Posted in: HBO, Max, Movies, TV | Tagged: peacemaker, superman
Peacemaker, Superman & How Rated R/TV-MA Works in The DCU: James Gunn
During the latest Peacemaker watch-along, James Gunn addressed having Rated R and TV-MA films and series as part of DC Studios' DCU.
Now that James Gunn has made it clear that HBO Max's John Cena-starring Peacemaker Season 2 will build up "directly" to his 2027 feature film Man of Tomorrow, some fans have been wondering if DC Studios having some films and series being R-rated on TV-MA-rated could prove a problem for those wanting to have a complete picture of what's going on in and around the DCU. We're seeing that, currently, with how the PG-13-rated David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, and Nicholas Hoult-starring Superman set a number of DCU-related things in motion that are being followed up on in the very TV-MA-rated Peacemaker.
During a watch-along of the latest episode of Peacemaker on Threads, Gunn was asked for some clarity on how that will work and if it's still the case that fans won't have to watch every DCU project to understand what's going on. "That's right. As I've said countless times, you can watch every project by itself, of course (just like you can watch 'Peacemaker' by itself or watch 'Superman' without seeing 'Creature Commandos'). But 'Man of Tomorrow' and PMS2 are very, very connected." So it appears that the policy is still the same, except with the upcoming Man of Tomorrow. That said, DC Studios could easily continue with those great "Previously On…" recaps that we've seen in play about what Peacemaker Season 2 covers that viewers of Man of Tomorrow would need to know.
Here's a look at Gunn's thoughts on the DCU and how Rated R and TV-MA films and series are handled in terms of overarching storylines moving forward:
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
