'll know what's happening very shortly. I dealt with it last night and this morning," Gunn revealed when asked about his future projects. But whether or not it would be another "The Suicide Squad" spinoff or another part of the DCU, Gunn wasn't ready to go there quite yet: "It's TV. There you go."
And then just before the month ended, Deadline Hollywood reported that Gunn confirmed another spinoff from "The Suicide Squad" universe was in the works during an upcoming episode of DH's "Hero Nation" podcast. While the project is said to be "in the embryonic stages," HBO Max is reportedly more than interested in what Gunn has to offer. "We're working on something else now, another TV show that's connected to that universe. I can't quite say," Gunn revealed. When asked if Peter Capaldi's (Doctor Who) The Thinker could be the focus, Gunn laughed before revealing that the series will be of a different genre. "I can't say anything. It is connected to this universe, and I don't think it will be the same genre as 'Peacemaker,' it won't be as much a comedy as 'Peacemaker,' but it will be in the same universe," Gunn explained. As for a possible second season of Peacemaker? Gunn likes how those chances are looking with each well-received episode. "There's a really good chance of that. We're the biggest show in the world right now," Gunn stated about the possibility of a second run. "The show is doing extraordinarily well, and we're excited, we all like doing it, we just need to cross some Ts and dot some Is, which is basically me."
Steve Agee (Super, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Brightburn) rejoins Gunn and Cena 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 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) in the role of Auggie Smith. Jennifer Holland (Brightburn) reprises her film role of Emilia Harcourt, and Freddie Stroma (Bridgerton) takes on the role of Adrian Chase aka Vigilante. In addition, Chukwudi Iwuji (When They See Us) as Clemson Murn, Lochlyn Munro (Riverdale) as Larry Fitzgibbon, Annie Chang (Shades of Blue) as Detective Sophie Song, Christopher Heyerdahl (Togo) as Captain Locke, Nhut Le (Kroll Show) as Judomaster, and Elizabeth Faith Ludlow (The Walking Dead) and Rizwan Manji (Perfect Harmony) as recurring characters of Keeya and Jamil. Recently, Alison Araya (Riverdale) and Lenny Jacobson (Narcos: Mexico) have been tapped for the roles of the married couple Amber and Evan, respectively.
Gunn, Brad Anderson (Session 9), Rosemary Rodriguez (The Walking Dead), and Jody Hill (The Righteous Gemstones) direct the eight-episode series. 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 TV. The series explores the origins of Cena's The Suicide Squad character, a man who believes in peace at any cost — no matter how many people he has to kill to get it.