Peacemaker Season One is the first season of the DC Extended Universe television series Peacemaker for the streaming service HBO Max. The series is based on the DC Comics character Peacemaker. The series is first television spin-off from the DC Extended Universe, carrying on from the 2021 film The Suicide Squad which was also written and directed by Gunn. Peaceamker is set after the events of The Suicide Squad, exploring the character of Peacemaker who believes in achieving peace at any cost. John Cena stars as the title character Peacemaker, reprising the role from The Suicide Squad. The cast includes Steve Agee as John Economos, Danielle Brooks as Leota Adebayo, Robert Patrick as August "Auggie" Smith/White Dragon, Jennifer Holland as Emilia Harcourt, Freddie Stroma as Vigilante, and Chukwudi Iwuji as Clemson Murn. Gunn wrote all eight episodes of the series while completing work on The Suicide Squad during the COVID-19 pandemic, before HBO Max officially ordered Peacemaker straight-to-series in September 2020. Moreover, Peacemaker premiered on January 13, 2022 with three episodes. The rest of the series was released weekly through February 17, 2021. The series also has received positive reviews from critics.
Plot[]
The inaugural season follows the Peacemaker after his time with Task Force X. He eventually befriends an offshoot team that comes to be known as the 11th Street Kids, who are tasked with taking down the alien threat known as butterflies.
Cast and characters[]
Main[]
- John Cena as Peacemaker
- Steve Agee as John Economos
- Danielle Brooks as Leota Adebayo
- Robert Patrick as Auggie Smith
- Jennifer Holland as Emilia Harcourt
- Freddie Stroma as Vigilante
- Chukwudi Iwuji as Clemson Murn
Recurring[]
- Lochlyn Munro as Larry Fitzgibbon
- Annie Chang as Detective Sophie Song
- Christopher Heyerdahl as Captain Caspar Locke
- Elizabeth Ludlow as Keeya
- Rizwan Manji as Jamil
- Nhut Le as Judomaster
- Alison Araya as Amber Calcaterra
- Lenny Jacobson as Evan Calcaterra
- Dee Bradley Baker voices Eagly
- Stephen Blackehart voices Charlie the gorilla[1]
Uncredited[]
- Viola Davis as Amanda Waller[2]
- Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/ Flash[3]
- Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/ Aquaman[3]
- Brad Abramenko as Superman[4]
- Kimberly Von Ilberg as Wonder Woman[4]
- Matt Turner as Batman[5]
- Unknown as Cyborg[5]
Episodes[]
Episode | Image | Title | Director | Writer | Airdate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "A Whole New Whirled" | James Gunn | January 13, 2022 | ||
After making a miraculous recovery, Peacemaker returns home–only to discover that his freedom comes at a price. | |||||
2 | "Best Friends, For Never" | James Gunn | January 13, 2022 | ||
After Peacemaker’s hazardous escape, tension and mistrust build within the team. Later, as Peacemaker grapples with his new assignment, he receives a surprise visitor. | |||||
3 | "Better Goff Dead" | James Gunn | January 13, 2022 | ||
On their first official mission to assassinate suspected “butterflies,” Economos and Murn bond, and Peacemaker and Harcourt reach an understanding. But the whole job goes sideways with the arrival of Judomaster. | |||||
4 | "The Choad Less Traveled" | Jody Hill | James Gunn | January 20, 2022 | |
Following a somewhat successful mission, Murn recruits Vigilante. Meanwhile, after learning that the team helped land his father in prison, Peacemaker confronts his complicated past. | |||||
5 | "Monkey Dory" | Rosemary Rodriguez | James Gunn | January 27, 2022 | |
The team scouts the apparent hub for the aliens’ food supply, only to come face-to-face with a full-fledged invasion. Meanwhile, Auggie’s attempt to sell out his son to the police is complicated by Murn’s mysterious contact. | |||||
6 | "Murn After Reading" | James Gunn | February 3, 2022 | ||
Murn reveals his deepest secret; Auggie is set free; the botched arrest of Peacemaker sends alien Goff into an unexpected new host. | |||||
7 | "Stop Dragon My Heart Around" | Brad Anderson | James Gunn | February 10, 2022 | |
Harcourt, Murn, and Adebayo find themselves surrounded by an alien force, while Peacemaker squares off against his father with help from Vigilante and Economos. | |||||
8 | "It's Cow or Never" | James Gunn | February 17, 2022 | ||
With Peacemaker and Adebayo at odds, can the team kill the cow once and for all – or will their fracture give the aliens the opening they need to complete its teleportation? |
Gallery[]
Promotional images[]
BTS images[]
Merchandise Images[]
Videos[]
Music[]
Song title | Artist | Location(s) |
---|---|---|
Do Ya Wanna Taste It | Wig Wam |
|
Push Push (Lady Lightning) | Bang Camaro |
|
Kickstart My Heart | Mötley Crüe |
|
The Church of Rock and Roll | Foxy Shazam |
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Come On Come On | Nashville Pussy |
|
Trivia:[]
- It is the first DC Extended Universe (DCEU) television series and a spin-off from the 2021 film The Suicide Squad.
- Set after the events of the film, the series follows jingoistic killer Christopher Smith/Peacemaker as he joins "Project Butterfly", a black ops squad that targets parasitic butterfly-like creatures.
- On November 23, 2020, an online rumor about Green Arrow has sailed very wide of hitting the truth. James Gunn ruthlessly shot down a British website’s report that Peacemaker, his upcoming HBO Max companion series to The Suicide Squad, will reboot the Green Arrow, who of course was most recently played by Stephen Amell on the CW series that launched a hero-verse by saying that “It’s nonsense,” Gunn affirmed on Twitter when presented with the rumor by a fan.[6]
- Both Harcout and Economos are characters who have roots in DC Comics history. Economos was introduced in 1987's Suicide Squad #1 as the warden of metahuman prison facility/Suicide Squad base Belle Reve. Harcourt debuted in the team's book in 2016 and was later revealed to be a terrorist spy.[7]
- Batman gets a quick mention by August Smith's neighbor and the Wayne Foundation logo appears on the forged journal that Leota Adebayo is meant to plant in Peacemaker's trailer.[7]
- Interestingly enough, the logo looks less like the one seen in any of Ben Affleck's appearances as the Caped Crusader and more like the one from Christian Bale's stint as the Dark Knight.[7]
- There's also more substantial discussion about Aquaman at the top of show, and it starts because Peacemaker definitely does not like this ocean-dwelling member of the Justice League. Thanks to @pepethefrog89 on Twitter, Chris argues that he went onto learn that the King of the Seven Seas has his way with fish at an aquarium.[7]
- The Easter eggs in "Peacemaker" aren't limited to references to the cinematic universe that the show inhabits. There are a number of allusions to other things in pop culture as well. First, Peacemaker's house number is 1138. This number frequently appears in the films of George Lucas, including Star Wars and American Graffiti. It originated from his directorial debut, the dystopian sci-fi film THX 1138, which started out as the legendary filmmaker's student film from his days at USC.[7]
- Batman gets a quick mention by August Smith's neighbor and the Wayne Foundation logo appears on the forged journal that Leota Adebayo is meant to plant in Peacemaker's trailer.[7]
- Then, when Smith first learns about Project Butterfly, he thinks that he's about to face off with a Mothra. Agent Murn assures him that they won't be fighting the massive kaiju, but Peacemaker requests a jetpack anyway. Not only would it help in a fight with a Mothra if it comes up, but his comic book counterpart often utilized a jetpack.[7]
- In regards to Peacemaker's comic book history, there are also a number of different helmets in August Smith's closet that resemble the various helmets that Peacemaker has worn over the years. Each one has a different ability, but he ultimately goes with the one that has sonic boom capabilities, an attack he has been known to use in the comics.[7]
- The picture on Peacemaker's dart board was none other than Eclipso, DC's incarnation of the God of Wrath and the Angel of Vengeance. It's not clear whether this is the same version of the menacing villain that was recently seen in "Stargirl" season two, but James Gunn himself confirmed that the picture is definitely Eclipso.[7]
- On January 7, 2022, Danielle Brooks mentioned how Adebayo is the kind of role she never expected to play. However, Gunn specifically thought of Brooks to be the show’s second lead since he was a fan of her after watching Orange is the New Black.[8]
- On January 10, 2022, James Gunn unveiled the official Peacemaker playlist on Spotify. The Soundtrack specifically covers music used across the first three episodes which premiered on Thursday January 13, 2022.[9]
- Also on this day it was revealed that alhough Chris Conrad filmed five episodes of Peacemaker, he departed the show and was recast with Freddie Stroma. Gunn further mentioned he and Conrad were on different pages about certain things, and he doesn't think Conrad wanted to continue on the series in the long run. As a result, they brought Freddie in, five-and-a-half episodes in, and Gunn reshot and directed all of Vigilante's scenes in five and a half episodes.[10]
- Moreover, it was mentioned how Smith debuted in a Fightin’ 5 #40 backup in 1966 thanks to Joe Gill and Pat Boyette and again in the next issue published by a totally different company called Charlton Comics. That particular series was essentially cancelled — #42 through #49 are reprints instead of new material, and replaced by Peacemaker in 1967. But it was far from a hit, so that book was shuttered after just five issues, and that was pretty much it for nearly two decades.[11]
- On January 11, 2022, said (in regards to the music that), "it really is all hair metal. A lot of 80s hair metal, but it's also a lot of modern sleaze rock and hair metal that comes out of Europe – a lot of really great bands that people don't know about," Gunn said during the Television Critics Association summer press tour. "I love that stuff but there's also a lot of really bad hair metal. So, it was fun finding the really good stuff to inject the series with flavor, which we keep throughout the whole first season."[12]
- Also on this day,James Gunn went onto described Peacemaker as a superhero, supervillain, and the world’s biggest douchebag. “He’s like a douchey Captain America,” agreed Cena when his take on the character was first revealed during DC FanDome. “[Peacemaker is] a guy who believes in peace at any cost, no matter how many people he needs to kill along the way,” Gunn added. In addition, they revealed that Christopher Smith, a.k.a. DC Comics’ Peacemaker originated in Charlton Comics in 1966.[13]
- On January 12, 2022, Gunn revalead that until Peacemaker, he had never written any scripted television. In fact, he’s not even sure he’d ever read a TV script prior to writing his own in an effort to keep himself busy during the pandemic’s early days. Thus, as a massive TV fan, Gunn decided to take inspiration from some of his favorite television shows and apply those attributes to Peacemaker, the Suicide Squad spinoff centered on John Cena’s Christopher “Peacemaker” Smith. One of the series that Gunn cites as an influence on his HBO Max show is Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould’s Breaking Bad prequel/sequel, Better Call Saul, starring Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman...[14]
- On January 13, 2022, Gunn mentioned that “I really wanted to do a dance number where everybody was doing something incredibly ridiculous, and looked incredibly serious while they were doing it. Among other things, he envisioned it as a way to 'vanquish the skip forward button' and allow people to see the credits of those who worked on the show...”[15]
- Gunn went onto revealed that he and his crew shot Cena dancing in his underwear on the first day of shooting, and he came in & destroyed it, completely vulnerable & courageous.[16]
- Steve Agee shared a short BTS clip of Danielle Brooks as her character of Leota Adebayo reciting some of her hilarious monologue. But admitedly they went through a lot of takes because no one, not even Gunn could keep a straight face and kept laughing.[17] [18]
- In response to a viewer asking Gunn what inspired the title sequence, he said that previously, he had done an animated opening dance sequence for his movie SUPER & thus, he wanted to do something like that in live action. Also, he wanted to VANQUISH THE SKIP FORWARD BUTTON so people see some of the folks who worked so hard on the show![19]
- Gunn also mentioned how in terms of music, Glam metal is woven throughout each episode.[20]
- In terms of the aspect ratio for the show, Gunn says that while he understands people using the 2.30 aspect ratios in the cinema, like he does sometimes, but he wanted to make sure to use as much of the screen as possible.[21]
- When it comes to Eagly, Gunn revealed that he is not a real eagle. In reality, he’s usually a visual effect done my Guy Williams and his friends at @weta_digital. However, they did initially have a real eagle on set once and he wasn’t into it and so as to put the eagle through a bad time, they went with a CGI option.[22]
- In regards to the bloody and torn uniform that Peacemaker wore in the Suicide Squad film, Gunn confirmed that they kept the same dirty uniform from the film to use in the premiere.[23]
- As for the now iconic opening credits intro for the series, Gunn mentioned that he came up with the idea and how to implement it, he then wrote into the script, and the wonderful @charissabarton1 choreographed it for him. He also threw some kudos at all the actors, who worked really hard learning the moves.[24]
- Gunn went onto mention how he wrote the role of White Dragon for Robert Patrick after seeing him in the HBO show Perry Mason. Gunn gushed how, Patrick had such gravity & was a good asshole in his role, which he needed for this reole on Peacemaker.[25]
- Jennifer Holland said that she rehearsed one of her fight scenes for many days with John Cena‘s stunt double Spencer and her stunt double Yulia...[26]
- It was also announced that Cena is actually the show’s co-lead alongside Danielle Brooks as Leota Adebayo. Leota, however, is not just Task Force X’s latest recruit; she’s also revealed to be the daughter of their fearsome boss Amanda Waller. This familial connection is an invention of Gunn’s as Waller doesn’t have a daughter named Leota in the DC Comics. The core relationship explored in Peacemaker, though, won’t be between Waller and her daughter but rather the friendship between Peacemaker and Leota, which Gunn told IGN is “the true love story of the show...”[27]
- On January 14, 2022, after the airing of "The Choad Less Traveled", Gunn mentioned that Peacemaker's dig at Batman's expense almost didn’t fly at DC. In the end, the DC overlords “were great,” Gunn said. “They let me get away with what I got away with at the end of the day.” However, HBO Max did expressed “some concerns” about Peacemaker’s father being a white supremacist. (“That was a delicate situation,” Gunn said.) “The only other thing that HBO Max ever said to me at all was, ‘We’re HBO and you guys are saying the F-word so many times’. As for the violence and the sex, Gunn mentioned that “There was one moment they were afraid of us showing that comes in Episode 6 that I pretty much insisted on keeping,” Gunn teased.[28]
- Also on this day, it was mentioned how it was a deliberate choice to have Vigilante be different from how he's been portrayed in the comics and in other DC Comics show (i.e. Arrowverse). Gunn said that, “I thought, if this guy really existed, there really was a Vigilante, a guy who dresses up in a costume, and goes around and kills people he says are doing something wrong — what would he really be like? And that’s where Vigilante came [from]. He’s very off, and he’s a sociopath, but he’s got this sort of sweet aspect to him...”[29]
- Jenniffer Holland also went onto mention that the car scene with Emilia Harcourt and Leota Adebayo was the first time that she and Danielle Brooks worked together in the series.[30]
- On January 15, 2022, Chukwudi Iwuji who portrays Clemson Murn, an original character developed by James Gunn, said that because the mercenary doesn't exist in the DC comic books, Iwuji imagined a backstory to play the character with a sordid — and top-secret — past. Iwuji went onto say how, "It's always cool to play someone with a dark past, sort of working on redemption. That's always such a great arc for an actor because you like to sort of live in the darkness, but redemption is something you look for," Iwuji said on HBO Max's Podly: The Peacemaker Podcast. "I love that. I love the acting challenge of being British-Nigerian and playing American parts...even the name 'Clemson,' which is a very Southern name, just having this deeply steeped American role over the course of a whole series was such a joy for me."[31]
- Also on this day Gunn said that “When I wrote the show, all I thought about was amusing myself. I let myself go hog-wild”. Then, after he finished a multi-episode treatment for Peacemaker , he rang up Cena, who instantly agreed to return as the little-known DC Comics character.[32]
- Also on this day, the HBO Max series was criticized that despite its plethora of well-written humor, but it goes for a lazy joke at Aquaman's expense that doesn't make sense in the DCEU continuity.[33]
- It was also mentioned that what feels like a very Marvel-ous maneuver, Gunn planted the seeds for the show in the “Squad” movie released in August, moving Cena’s weapons-expert assassin from an ensemble to center stage, surrounded by new characters and bizarre sci-fi-style threat to humanity, albeit at a very slow-moving pace.[34]
- Holland also revealed that after filming wrapped for The Suicide Squad, “I didn’t think I was going to play that character again,” Holland tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I just thought I got to do this cool role in his huge movie and have fun with him [Gunn] for a couple of weeks”. So admitedly, it was a bit surreal 11 months later when Holland found herself once again playing Harcourt, this time for a post-credits tag that would lead directly into the Peacemaker (TV series). That post-credits scene, shot in January 2021 on the Vancouver set of Peacemaker, was the opening salvo in six months of shooting for the team.[35]
- On January 16, 2022, Lochlyn Munro and Annie Chang shared some behind the scenes images of them as their characters on set.[36]
- Gunn also shared some behind the scenes images of the filming of the show's opening credits intro.[37]
- Also on this day, it was mentioned how his comic book counterpart was created by John Ostrander and Luke McDonnell, and first appeared in Suicide Squad #4 as a deadly foe to the Suicide Squad team. Unlike the television series, William Heller was the original Dragon instead of Auggie. With connections to the Ku Klux Klan, Heller was a Neo-Nazi that donned a powerful suit of armor to impose his white supremacy. With the ability to fly around and shoot powerful blasts, he was a physical threat to even the worst of the worst. A few names picked up the mantle after Heller, but none had a direct connection to Peacemaker.[38]
- Christopher Smith's father from the source material was Wolfgang Schmidt, a literal Nazi commander who killed himself after his involvement in the war came to light. The event traumatized young Chris, serving as the primary reason for his need to seek justice in his red and blue outfit. Thus, by merging both obscure storylines, the show is able to have a father figure for Smith and the villain known as White Dragon as well.[38]
- As a result, the father-son relationship is vital to understand what made Christopher in the tv series the cold-blooded killer of men, women, and children. Having his father be a violent white supremacist explains a lot about his son's incredibly flawed ideology, and gives the series a physical threat for Peacemaker to fight against. With Auggie creating the suit and helmets for this son.[38]
- On January 18, 2022, when asked how Peacemaker connects to other DC productions in theaters and TV, Gunn quickly confirmed the show doesn’t take place in a separate universe. As Gunn puts it:"It [Peacemaker] is part of the DCU, I mean they can use these characters... I mean one of these characters, which people have kind of figured out, one of these characters is used in a future big DC movie that's from here. So we are connected to all of this. Who knows what role these characters are going to play in the future? I mean no one knew who the Guardians of the Galaxy were, and then all of a sudden they're massive players in Infinity War [Avengers] and Endgame [Avengers]. So who knows what's going to happen with Peacemaker in ten years, five years, or whatever."[39]
- Jennifer Holland also went onto share some behind the scene shots from the day they filmed the butt baby scene in episode 3 of Peacemaker.[40]
- Also on this day, Peacemaker creator James Gunn says he warned his cast that anytime they acted with Eagly, the patriotic pet would always steal the scene.[41]
- In addition, during the conversation between Economos and Chris, Economos makes it clear that he would rather work with pretty much anyone over Peacemaker, including Harley Quinn, the Weasel and ... Bat-Mite! Of course, Chris asks for more info about the latter and Economos explains that he's a "two-foot-tall interdimensional imp who stans Batman."One of the more bizarre pieces of the Dark Knight's history, Bat-Mite is, indeed, a reality-warping imp who has an obsession with Batman. He was created in 1959 by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff and made his first appearance in Detective Comics #267.[42]
- On January 20, 2022, Gunn joked that he was very glad that his show has influced the internet even more like with several people googling if wookies have teeth on their buttholes.[43]
- Also on this day, Gunn shared a behind the scenes image of Freddie Stroma as Vigilante on set.[44]
- Steve Agee also mentioned that he didn’t know John Economos was an actual comic character. Ultimately, all he got was that he’d been divorced a bunch of times, he was the warden of Belle Reve prison, and he didn’t always agree with Amanda Waller...[45]
- On January 21, 2022 Cena went onto read mean tweets about his DC Extended Universe show, Peacemaker, while in character in a hilarious new video from HBO Max.[46]
- On January 22, 2022, Gunn went onto thank Elizabeth Banks, whom he called to do an asshole check to make sure that Stroma was a good guy (because he won’t work with assholes), and since she worked with him on Pitch Perfect she told him that he was great guy.[47]
- He also mentioned that Stroma actually spoke in an American accent the whole time he was shooting & hanging out with them for months. So naturally, John Cena nearly fell over when they wrapped and Stroma used his British accent.[48]
- In addition, a behind-the-scenes featurette that takes the audience into the creation of the dance number from choreographer Charissa Barton...[49]
- Moreover Holland in regards to her character said that, “I had a bit of a challenge trying to meld who Harcourt was in The Suicide Squad into who she was in the series because she’s a very different person than she was in Suicide Squad, I think because James wrote the character as Comms Tech 2, or something like that. She was just a comms hub tech who became sort of a more important character as he was writing The Suicide Squad, and at some point he was like, ‘I’m gonna give her a name from the comics so that when the fans watch the credits they go, oh my gosh, that was Emilia Harcourt! And they have something to be excited about, and it’s a little bit of an Easter egg.’ It was basically why he gave me the name Emilia Harcourt. So my character, when he was writing me in the movie, didn’t really have that much to do with Emilia Harcourt from the comics or anything that was going to be who she is in the series, so she’s a bit different in the film in that she is not as strong of a person as she is in the series”.[50]
- On January 23, 2022 Le mentioned that if fans "look closely throughout the dance, Judomaster peaks out at certain parts of the wall," to imitate the mood of “Judomaster [always] stalking Peacemaker:“If you look closely throughout the dance, Judomaster peaks out at certain parts of the wall, and not a lot of people have noticed that. So unless you’re looking for it, you won’t really see it. And so, the mood of that is that Judomaster is always stalking Peacemaker”.[51]
- On January 25, 2022 it was revealed the two songs featured on Peacemaker debuted on Billboard's Hard Rock Digital Song Sales chart on this day.[52]
- On January 26, 2022 it was mentioned how the series was the most in-demand original streaming TV series in the world as of January 22, according to the data firm Parrot Analytics. It was 69.5 times more in demand than the average series. Parrot Analytics measures audience demand, which accounts for the interest in and engagement with, or overall popularity, of a TV series.[53]
- On January 27, 2022, during "Peacemaker" episode 5, Peacemaker (Cena) is furious with Economos for framing his dad Auggie (Robert Patrick) for a murder Peacemaker committed. He starts berating Economos, listing all of the people that he could have chosen to frame instead. Among them? Ariana Grande, Drake, Brad Pitt, Doug the Pug, the red tiger from Voltron, Joe Montana, Eddie Murphy, BTS, Eugene Levy, Danny DeVito, Alice Cooper, Bill Cosby, Optimus Prime, Cobra Commander, and the "f***ing cast from Riverdale." But perhaps more impressive was that a large portion of this scene was improvised.[54]
- On January 28, 2022, Gunn mentioned that the cast's name for their actual group text chain was named by Jennifer Holland, who named them the 11th Street Kids. Steve Agee went onto add the Hanoi Rocks pic.[55]
- Regarding Peacemaker's list of people to frame instead of his dad, that some of the list was scripted, bur some was John improvising, & some was him improvising & throwing names at John. It actually went on forever & they lost their composure a lot. Moroever, their usually-professional crew fell apart at the Riverdale mention.[56]
- On January 29, 2022, Gunn was asked if the choice of using Hanoi Rocks has deeper meaning, but he mentioned that there is no deeper meaning.[57]
- On January 30, 2022, Gunn mentioned that DC is not one thing. But rather a beautiful aspect of comics & films based on comics; is they can be in any genre & for many ages...[60]
- At the end of the episode, Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) takes a photo of the team, and Gunn has taken to Twitter to reveal that this was a very real, unscripted moment. There also is an actual group chat that Gunn and the cast have called the 11th Street Kids, a nod that further shows the camaraderie amongst them.[61]
- On February 1, 2022,Chukwudi Iwuji was asked if he was told any additional stuff about Murn when he took on the role.
Not much else, apart from the fact that he had some background in black ops, and he’s been recruited by [ARGUS boss] Amanda Waller...[62]
- On February 3, 2022, Brooks mentioned that that show actually pushed her out of her comfort zone many times; one of which learning and doing the choreography for the opening title sequence.[63]
- In regards to Auggie, Gunn said that "He is really a piece of shit". He also elaborated that "He obviously didn’t feel OK with Auggie saying the N-word every two seconds,” and hoped the character wasn’t just going to be “pressing buttons for the sake of pressing buttons.” Rather, he and Patrick wanted Auggie’s characterization to balance out — and inform — Chris’ extreme douchebaggery.[64]
- On February 5, 2022, Gunn mentioned that the kids LOVED calling Peacemaker a loser.[65]
- He also mentioned that one of the things most discussed with everyone on the team was whether these scenes with Locke killing the defenseless cops was too harsh. But he thought it was necessary to show how Peacemaker is changing & to show we aren’t taking half measures.[66]
- He also confirmed that when a butterfly, the human host does die, because their brain is half-mulched as they sit in you like a little man in Voltron.[67]
- Gunn further revealed that Chukwudi auditioned with the scene where he was essentially portraying a character who was an alien struggling with the emotions & memories of the body he’s taken over while feeling his own guilt for taking him over.[68]
- On February 7, 2022, Gunn teased the final two episodes of the series, and shared a BTS pic of John Cena as Peacemaker on set.[69]
- On February 8, 2022, Gunn mentioned that on the 7th, he and a few members of the cast in Atlanta watched episodes 7 & 8 on a big screen.[70]
- On February 9, 2022, the Peacemaker statue from Prime 1 was released, and stands at a whopping 31-inches tall atop a base inspired by the Jotunheim tower laboratory featured in the movie. Moreover, the sculpt and deco are extremely life-like, down the texture of his costume and the pores in his skin.[71]
- On February 10, 2022, Gunn was asked if the red visor in Vigilante's mask is prescription, to which Gunn did in fact confirm that he does.[72]
- On February 11, 2022, during a pivotal scene from Stop Dragon My Heart Around, the series' seventh episode of this eight-episode HBO Max series, Peacemaker while fighting his father, a white supremacist supervillain named The White Dragon starts shouting at Peacemaker, telling him everything he did wrong in his eyes. He begins by saying that “I knew you was unclean when you was born. And even more so when you killed your brother,” The White Dragon then goes onto say that “I knew when you listened to that devil music. I knew when you shaved your body like a woman. I knew when you slept with the whores of polluted blood! And men!” and through that piece of dialogue, Peacemaker is confirmed bisexual in writing.[73][74]
- On February 12, 2022, Gunn mentioned how Chukwudi Iwuji who plays Murn has become a very close friend over the making of the show. But he wrote the script before they had met.[75]
- He also mentioned that the opening credits during this episode play a bit on the viewer's heartstrings.[76]
- Nhut Le, who portrays Judomasters gave a shout out to his stunt double Derick who fell on the set toilet EIGHT times in order to get that shot.[77]
- Nhut Lee further revealed that some alternate lines he was brainstorming. But he thinks that ultimately, the best one was chosen. However, there were a few that were much more raunchy.[78]
- Also on this day, Steve Agee confirmed that the racoon seen on the show was real and not CGI.[79]
- Also on February 12, 2022, Some of Locke's hygiene ramblings include "Cleanliness is next to godliness, and God knows I'm close to Him" and "If you're not seeing any blood, you're not scrubbing hard enough." During the last take, Locke instructs the supposed top-to-bottom steps of self-washing and says, "When you're drying especially, it's important to swing the hips." Finally, Heyerdahl's hilarious antics crack up the right-framed extra, who failingly shields his laughter by scratching his face.[80]
- On February 14, 2022 Annie Chang revealed a BTS image through twitter ahead of the season 1 finale.[81]
- On February 16, 2022, it was officially announced that the series had been renewed for Season 2.[85][86]
- Also on this day, Nhut Le mentioned that because they shot out of order, the convenient store scene was his last day on set.🙈🤩[87]
- During a recent interview with "Peacemaker" production designer Lisa Soper, mentioned that "You can see there's a lot of provocative material and magazines, and most of them have like, little things written on them where he's comparing himself. We also made him a magazine that he could have bought Eagly, which was like porn. It's called boobies and tits or tits and boobies, which are types of birds. It just has the birds on the front cover. We thought it was funny because it sounded like porn for birds. I think it's on the coffee table. It moved around. Sometimes it's on the counter, sometimes it's on the coffee table. I don't know if you can see it in the final cut, but it's got like a gray cover with literally the birds on the front."[88]
- On February 17, 2022 James Gunn took to Twitter to praise Wayne Dalglish and his stunts team for the fight choreography in the season 1 finale episode.[89]
- Also on this day Agee mentioned in a tweet that, the first 7 episodes took about 12-15 days to shoot each. The finale on the other hand, took 21-22 days , which was mostly night shoots and at that time of year there was very little darkness so they had to add more nights to shoot to compensate for that.[90]
- In addition, Gunn mentioned that it wasn’t scripted for Harcourt to call Waller “Mom.” That it was all Holland improvising, and in turn making Emilia more ballsy.[91]
- In regards to The Justice League showing up late, Gunn joked that they didn't have the budget to have them show up on time.[92]
- On February 18, 2022, Cena tweeted out that the folks at HBO Max told him that the PEACEMAKER finale had the biggest single day performance for a Max Original series and was up 44% over the premiere episode![93]
- Also on this day a new promotional poster with Leota Adebayo in the Peacemaker helmet was released.[94]
- Moreover, reflecting on his character’s journey, John Cena said, “In eight episodes, you see Christopher Smith’s decision-making process change. I think the choices he makes in the final episode is a testament to James Gunn’s ability to write a beautiful ensemble. Every character’s decision making process changes. It’s beautifully harmonic to see everyone be put to make some difficult choices and for every character to show growth. All the choices that Peacemaker makes in the finale show growth and to me that’s a sign of a good story arc. In life, you’re not always the same person you were a year ago or a few years ago. It sums how we should always be on the path to growth and really is a testament to how James Gunn crafts a narrative”.[95]
- On February 19, 2022, Gunn made sure to praise all the people behind the scenes that worked on the show.[96]
- A gag real featuring John Cena and the core cast of Peacemaker where some very funny and silly moments on the set was released by James Gunn.[97]
- Following the recent confirmation of the second season renewal of Peacemaker, rumors began to circulate about the potential appearance of DC villain Bane. However, series creator James Gunn took to Twitter to address this casting rumor by immediately denying that Bane would be one of the second installment’s antagonists. He also wrote that he’s still working on the next season’s storyline, which is why no one knows about the project but him.[98]
- On February 20, 2022, it was revealed that while Jason Momoa and Ezra Miller actually appeared in the episode, both Gal Gadot and Henry Cavill were replaced by body doubles. This week, fans got a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the shadowy Wonder Woman, and now Superman actor Brad Abramenko is showing off his own bts photo.[99][100]
- A model/actor named Matt Turner also mentioned on social media that he worked on Peacemaker as a stand-in for the Dark Knight in that scene, and that there was a Cyborg double as well. Turner shared photos of him in the Ben Affleck-era tactical suit, writing, “After that epic Peacemaker finale I can finally post this. Sadly I (and Cyborg) were cut from the final edit. Why? Only James Gunn and Warner Bros. know.”[5]
- It was also revealed that Peacemaker was the most talked about series in the last 7 days. As well as the most engaged in the last 24 hours and the most currently in the US.[101]
- James Gunn announces that he is engaged to longtime partner, Jennifer Holland, who stars in Gunn's Peacemaker series as Emilia Harcourt.[102]
- During the season finale of the HBO Max series had a line that crossed over the super hero line. Peacemaker said that Green Arrow “goes to Brony conventions dressed as the back half of Twilight Sparkle with a four-inch-wide butthole drilled in the costume.” The off-color jab was relayed to actor Stephen Amell, who plays the Green Arrow on the Arrow series. Amell claimed he hadn’t seen the Peacemaker show in question. However, returning the favor, he dissed actor Cena’s WWE past in a tweet. “Haven’t seen it. Too busy showing Cena what professional wrestling should actually look like on TV,” Amell wrote.[103]
- On February 21, 2022, Stroma mentioned that when James Gunn throws you jokes, there’s only a 5% chance you’re going to get the line out without laughing.[104]
- On February 22, 2022, Brad Abramenkohe took to Instagram, where he launched the hashtag #MySuperman as a way for his fans to show their support for his take on the iconic character. “Were you about to say something? Am I your Superman guys? If you want me to be, comment #MySuperman on my most recent posts and let’s get this going!” he wrote, tagging the official accounts for DC, HBO Max and Peacemaker. Abramenko also shared a video of himself in the Superman suit, writing, “Should I be back for Season 2 of Peacemaker?”[105]
- On February 25, 2022, Cena said it would be an honor if The Rock guest starred on Peacemaker.[106]
- Also on this day Gunn was asked how they dealt with reflections on Peacemaker's helmet while shooting? To which Gunn said that they often had to removed the crew digitally in post-production.[107]
- On February 27, 2022, it was mentioned how the Peacemaker's John Economos is a lot different in the comics, especially when it came to his relationship with Amanda Waller and the Suicide Squad[108]
- As opposed to being a general support staff member in the comics, John Economos is actually the warden of Belle Reve prison, home of the super criminals that the Suicide Squad uses for its membership and also the secret home of the Squad itself.[108]
- We first meet John in Suicide Squad #1 (by John Ostrander, Luke McDonnell and Karl Kesel) giving a spiel to reporter Vicki Vale, while of course hiding the Squad's secrets...[108]
- Economos' state as "just a regular guy" in the middle of all of this craziness was often used to have him be comic relief.[108]
- On March 3, 2022, Nhut Le confirmed that had he not booked the role of Judomaster in Peacemaker, he was going to move back home, give up acting, and do pottery full time. But a week before his move, he got offered the role.[109]
- On March 4, 2022, it was further revealed that Eagly took several layers of CGI to get right.[110]
- On March 6, 2022, Gunn mentioned that he had lunch with some of the 11th Street Kids at Le Colonial in ATL. He further revealed that Danielle lied & told the waiter it was Freddie's birthday & the whole restaurant sang to him.[111]
- On March 8, 2022, Gunn tweeted out news of a Peacemaker Funko Pop being released.[112]
- On March 9, 2022, it was also confirmed that the series finally has a UK release date. All 8 episodes of the hit superhero show will be available on Sky MAX starting March 22, 2022.[113]
- On March 11, 2022, it was also revealed that among the five figures available are Peacemaker with Eagly, Peacemaker in tighty-whities, Judomaster, Vigilante, and Eagly holding an American flag. Noticeable absent are Harcourt and Leota.[114]
- On March 17, 2022, a promotional image of what the Peacemaker cast would look like if they had a Hair Metal Album.[115]
- Also on this day James Gunn showed his approval for a fan's stop-motion LEGO rendition of the opening dance number.[116]
- On March 23, 2022, James Gunn revealed that he has a lot more material for Peacemaker's profane Aquaman joke, courtesy of Ezra Miller.[117]
- Also on this day Man, Gunn tweeted out a video of several people in Bangladesh doing the dance seen in the opening credits of the series.[118]
References[]
- ↑ Peacemaker Cameo Extends James Gunn's Casting Record (Not Nathan Fillion) - Screen Rant
- ↑ Why That Big Cameo In Peacemaker Episode 1 Is So Important - Slashfilm
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 ‘They Let Me Do Whatever I Want’: James Gunn on the ‘Peacemaker’ Finale - Rollingstone
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Superman and Wonder Woman’s Stunt Doubles In Peacemaker Series Revealed The BTS Photos - Maxblizz
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Peacemaker: Batman and Cyborg Were 'Scrubbed' Out of Finale, Actor Claims - TV Line
- ↑ James Gunn November 23, 2020 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 Easter Eggs You May Have Missed In Peacemaker Episode 1 - Slash Film
- ↑ ‘Peacemaker’ Star Danielle Brooks on Joining the DC Universe: ‘I’ve Never Seen Anyone Like Myself in This World’ - Variety
- ↑ Peacemaker Official Playlist - Spotify
- ↑ Why Peacemaker Recast Vigilante After 5 Episodes, Explained By James Gunn - Screen Rant
- ↑ Origin Story: Peacemaker - Fandom
- ↑ John Cena Reveals Peacemaker Opens With Big Dance Number Theme Song - Comicbook.com
- ↑ HBO Max's Peacemaker Explained: John Cena's Character Wasn't Always DC - IGN
- ↑ James Gunn on ‘Peacemaker’ and the Influence of ‘Better Call Saul’ - THR
- ↑ James Gunn wants to ‘vanquish the skip’ intro button with Peacemaker’s musical opening credits - Polygon
- ↑ James Gunn Jan 13, 2022 Tweet Part I - Twitter
- ↑ Steve Agee Jan 13, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn Jan 13, 2022 Tweet Part II - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn Jan 13, 2022 Tweet Part III - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn Jan 13, 2022 Tweet Part 4 - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn Jan 13, 2022 Tweet Part 5 - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn Jan 13, 2022 Tweet Part 6 - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn Jan 13, 2022 Tweet Part 7 - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn Jan 13, 2022 Tweet Part 8 - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn Jan 13, 2022 Tweet Part 9 - Twitter
- ↑ Jennifer Holland Jan. 13, 2022 Tweet Part 1
- ↑ Peacemaker and Leota Adebayo are the "True Love Story" of the Show, Says James Gunn - IGN
- ↑ Peacemaker Calling Batman a [NSFW! Almost Didn't Pass Muster at DC - TV Line]
- ↑ Peacemaker’s Vigilante isn’t anything like the comics by design - Polygon
- ↑ Jennifer Holland Jan. 14th, 2022 Twet Part 1 - Twitter
- ↑ Peacemaker's Chukwudi Iwuji Created a Backstory for Original Character Clemson Murn - Comicbook.com
- ↑ John Cena and James Gunn break all the rules with DC's 'Peacemaker' - Toronto Sun
- ↑ Peacemaker's Aquaman Insult Is Lazy & Makes No Sense In The DCEU - Screen Rant
- ↑ ‘Peacemaker’ lets John Cena and James Gunn cut loose in a silly ‘The Suicide Squad’ spinoff - CNN
- ↑ ‘Peacemaker’ Star Jennifer Holland’s Journey to Harcourt - Hollywood Reporter
- ↑ Lochlyn Munro Jan. 16, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn Jan. 16th, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 'Peacemaker': White Dragon Explained - Collider
- ↑ James Gunn Confirms a ‘Peacemaker’ Character Will Return for a “Future Big DC Movie” - Collider
- ↑ Jennifer Holland Jan. 18, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ Peacemaker: James Gunn Warned the Cast Eagly Would Steal All of Their Scenes - CBR
- ↑ Peacemaker Just Let Us Know This Bizarre Character Exists In The DCEU - Slashfilm
- ↑ James Gunn Jan. 20th, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn Jan. 20th, 2022 Twee Part 2 - Twitter
- ↑ STEVE AGEE ON PEACEMAKER CAST CHEMISTRY AND ’80S HAIR BANDS - Nerdist
- ↑ John Cena's Peacemaker Reads Mean Tweets About DCEU Show In New Video - Screen Rant
- ↑ James Gunn January 22, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn Jan. 22, 2022 Tweet Part II - Twitter
- ↑ 'Peacemaker': Watch How That Incredible Title Dance Sequence Was Made in New Featurette - Collider
- ↑ 'Peacemaker': Jennifer Holland Explains How Her 'The Suicide Squad' Character Became Emilia Harcourt - Collider
- ↑ Peacemaker's Nhut Le Reveals Musical Opening Easter Egg We All Missed - The Direct
- ↑ Ryan Downey Jan. 25, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ 'Peacemaker' is the biggest streaming TV series in the world right now, as HBO Max originals gain momentum - Business Insider
- ↑ A Hilarious Peacemaker Episode 5 Scene Was Improvised By John Cena - Slashfilm
- ↑ James Gunn Jan. 28, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn Jan. 28, 2022 Tweet Part 2 - Twitter
- ↑ James Gun January 29,2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn Jan 29, 2022 Tweet Part 2 - Twitter
- ↑ Ryan Reynolds Jan. 29, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn Jan. 30, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ 'Peacemaker': James Gunn Shares Behind-the-Scenes Set Photo of 11th Street Kids - Collider
- ↑ Peacemaker's Chukwudi Iwuji Talks Butterfly Reveals, Big Twists Ahead and His 'Surprise' Guardians 3 Role - TV Line
- ↑ Peacemaker Pushed Danielle Brooks Out Of Her Comfort Zone - Gamespot
- ↑ James Gunn made sure Peacemaker’s White Dragon was the absolute worst - Polygon
- ↑ James Gunn Feb. 5, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn Feb. 5, 2022 Tweet Part 2 - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn Feb. 5, 2022 Tweet Part 3 - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn Feb. 5, 2022 Tweet Part 4 - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn Feb. 7, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn IG Feb. 8, 2022 Post - Instagram
- ↑ Peacemaker Statue From Prime 1 Comes With Its Own Shiny Toilet Seat - Bell of Lost Souls
- ↑ James Gunn Feb. 10, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ HBO Max's Peacemaker Just Confirmed This Superhero Is Bisexual - Out
- ↑ James Gunn Says Peacemaker Isn't Straight, In Case All The Sex With Men Didn't Make That Clear - Slashfilm
- ↑ James Gunn Feb. 12, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn Feb. 12, 2022 Tweet Part Two - Twitter
- ↑ Nhut Le Feb. 12, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ Nhut Le Feb. 12, 2022 Tweet Part 2 - Twitter
- ↑ Steve Agee Feb. 12, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn Feb. 12, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ Annie Chang Feb. 14, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ Peacemaker's Closed Captions Tear Into White Dragon's Racist Crew - CBR
- ↑ DC Comics Feb. 14, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ Peacemaker Feb. 14, 2022 Tweet Part II - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn Feb. 16, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ ‘Peacemaker’ Renewed for Season 2 on HBO Max - Hollywood Reporter
- ↑ Nhut Le Feb. 16, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ Peacemaker Production Designer Lisa Soper On The Opening Credits And That Warehouse Set Piece - Slashfilm
- ↑ James Gunn Feb. 17, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ Steve Agee Feb. 17, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn Feb. 17, 2022 Tweet Part II - Twitter
- ↑ ‘Peacemaker’ Season Finale: James Gunn on Pulling Off that Shocking Cameo - Variety
- ↑ John Cena Feb. 18, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ Billy the Butcher Feb. 18, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ John Cena on Why He’s So Grateful for That Big ‘Peacemaker’ Finale Cameo - Fandom
- ↑ James Gunn Feb. 19, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn Debuts a 10-Minute Peacemaker Season 1 Gag Reel - Superherohype
- ↑ James Gunn Feb. 19, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ Peacemaker Behind-the-Scenes Photo Reveals Superman Body Double Actor - Comicbook.com
- ↑ bradabramenko Feb. 19, 2022 IG Post - Instagram
- ↑ DC TV Cinema Feb. 20, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn Announces Engagement to Peacemaker Star Jennifer Holland - Screen Rant
- ↑ Stephen Amell Feb. 18, 2022 Tweet -Twitter
- ↑ Freddie Stroma Feb 21, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ Peacemaker’s Superman Stand-In Campaigns For A DCEU Return - Verve Times
- ↑ Dwayne Johnson In Peacemaker Season 2 Would Be Honor for John Cena - Screen Rant
- ↑ James Gunn Feb. 25, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ 108.0 108.1 108.2 108.3 Peacemaker's John Economos Was One of the Few Waller Trusted in the Comics - CBR
- ↑ Nhut Le March 3, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ DC Peacemaker March 4, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ James Gunn March 6, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ Gunn March 8, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ Peacemaker Finally Gets UK Release Date - IGN
- ↑ Original Funko Tweet from March 11, 2022 - Twitter
- ↑ Peacemaker March 17, 2022 Tweet - Twitter
- ↑ Peacemaker's Opening Dance Number's Animated LEGO Version Lands James Gunn's Approval - CBR
- ↑ Peacemaker's Justice League Cameo Extended Aquaman Joke Teased By James Gunn - Screen Rant
- ↑ James Gunn March 23rd, 2022 Tweet - Twitter