James Gunn explained at the Television Critics Association press tour panel why he went with Peacemaker instead of Bloodsport for The Suicide Squad spin-off.
The Suicide Squad featured a ton of memorable characters like Bloodsport and Ratcatcher 2, but it’s unclear if we will see them return in the future. However, one character we will see again is John Cena’s Peacemaker, who is getting his own HBO Max spin-off series that will debut next year.
Some DC fans might’ve preferred a Bloodsport spin-off over a Peacemaker one, but James Gunn explained at the upcoming show’s Television Critics Association press tour panel why John Cena’s character made more sense:
“At the end of The Suicide Squad, Bloodsport learns a lot. He’s a better person than he was at the beginning. A lot of the characters are much better than they were at the beginning, and Peacemaker has a lot to learn. It’s that ability to learn that for me makes him a little bit more likable. His blindspots in some places are pretty terrible, and in some places are him being ignorant. I think that’s an important distinction to make as well. He is open at the same time, sometimes.”
During the panel, James Gunn also shared how the Peacemaker series will differ from The Suicide Squad:
“There are a lot of similarities to The Suicide Squad in that it’s no holds barred, but there are also a lot of things that are very different, in that it’s quieter in some ways. It’s very specifically about a different group of people, so it’s a little bit more about society. One of the leads is Peacemaker and one of the leads is Danielle Brooks, who plays Leota Adebayo. And she has a very different political view of the world than Peacemaker does.
Here’s the official synopsis for The Suicide Squad:
Welcome to hell—a.k.a. Belle Reve, the prison with the highest mortality rate in the US of A. Where the worst Super-Villains are kept and where they will do anything to get out—even join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X. Today’s do-or-die assignment? Assemble a collection of cons, including Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Captain Boomerang, Ratcatcher 2, Savant, King Shark, Blackguard, Javelin and everyone’s favorite psycho, Harley Quinn. Then arm them heavily and drop them (literally) on the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Trekking through a jungle teeming with militant adversaries and guerrilla forces at every turn, the Squad is on a search-and-destroy mission, with only Colonel Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave…and Amanda Waller’s government techies in their ears, tracking their every movement. And as always, one wrong move and they’re dead (whether at the hands of their opponents, a teammate, or Waller herself). If anyone’s laying down bets, the smart money is against them—all of them.
Written and directed by James Gunn, The Suicide Squad stars Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Sylvester Stallone, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Peter Capaldi, David Dastmalchian, Daniela Melchior, Michael Rooker, Pete Davidson, Nathan Fillion, Sean Gunn, Flula Borg, Mayling Ng, Tinashe Kajese, Steve Agee, Jennifer Holland, Alice Braga, Juan Diego Botto, Joaquin Cosio, Storm Reid, and Taika Waititi.
The Suicide Squad is currently playing in theaters, while Peacemaker will hit HBO Max in January. Stay tuned for the latest news Peacemaker and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more content!
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
