DC fans are on the edge of their seats in anticipation of the new Peacemaker TV series, which premieres next month on HBO Max. The series, which takes place after Gunn’s hit Suicide Squad sequel, focuses on the title character, played by John Cena, a hero/antihero described by Gunn as “[the] world’s biggest douchebag.”
Today several fans were lucky enough to interact with the director himself as he made himself available on Twitter to discuss the new series trailer.
Gunn responded to several fans’ questions of various topics, covering his casting choices, the number of episodes he directed, and the differences between directing the Suicide Squad movie and the Peacemaker TV series.
Gunn was appreciative of the time involved in making the series as it offered opportunities to explore the characters that are seldom afforded by tight movie shooting schedules, writing, “It’s more of everything. Not to mention more opportunities to take risks.”
Gunn also addressed his version of the Peacemaker character, which is wildly different from the original character, who debuted in Charlton Comics in the 1960s. The character’s original conception was a UN Diplomat who dedicated his family fortune and life to eradicating war. However, Gunn indicated that his idea of Peacemaker was more influenced by writer Paul Kupperberg’s four-issue Peacemaker mini-series from 1988, a far more erratic character than the rather uptight Charlton version.
Gunn praises the cast, notably Danielle Brooks, “She’s a pure delight, and I couldn’t ask for a better Leota Adebayo (which I wrote for Danielle in mind before I even met her).”
Gunn also revealed that he was very involved in the production, directing a total of five of the series’ eight episodes and referring to the show as “100% my baby”.
If the show proves a hit, it may indicate a change in DC television as we know it. While Dc characters are certainly no stranger to smaller screens, with series such as The Adventures of Superman debuting nearly 70 years ago, Suicide Squad is one of the first to be firmly tied to the current DC cinematic offerings. Success may lead to Warner Bros. adopting something similar to Disney’s television offerings, using eight to ten-episode series to explore a particular character or set of characters from the film more thoroughly. Whether this would affect the current crop of DC Superhero series such as Supergirl and Doom Patrol remains to be seen.
Fans won’t have long to wait to see—Peacemaker premieres on Jan. 15th.
