The first trailer for Peacemaker is set to debut during DC FanDome next month, but some members of the press were given the opportunity to watch it early during last night's Television Critics Association, and a breakdown has now been shared online.
Per THR, the footage begins with "Christopher Smith (John Cena) in the hospital following the events of The Suicide Squad. He explains to the orderly that he’s supposed to be in jail for 'superhero shit,' and says he’s Peacemaker. The orderly laughs, insisting there’s no superhero named Peacemaker. There are also glimpses of Robert Patrick as Peacemaker’s disapproving father (it involves a bald eagle) and also some of the onscreen chemistry between Peacemaker and his handlers, including Jennifer Holland’s Squad character, Emilia Harcourt. 'Just because you’re handsome doesn’t mean you’re not a piece of shit,' Harcourt tells Peacemaker at one point. His response? 'You think I’m handsome?'"
We know from The Suicide Squad's post-credits scene that A.R.G.U.S. wants Smith to help them "save the f*cking world," but we're still not sure what kind of threat the team will be facing. James Gunn wasn't giving anything away when it comes to plot specifics, but he did reveal why he settled on Peacemaker for his own spinoff series.
“At the end of The Suicide Squad, [Idris Elba’s] 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,” explained the filmmaker. “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.”
Cena also commented on his imminent return to the role, joking that “it is definitely in my contract to lose a fight in every project I do and definitely to be in a scene with a CGI animal.” Will we see the return of Ratcatcher 2 and Sebastian? Could he even be referring to Weasel or King Shark, perhaps? Maybe Smith will be given a pet sidekick of his own!
Peacemaker will also star Danielle Brooks, Steve Agee, Chris Conrad, 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.