John Cena teases how Peacemaker builds on the tone and events of The Suicide Squad. The DC Extended Universe is expanding in the very near future with the help of James Gunn. The writer/director is in the final weeks before The Suicide Squad's release in theaters and on HBO Max. His DCEU movie is neither a reboot nor a sequel to the original 2016 Suicide Squad, but it will feature familiar characters alongside a batch of new DC villains. The latter category includes John Cena's Peacemaker.
Peacemaker is one of the many obscure DC foes Gunn is set to introduce, but he is the only one with a confirmed future within the DCEU. It was previously announced that a Peacemaker show was in development for HBO Max, with Gunn writing the entire series and directing multiple episodes. There have been a few images released for the show already, but how it connects to The Suicide Squad's story is still not known. These details might take some time to be revealed, but that isn't stopping Cena from teasing how Peacemaker will build off the DCEU blockbuster.
With the marketing campaign for The Suicide Squad in its final stages, Gunn and Cena recently spoke to EW about their DC collaborations. Gunn highlighted how difficult it has been to make Peacemaker during the Covid-19 pandemic but stressed that he's still very happy with what the TV format allows him to do with John Cena's character. The actor went on to mention that he believes fans will be clamoring for the spinoff series after seeing the movie and that Peacemaker only "turns up the volume" on what audiences will experience. Read Cena's full quote below:
I would venture to say that Peacemaker actually turns up the volume on anything that you see in The Suicide Squad. I want people to enjoy The Suicide Squad and I really think they will. Once they get a feel for these characters they're going to want more and that's where Peacemaker picks up.
The focus of Cena's tease could be on how Peacemaker takes the tone and style of The Suicide Squad and raises the bar further. The movie is R-rated with plenty of language and violence, and the TV format (and potential TV-MA rating) could give Gunn room to push the limits of both again. Peacemaker's humor has been featured throughout The Suicide Squad's marketing, and set photos for Peacemaker featured plenty of blood. While Gunn has repeatedly praised the freedom he's had while working for DC, it is possible that HBO Max loosens the reins even more.
One question that still remains about Peacemaker is exactly how its story connects to The Suicide Squad. Gunn has teased that the show doesn't guarantee that Peacemaker survives the DCEU movie, as it could be a prequel showing how he was originally captured. There is just as high of a chance that Peacemaker takes place after The Suicide Squad, though, and gives Gunn an avenue to grow this world before possibly making a movie sequel. Fans should have a much better sense of what to expect after the movie is released, especially with Peacemaker scheduled to be released in January 2022.
Source: EW
