PEACEMAKER: James Gunn Defends Chris Smith's Actions In THE SUICIDE SQUAD: "He Had A Reason For Doing It"

PEACEMAKER: James Gunn Defends Chris Smith's Actions In THE SUICIDE SQUAD: "He Had A Reason For Doing It"

HBO Max's Peacemaker finds John Cena's Christopher Smith wrestling with his decision to kill Rick Flag in The Suicide Squad, and director James Gunn has now offered a defence of his actions...

By MarkCassidy - Jan 14, 2022 08:01 AM EST
Filed Under: Peacemaker

Though pretty much every member of Task Force X could technically be deemed a "bad guy" (that's kinda the point), John Cena's Christopher Smith, aka Peacemaker, came closest to outright villainy in The Suicide Squad when he murdered Rick Flag in order to keep Amanda Waller's secrets from leaking.

HBO Max's Peacemaker (you can check out our review here) finds Smith struggling with his decision to kill the former army colonel (who he clearly respected), with Flag's final words, "Peacemaker... what a joke," echoing as a constant reminder of his actions.

Some have questioned the decision to develop a spinoff focusing on the movie's most despicable character, but writer/director James Gunn sees things a little differently, and offered a defence of Smith's misdeeds while being interviewed for Podly: The Peacemaker Podcast.

"People constantly are writing on Twitter about how awful [Peacemaker] is and how mad they are that he killed Rick Flag — and I may get shit for saying this — but what he was doing, he had a reason for doing it. He kills Rick Flag in The Suicide Squad because there's a piece of evidence that he believes will cause the world a great amount of disturbance and death and violence. He's covering up the truth, so if you believe in the truth being out there no matter what, you definitely don't agree with that."

While Gunn makes a valid point, it's actually harder to excuse what Smith did next, as he was about to gun down an innocent young woman (who had already surrendered the files he was after) simply because he wanted to be "thorough" before Bloodsport intervened.

What do you guys make of Gunn's comments? Do you think redemption is on the cards for Peacemaker? Should it be? Let us know in the usual place.

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GhostDog
GhostDog - 1/14/2022, 8:38 AM
Did some people not understand this? I thought it was pretty clear. It’s also why Flagg said he’s a joke.
Origame
Origame - 1/14/2022, 12:25 PM
@BlackBeltJones - I think they got it, just didn't agree with it. They sided with flag who tried to get the crimes the US government committed exposed, and peacemaker killed him to keep it hidden.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 1/14/2022, 4:17 PM
@BlackBeltJones - it’s like it flew over peoples heads or they don’t listen to dialogue
GhostDog
GhostDog - 1/14/2022, 4:23 PM
@McMurdo - I’ve seen people on twitter miss the point. the whole idea is that he’s a piece of shit.
Batmandalorian
Batmandalorian - 1/14/2022, 8:42 AM
I think its an awesome show. And thats about all the time i take thinking about it 🤷🏼‍♂️. Also i think i want a pet eagle now 🦅
TheMapleSyrup
TheMapleSyrup - 1/14/2022, 8:42 AM
Rick Flagg dying isnt that shocking in a suicide squad movie. I binge watched the first three episodes after watching the premiere of Superman and Lois, and Peacemakers a fun character to follow. It's a lot of fun and Gunn gets to do something he really wants to do.
Batmandalorian
Batmandalorian - 1/14/2022, 8:46 AM
Each character thinks hes the hero and doing what they think is the right thing.
PhantomCelery
PhantomCelery - 1/14/2022, 11:28 AM
@thebagman - exactly the whole point
billnye69
billnye69 - 1/14/2022, 8:55 AM
Obviously, reasons are the reason anything is done by anyone.
Urubrodi
Urubrodi - 1/14/2022, 9:17 AM
@billnye69 - Did you just read the headline and post this comment?
billnye69
billnye69 - 1/14/2022, 12:37 PM
@Urubrodi - No
Batmandalorian
Batmandalorian - 1/14/2022, 9:00 AM
Correct so i dont read into anything i just enjoy the show
TheHumanSpider2
TheHumanSpider2 - 1/14/2022, 9:55 AM
I'm startin to believe is just...DUMB.
Peacemaker is an asshole, he is not suppoused to be likeable, on the other hand, he is a psycho who believes in following orders no matter what, he was going to kill Flagg or anyone in order to acomplished his mission, is as simple as that.
LegendaryOutlaw
LegendaryOutlaw - 1/14/2022, 10:40 AM
It kind of amazes me that people will mount a crusade against characters like Peacemaker, and give shit to anyone who follows the logic of how the character works. Even more so, it’s weird that so many people have a problem with you if you like characters like Peacemaker. So many people believe that liking a character is the same as associating with or agreeing with a character.

When TFATWS dropped, a lot of people that said they like US Agent as a character, were given a hard time even though they weren’t saying they agreed with their actions or their ethos. It’s not like this is a new problem but people being unable to separate fiction from reality with movies/TV is just so weird.
PhantomCelery
PhantomCelery - 1/14/2022, 11:29 AM
@LegendaryOutlaw - I mean Peacemaker is an asshole but he's also a real, grounded character with relatable motivations so as an audience member, I don't really care where they align on the moral spectrum as long as they are GOOD characters
THEDARKKNIGHT1939
THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - 1/14/2022, 12:43 PM
I don't have a problem with Peacemaker having his own show. I have a problem with it being treated as a comedy with him running off scot-free and everyone cracking jokes as if nothing happened. Peacemaker's guilt over Flag's death being played off just for laughs is typical of Gunn but doesn't work for me. So unless I hear this show gets serious and there are some real consequences for his actions, I have no desire to watch it.
Tensorpants
Tensorpants - 1/14/2022, 12:56 PM
@THEDARKKNIGHT193 - Having such principles will prevent you from enjoying a lot of what life has to offer I'm guessing.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 1/14/2022, 4:19 PM
Brilliant show deserves all the praise it’s getting
ThouBear8
ThouBear8 - 1/14/2022, 6:43 PM
I thought that moment was one of the best in the movie, even tho it made me sad to lose the Rick Flagg character. Gunn's execution of that scene, & the 2 actors' performances made it easily one of the most powerful moments in the film.
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