PEACEMAKER Star John Cena Talks Upcoming DCU, Season 2 Plans, And Whether The Anti-Hero Could Get A Movie

PEACEMAKER Star John Cena Talks Upcoming DCU, Season 2 Plans, And Whether The Anti-Hero Could Get A Movie

Peacemaker season 2 has already been confirmed by DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn and now John Cena has chimed in on that, sharing his take on joining the new DCU and whether he could get his own movie...

By JoshWilding - Dec 13, 2023 06:12 AM EST
Filed Under: Peacemaker

Peacemaker was a hit when it launched in 2022, and while Christopher Smith was undoubtedly one of The Suicide Squad's biggest A-Holes, he found redemption and proved himself a hero (of sorts) in his spin-off TV series.

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has already confirmed the character will return in a second season once Waller is released. However, due to this year's Hollywood strikes, we don't anticipate seeing Smith make his DCU debut until late 2025 or early 2026 at the very earliest. 

John Cena was recently at the premiere of The Iron Claw and was asked by Variety what his future in the new DCU looks like.

"Man, I hope we see more Peacemaker. I sure as hell had a fun time doing that," the pro wrestler and actor says in the video below. "I know they're shifting around some things around over at DC, but I know that James Gunn's made some statements that we're going in for season 2, and what he says usually he does."

Asked if he's been in contact with Gunn, Cena added, "Well, there was a time when we couldn't talk to each other given the nature of all things business. I'm glad that time is over. Once we could talk again...man, he's my friend first and foremost so I just welcomed him back to work and wished him well. We'll play our cards beyond that."

Could we see a Peacemaker movie? "Again, I don't want to speak for James and put any undue pressure on him," he said before being asked whether a Peacemaker musical might be in the works. "Stranger things have happened," Cena admitted. 

Smith is one of only a few DCEU characters to make the leap from that world to the DCU, so it will be interesting to see how Gunn potentially changes his approach to the former Task Force X member in that new reality! 

Peacemaker explored the origins of the character that John Cena first portrayed in James Gunn's 2021 film, The Suicide Squad - a compellingly vainglorious man who believes in peace at any cost, no matter how many people he has to kill to get it.

The series stars John Cena as Peacemaker, Danielle Brooks as Adebayo, Freddie Stroma as Vigilante, Jennifer Holland as Harcourt, Steve Agee as Economos, Chukwudi Iwuji as Murn, and Robert Patrick as Auggie Smith.

Gunn wrote all eight episodes of Peacemaker and directed five, including the first. Gunn, Safran and Matt Miller serve as executive producers on the series, with Cena as co-executive producer. All episodes are now streaming on Max. 

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marvel72
marvel72 - 12/13/2023, 6:45 AM
He was more likeable than I thought he'd be in The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 12/13/2023, 6:50 AM
Looking forward to seeing him in the role again…

Cena’s always had good comedic chops but this has definitely been his strongest performance from a dramatic standpoint so I’m interested to see how Christopher Smith develops further , especially given how the season ended.

Apophis71
Apophis71 - 12/13/2023, 7:13 AM
@TheVisionary25 - I'll be honest I checked out his series expecting to not like it, he was decent in suicid squad but not convinced a spinoff show would work...

...ended up loving it although there were aspects of the series I had issues with, Cena and his characterization of the character was not one of them.
bobevanz
bobevanz - 12/13/2023, 7:16 AM
"Learn how to read" - Josh Wilding
HammerLegFoot
HammerLegFoot - 12/13/2023, 7:18 AM
Says 4 comments but I only see 1. Who the heck did I piss off and how lmao?!?
marvel72
marvel72 - 12/13/2023, 8:34 AM
@HammerLegFoot - Well it says 12 comments but I only see 10,so we've pissed off the same people.

cubichy
cubichy - 12/13/2023, 7:22 AM
I only saw him in the suicide squad movies, the first I liked, the 2nd was total dogshit, power rangers episode with some xena thrown in. Not even sure if he was in the first. I was disgusted by the character and have not and will not see the show. I assume season 2 will be more of the same, I don't like cena acting generally, but peacemaker type episodes, like Love and Blunder on marvel, non grounded, forced comedy, comic book movies and shows are why comic book movies are tanking and being rejected by the masses. Peacemaker is the opposite of what DC needs and so I booster gold, bad decisions by Gunn.
Forthas
Forthas - 12/13/2023, 7:37 AM
"James Gunn's made some statements... and what he says usually he does."

I think he has James Gunn confused with someone else. We should ask Gal Gadot what she thinks!
Clintthahamster
Clintthahamster - 12/13/2023, 9:53 AM
@Forthas - I mean, he did say "usually."
Forthas
Forthas - 12/13/2023, 10:25 AM
@ClintThaHamster - I guess there is a loophole there!
Repian
Repian - 12/13/2023, 7:40 AM
Maxwell Lord for season two.
Izaizaiza
Izaizaiza - 12/13/2023, 8:02 AM
Honestly, I love the show... But I don't need a peacemaker movie
JonAwesome
JonAwesome - 12/13/2023, 8:08 AM
I liked him in Peacemaker but just reboot the whole slate, don’t keep certain things. He would make a great Shazam or Solomon Grundy!
Repian
Repian - 12/13/2023, 8:18 AM
@JonAwesome - Or Captain Atom.


bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 12/13/2023, 10:58 AM
@JonAwesome - I agree. I feel it's kinda lame that anything connected to The Suicide Squad/Peacemaker is sticking around, while the rest is going in the bin.

Or maybe that Waller show or Peacemaker S2 will establish why everything is different now. Could be an interesting mystery that serves as overarching story for Chapter 1
JonAwesome
JonAwesome - 12/13/2023, 11:13 AM
@Repian - I really like that idea!
JobinJ
JobinJ - 12/13/2023, 9:03 AM
He is not an ANTIHERO in this show, he's a straight up hero.
Clintthahamster
Clintthahamster - 12/13/2023, 9:56 AM
@JobinJ - He was literally the dictionary definition of antihero. "a central character in a story, movie, or drama who lacks conventional heroic attributes."
narrow290
narrow290 - 12/13/2023, 10:17 AM
Peacemaker was a breath of fresh air, exactly what DC needed. this show has so much heart! Hate on Gunn all you want, but dude knows how to tell a story
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 12/13/2023, 10:24 AM
"Well, there was a time when we couldn't talk to each other given the nature of all things business".

The cancel pigs wouldn't even let them talk to each other. Cancel pigs are [frick]ed up. They all need therapy.
asherman93
asherman93 - 12/13/2023, 1:42 PM
@ObserverIO - ...I think he was more talking about the strikes.
DocSpock
DocSpock - 12/14/2023, 1:18 AM
@ObserverIO -

If therapy means having their pansy a$$es kicked, I agree.

ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 12/14/2023, 4:32 AM
@asherman93 - Oh yeah, probably, lol. Forgot about those.
NinnesMBC
NinnesMBC - 12/14/2023, 1:04 AM
"Smith is one of only a few DCEU characters to make the leap from that world to the DCU" that's one heck of an assumption, I can count up around 9 more characters with DCEU roots that will make the jump to the DCU due to having worked with James Gunn before. :P
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