James Gunn's upcoming soft reboot/sequel to the 2018 Suicide Squad movie is one of the most anticipated films of the year by many. The sequel is packed with a star-studded cast of actors including Idris Elba, Peter Capaldi, and John Cena.
John Cena is set to play a major role in the film as Peacemaker, so much so that the character will be spun-off into his own series on HBO Max, released soon after the movie. Gunn wrote the script for the series in just eight weeks during quarantine, and now production has been ongoing since mid-January.
The character has been described as a “douchey Captain America” who believes in achieving world peace by any means necessary — including killing anyone who gets in the way of that. Peacemaker's unique anti-hero complex makes the character a perfect fit for his own spin-off series which takes place at some point prior to or after The Suicide Squad movie with no clear timeline yet.
With production ongoing, the director — who is classically very active on social media — has begun to share behind-the-scenes looks at the production of the series.
JAMES GUNN SHARES PEACEMAKER SET PHOTOS
James Gunn has shared a series of photos featuring the cast and crew of the Peacemaker series, including showcasing John Cena in costume as the titular character.
Gunn along with cast members Steve Agee, Jennifer Holland, Chris Conrad, Danielle Brooks, and Chukwudi Iwuji are all smiles.
Gunn and the cast are in front of a well-worn RV on the production set in Vancouver, CA.
Gunn's full Tweet can be seen below:
CENA TAKES THE SPOTLIGHT
Naturally, these shots don't give away any obvious plot details, however, the similarities in color between Peacemaker's suit and the RV seem to indicate this will be the character's home at least for part of the series.
Since Cena departed the world of professional wrestling and pursued an acting career he's rarely been seen to take on a leading role. It'll be exciting for many fans to finally see Cena entering the goldmine of comic book films, especially as the lead of his own series and a key player in the upcoming team-up.
A lot of questions exist around when exactly the series will be set. Gunn still refuses to offer any specific timeline for the series, likely to maintain the surprise in his film's willingness to kill off many members of the huge ensemble.
As Peacemaker will be a key player in The Suicide Squad his death would defiantly prove to be a shock to fans and would confirm this series as a prequel to the film itself. A character like this seems perfectly lined up for a fun origin story which would make for a great direction to take the series.
Peacemaker is expected to premiere in early 2022, following the character's debut in The Suicide Squad which will release in theaters and on HBO Max on August 6, 2021.
