THE SUICIDE SQUAD Director Reveals Specific Shot In The Movie That Convinced Him To Make PEACEMAKER

THE SUICIDE SQUAD Director Reveals Specific Shot In The Movie That Convinced Him To Make PEACEMAKER

The Suicide Squad director James Gunn has revealed that there was one specific shot in the DC Comics movie that led to him deciding to continue Christopher Smith's story in HBO Max's Peacemaker TV series.

By JoshWilding - Feb 22, 2022 10:02 AM EST
Filed Under: Peacemaker
Source: Vulture

News that John Cena's Peacemaker would be getting his own TV series came as a surprise to fans, particularly after they'd watched The Suicide Squad. As one of the most despicable members of Task Force X, it was hard to figure out why James Gunn would want to tell Christopher Smith's story, but thanks to Peacemaker, we've learned that there's much more to the character than we realised.

Smith is by no means all bad and a traumatic childhood clearly pushed him down some darker paths. We've seen that he regretted killing Rick Flag, but in an interview with Vulture, Gunn explained there was one very specific scene in The Suicide Squad that served as inspiration for the HBO Max series.

"There’s one really specific moment with me and John that I can trace the origin of this show back to. It’s the moment in The Suicide Squad where Peacemaker is holding his gun on Ratcatcher 2 and he’s about to kill her. I went into this tight closeup of his eyes...and I see his eyes switch. I see him go to this incredibly sad, vulnerable place. We realize this character is a guy who’s doing something he doesn’t want to do at all, but that he’s going to do anyway, which is shoot a young girl."

"When I saw that moment in him, I knew John was not just a performer who was funny, which is why I hired him, but a guy who had this other layer," Gunn concluded.

The filmmaker was successful in exploring Peacemaker's vulnerable side, and later took to Twitter to confirm that the shot in the banner image above is actually the one he's referring to here. Now, with the vigilante established as more of an anti-hero than villain, it should be interesting seeing how his story continues to develop when the show returns for its second season on HBO Max.

Smith remains on the path to redemption, but with his dead father's voice in his head and a lot of trauma to deal with, we're sure Gunn still has plenty in store for the character moving forward.

All episodes of Peacemaker are now streaming on HBO Max.

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Ha1frican
Ha1frican - 2/22/2022, 10:04 AM
While I at times was kind of annoyed with what they did with PM I do think Cena did a really good job balancing the humor while also giving him depth. That last scene with his dad really showed he is more than just a guy with good comedic timing.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 2/22/2022, 10:04 AM
What a [frick]ing finale and what a [frick]ing show. This is easily one of thee best single seasons of a comic book show we’ve had thus far. Easily.
Grodd87
Grodd87 - 2/22/2022, 10:17 AM
@McMurdo - I have seen the finale yet but watchman one season was just amazing.
Fares
Fares - 2/22/2022, 10:27 AM
@Grodd87 - I haven't seen every Superhero show out there, but I can pretty confidently say that Daredevil, Peacemaker and Watchmen are the Trinity of comic book shows. Rank them as you wish.
I'd go as far as to even say that they set a high standard for comic book storytelling in live action in General.
Grodd87
Grodd87 - 2/22/2022, 10:31 AM
@Fares - I love daredevil my only gripe is the long seasons feel it could of been better at 10 episode. Some episodes felt unnecessary. But at it’s peak daredevil was the best comic show I watched
solskulldeath
solskulldeath - 2/22/2022, 10:37 AM
@Fares - i know it's too early but Superman/Lois show kinda good
Fares
Fares - 2/22/2022, 10:40 AM
@Grodd87 - I myself like that slow kind of pace in most things. But I can see how one might feel that way.
Fares
Fares - 2/22/2022, 10:41 AM
@solskulldeath - I haven't seen all the episodes, frankly, but from what I have watched, it falls in the "good", not "great", category for me. Kind of like the first season of both Arrow and Flash
TheHumanSpider2
TheHumanSpider2 - 2/22/2022, 10:52 AM
@McMurdo - I put Peacemaker just behind Daredevil
DalekCraigWasson
DalekCraigWasson - 2/22/2022, 11:10 AM
@Grodd87 - Watchmen was fantastic but hell apart in the final episode when everything culminated in evil supervillain Trieu wants to be a God who gets stopped and the world is saved, hooray. The moral complexity of the show and indeed OG comic got thrown out the window.
Cbmfilmjunkie
Cbmfilmjunkie - 2/22/2022, 11:33 AM
@Grodd87 - watchmen is definitely #1.

Peacemaker top 3 and it’s not #3.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 2/22/2022, 6:25 PM
@TheHumanSpider2 - season 1 maybe.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 2/22/2022, 6:26 PM
@Grodd87 - finale for Peacemaker was better but loved Watchmen
McMurdo
McMurdo - 2/22/2022, 6:27 PM
@Fares - far better characterization in these 3 shows than in most cbm’s to be honest so agreed
TheHumanSpider2
TheHumanSpider2 - 2/22/2022, 8:04 PM
@McMurdo - I think the show as a whole, although maybe, MAYBE, I'll put Peacemaker above season 2...MAYBE.
solskulldeath
solskulldeath - 2/22/2022, 8:34 PM
@Fares - Yeah,but it still good.the superman we deserved.life balance being heroes for the mankind and being a father. So far it's good and the fighting scene is also good.too many heroic moment for superman which what Snyder's supes lacks off.
Fares
Fares - 2/23/2022, 6:03 AM
@solskulldeath - Yeah I get what you're saying. Even though I'm a more of a fan of Man of Steel, I appreciated the more classic take on Supes in Superman & Lois. But it just, to me, doesn't hit the same heights as a Daredevil for example, and it's still got small traces of that CW-ness in its DNA.
Chrome
Chrome - 2/22/2022, 10:08 AM
John Cena is an underrated actor
Grodd87
Grodd87 - 2/22/2022, 10:18 AM
@Chrome - I wouldn’t say underrated he found a character that can show off his strengths.
slickrickdesigns
slickrickdesigns - 2/22/2022, 10:14 AM
I was saying this during the second to last episode… John Cena is as good of an actor as the Rock and Bautista but Cena has more range than both of them.
There, I said it.
slickrickdesigns
slickrickdesigns - 2/22/2022, 10:15 AM
Oooh this is a great show with the worst intro I’ve ever seen.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 2/22/2022, 10:17 AM
Cena killed it.
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