James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad is getting an HBO Max spinoff: Peacemaker

DC’s gang of disposable misfits, the Suicide Squad, is getting a second chance under director James Gunn. And now, one of the stars of next year’s The Suicide Squad is getting his own spinoff: John Cena’s self-described “douchey Captain America,” Peacemaker.

Peacemaker will be an eight-episode action-adventure-comedy series developed for HBO Max. Cena will reprise his role as the Peacemaker, and James Gunn will write and direct multiple episodes of the series. Gunn and The Suicide Squad producer Peter Safran will serve as executive producers of the series, with Cena as co-executive producer.

The Peacemaker’s spinoff series will explore the origins of the character, Warner said. Peacemaker’s tagline “A man who loves peace so much that he is willing to fight for it!” should say it all, but it’s also worth noting he was partial inspiration for Watchmen character, The Comedian.

“Peacemaker is an opportunity to delve into current world issues through the lens of this superhero/supervillain/and world’s biggest douchebag,” Gunn said in a statement. “I’m excited to expand The Suicide Squad and bring this character from the DC film universe to the full breadth of a series. And of course, to be able to work again with John, Peter, and my friends at Warner Bros. is the icing on the cake.”

In a news release, Warner Bros. Television said production on Peacemaker will begin in early 2021, prior to Gunn’s commitment to direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 for Marvel Studios.

The Suicide Squad is scheduled to arrive in movie theaters Aug. 6, 2021. Gunn’s take on the team builds on David Ayer’s 2016 movie of a similar name, Suicide Squad, bringing back several characters to reprise their roles, including Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, the stone-faced creator of the Suicide Squad; Joel Kinnaman as Colonel Rick Flag, the exhausted supervillain nanny; Jai Courtney as (Captain) Boomerang, the team’s resident firebrand; and, of course, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn.

Peacemaker isn’t only HBO Max spinoff spawned by an upcoming DC major motion picture: The world of Matt Reeves’ The Batman will also be explored further in an original drama series “set in the Gotham City police department.”