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Peacemaker (TV series)

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Template:Short description Template:For Template:Use American English Template:Use list-defined references Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox television Peacemaker is an American superhero television series created by James Gunn for the streaming service HBO Max (later renamed Max), based on the DC Comics character of the same name. The first season is the only DC Extended Universe (DCEU) television series and a spin-off from the 2021 film The Suicide Squad. Set after the events of the film, it further explores jingoistic mercenary Christopher Smith / Peacemaker. It was produced by the Safran Company and Troll Court Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and with Gunn as showrunner. The second season is produced by DC Studios and set in the DC Universe (DCU), a "soft reboot" of the DCEU.

John Cena stars as the title character, reprising his role from The Suicide Squad, with Danielle Brooks, Freddie Stroma, Chukwudi Iwuji, Jennifer Holland, Steve Agee, and Robert Patrick also starring. Gunn conceived Peacemaker after noting Cena's strength as a dramatic actor while filming The Suicide Squad and wrote the first season while finishing that film. HBO Max ordered it straight-to-series in September 2020. Filming took place in Vancouver, Canada, from January to July 2021, with Gunn directing five episodes. He chose to use hair metal songs for the series' soundtrack, including "Do Ya Wanna Taste It" by Wig Wam for the opening titles dance sequence. A second season was ordered in February 2022, with Gunn again writing all episodes. The season was integrated with the DCU after Gunn was named co-CEO of DC Studios. Filming took place at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, from April to November 2024.

Peacemaker premiered on HBO Max on January 13, 2022, with its first three episodes. The other five episodes of the first season were released weekly until February 17. Viewership increased with each episode and the season received positive reviews. The second season will premiere on Max in August 2025. The series has been nominated for several awards, including a Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award. A spin-off series, Waller, is in development as part of the DCU.

Premise

The first season follows Christopher Smith / Peacemaker after he recovers from the injuries he suffered during the events of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film The Suicide Squad (2021). Peacemaker is forced to join the mysterious A.R.G.U.S. black ops squad "Project Butterfly",[1] who are on a mission to identify and eliminate parasitic butterfly-like creatures who have taken over human bodies around the world.[2] The second season is set in the DC Universe (DCU) and follows the events of the DCU film Superman (2025).[3]

Cast and characters

Episodes

Template:Series overview

Season 1 (2022)

Template:Main Template:Episode table

Season 2

Template:Main Template:Episode table

Production

Development

While completing work on the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film The Suicide Squad (2021) in August 2020, writer and director James Gunn began writing a spin-off television series centered on Peacemaker, a character portrayed by John Cena in the film.[4][14] DC Films president Walter Hamada approached the filmmakers of the studio's film slate about creating interconnected spin-off television series for the streaming service HBO Max,[15] and the service ordered Peacemaker straight-to-series in September 2020. Gunn was writing all eight episodes of the first season and directing five. He and Peter Safran were set as executive producers, with Cena as co-executive producer.[4] The season was produced by Gunn's Troll Court Entertainment and the Safran Company in conjunction with Warner Bros. Television.[16] Matt Miller joined as an additional executive producer in December 2020.[17]

HBO Max announced a second season of Peacemaker in February 2022, with Gunn set to write and direct all episodes.[18] That April, Discovery, Inc. and Warner Bros.' parent company WarnerMedia merged to become Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), led by president and CEO David Zaslav. The new company was expected to restructure DC Entertainment and Zaslav began searching for an equivalent to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige to lead the new subsidiary.[19] Gunn and Safran were announced as the co-chairs and co-CEOs of the newly formed DC Studios at the end of October 2022.[20] A week after starting their new roles, the pair had begun working with a group of writers to develop an eight-to-ten-year plan for a new DC Universe (DCU) that would be a "soft reboot" of the DCEU.[21][22][23] Gunn and Safran said some cast members would return from The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker in the DCU, and a "rough memory" of those events would remain.[24] Because Gunn was busy with his new responsibilities, the second season of Peacemaker was put on hold by January 2023.[25]

Later in 2023, Gunn said the second season was his next project after the DCU film Superman (2025),[26][27] and said it would be part of the DCU's Chapter One: Gods and Monsters slate of content.[28] In March 2024, he clarified that the first season was not canon to the DCU and said the second season would be continuing from the events of Superman instead.[3] At that time, he revealed that filming for the season would take place simultaneously with Superman later in 2024, in the interest of getting the season ready as soon as possible, so he was no longer able to direct all of the episodes.[29] He ultimately directed three episodes, including the first,[30] with Greg Mottola also directing two episodes,[31] and Peter Sollett directing the fourth episode.[32]

Casting

With the series order in September 2020, John Cena was confirmed to be reprising his role as Peacemaker from The Suicide Squad.[4] The next month, Gunn's close friend Steve Agee joined the series as John Economos, also returning from the film.[12] In November, Gunn's girlfriend Jennifer Holland joined as her The Suicide Squad character Emilia Harcourt, alongside Danielle Brooks as Leota Adebayo, Robert Patrick as Auggie Smith, and Chris Conrad as Adrian Chase / Vigilante.[6][11] Holland was surprised that Gunn brought her character back for the series, believing that her part in The Suicide Squad would be a short one-off role.[33] Chukwudi Iwuji joined the cast as Clemson Murn in December.[9] In late May 2021, Freddie Stroma was cast to replace Conrad as Adrian Chase / Vigilante, after Conrad left the series due to creative differences.[7] Cena confirmed that he would be returning for the second season when it was ordered in February 2022.[18] In July 2023, Gunn said Stroma would reprise his role as Vigilante in the DCU.[34] Also reprising their roles from the first season are Brooks, Holland, and Agee.[35] In May 2024, Frank Grillo joined the cast for the second season as Rick Flag Sr., reprising his role from the DCU animated series Creature Commandos (2024).[30] Sol Rodríguez, David Denman, and Tim Meadows were cast the following month, with Rodríguez portraying Sasha Bordeaux and Meadows cast as Langston Fleury.[36][37]

Filming

Filming for the first season began on January 15, 2021, in Vancouver,[14] under the working title The Scriptures,[38] with Michael Bonvillain serving as cinematographer.[39] Gunn directed five of the series' episodes, with Jody Hill, Rosemary Rodriguez, and Brad Anderson each directing one.[40] Production lasted 131 days total, and wrapped on July 11.[41] Filming for the second season began in April 2024, taking place simultaneously with production on Superman at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia,[42][43] and concluded in November 2024. Sam McCurdy served as cinematographer.[44]

Music

Gunn revealed in June 2021 that Clint Mansell and Kevin Kiner were composing the score for the series,[45] after The Suicide Squad composer John Murphy was busy writing the score for Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023).[46] A soundtrack album featuring Mansell and Kiner's score was released on February 18, 2022.[47] The first season also features hair metal songs that Gunn selected and wrote into the scripts.[5][48]

Release

Home media releases for Peacemaker
Season Home media release dates
Region 1 Region 2 Region 4
Template:Nobold November 22, 2022[49] September 5, 2022[50] October 27, 2022[51]

Peacemaker premiered on HBO Max on January 13, 2022,[52] with its first three episodes.[53] The series was released in the United Kingdom on March 22, on Sky Max and Now.[54] The second season is scheduled to premiere on Max in August 2025.[55]

Reception

Viewership

Deadline Hollywood reported that each episode of Peacemaker received higher viewership than the last,[56] and HBO Max stated that the season finale's viewership was 44 percent higher than the series premiere's. According to the service, the finale broke the record for highest single day viewership of an HBO Max original episode.[57] In the UK, where Peacemaker was not released until after it had finished airing in the U.S.,[54] the series was the third-most pirated for the first quarter of 2022 after HBO's Euphoria and Disney+'s The Book of Boba Fett.[58]

Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 93% approval rating with an average rating of 7.7/10, based on 90 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "John Cena's still in solid form as Peacemaker, leading a bloody good time that gives writer-director James Gunn full permission to let his freak flag fly."[59] Metacritic gave it a weighted average score of 70 out of 100 based on reviews from 26 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[60]

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Template:Ref heading
Annie Awards February 25, 2023 Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in a Live Action Production Michael Cozens, Mark Smith, Kai-Hua Lan, Selene McLean and Richard John Moore Template:Nom [61]
Critics' Choice Super Awards March 16, 2023 Best Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-For-TV Movie Peacemaker Template:Nom [62]
Best Actor in a Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-For-TV Movie John Cena Template:Nom
Best Actress in a Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-For-TV Movie Danielle Brooks Template:Nom
Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards [[2nd Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards|Template:Dts]] Best Actor in a Streaming Series, Comedy John Cena Template:Nom [63]
Best Writing in a Streaming Series, Comedy James Gunn (for "It's Cow or Never") Template:Nom
MTV Movie & TV Awards [[2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards|Template:Dts]] Best Comedic Performance John Cena Template:Nom [64]
Best Musical Moment "Do Ya Wanna Taste It?" Template:Nom
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards [[74th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards|Template:DtsSeptember 4, 2022]] Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Comedy Series or Variety Program Wayne Dalglish and Gaston Morrison Template:Nom [65]
Saturn Awards October 25, 2022 Best Action / Adventure Series (Streaming) Peacemaker Template:Nom [66]
[67]
Best Supporting Actress in a Streaming Series Danielle Brooks Template:Nom

Spin-off

In January 2021, Gunn said he had ideas for more The Suicide Squad television spin-offs beyond Peacemaker,[68] and confirmed that he was working on another one a year later.[69] In May 2022, a series featuring Amanda Waller was revealed, with Viola Davis in negotiations to reprise her DCEU role. Christal Henry was writing the series, which was expected to build off Waller's guest appearances in Peacemaker.[70] The next month, Gunn said the series that he had revealed earlier was separate from a potential Amanda Waller project though there would be "some blending" of characters from Peacemaker in both.[71] On January 31, Gunn and Safran unveiled the first projects from their DCU slate, which begins with Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. The second project in the slate was Waller, with Davis confirmed to be reprising her role. Henry was revealed to be working on the overall story for the DCU with Gunn and some other writers, and was set as co-showrunner of Waller alongside Jeremy Carver.[25] The spin-off is expected to be made after the second season of Peacemaker.[29]

References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:Wikiquote

Template:Peacemaker (TV series) Template:Max (streaming service) Template:DC Extended Universe Template:DC Studios Template:DC Comics TV Template:James Gunn Template:Portal bar

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named 101RecapYahoo
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ProjectButterfly
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GunnS1NotCanon
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named DeadlineAnnouncement
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GunnTHRTop5
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Brooks
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Stroma
  8. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GunnVigilantePolygon
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Dec2020Castings
  10. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named 105IGNReview
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named PatrickHollandConrad
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Agee
  13. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GunnVarAug2021
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named FilmingBegin
  15. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named NYTDec2020
  16. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named BrooksPatrickHollandConrad
  17. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Miller
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named S2Renewal
  19. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ZaslavApr2022
  20. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GunnSafran
  21. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GunnSafranTownHall
  22. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named DCU
  23. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named DCUSlateTHR6Qs
  24. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named DCUSlateGizmodo
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named DCUSlateVariety
  26. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GunnS2AfterSuperman
  27. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GunnS2AfterSuperman2
  28. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GunnS2ChapterOne
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GunnMar2024
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Grillo2
  31. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named MottolaEps
  32. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named SollettEp
  33. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named THRHollandJan2022
  34. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GunnStromaDCU
  35. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GunnReturningCast
  36. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named RodríguezDenman
  37. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Meadows
  38. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named WorkingTitle
  39. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Bonvillain
  40. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named NewDirectors
  41. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GunnFilmingEnd
  42. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Apr2024Filming
  43. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Trilith
  44. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named S2FilmingWrap
  45. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named MansellKiner
  46. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named MurphyBusy
  47. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Soundtrack
  48. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GunnDanceSeqRS
  49. ↑ Template:Cite web
  50. ↑ Template:Cite web
  51. ↑ Template:Cite web
  52. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named DCFanDome2021THR
  53. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ReleaseDates
  54. ↑ 54.0 54.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named UKRelease
  55. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named S2ReleaseWindow
  56. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named DeadlineRatingsSuccess
  57. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GunnFinaleViewership
  58. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named TorrentFreak
  59. ↑ Template:Cite Rotten TomatoesTemplate:Cbignore
  60. ↑ Template:Cite MetacriticTemplate:Cbignore
  61. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Annie2023
  62. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named CCSA
  63. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named HCATVAwards
  64. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named MTVAwards
  65. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named EmmyAwards
  66. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named SaturnAwardsNoms
  67. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named SaturnAwardsWins
  68. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GunnMoreSpinOffs
  69. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GunnSecondSpinOff
  70. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named DavisHenrySpinOff
  71. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GunnJun2022
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