The first footage from the Peacemaker series aired tonight during the Emmy Awards as part of a new HBO Max promo teasing the streamer's upcoming slate, and director James Gunn took to Twitter shortly after to share an official version.
It's just a few shots, but we get to see John Cena back in costume (sorry, uniform) as the delusional Christopher Smith, who narrowly survived a bullet to the throat from Bloodsport (Idris Elba) towards the end of The Suicide Squad. We assumed that was the end of the vigilante and his upcoming spinoff show would be a prequel, but the post-credits scene revealed that Smith was only badly wounded and would soon recover to help A.R.G.U.S. "save the f*cking world."
We still don't know exactly what that's going to entail, but we can probably expect Peacemaker to at least attempt to find some redemption and atone for his past actions.
The footage comes in around the 30 second mark.
Peacemaker will also star Danielle Brooks, Steve Agee, Jennifer Holland, Chris Conrad, Robert Patrick and Chukwudi Iwuji. Specific plot details are still under wraps, but we do know that the series will explore the origins of Cena's titular DC Comics villain/antihero, a man who believes in peace at any cost, no matter how many people he has to kill to get it.
Gunn is writing and directing the show, which was ordered to series last September. No official premiere date has been announced, but Peacemaker is expected to hit HBO Max next January.