If you watched the 2021 superhero movie The Suicide Squad (not to be confused with Suicide Squad - from 2016) you almost certainly remember a particular character called Peacemaker, played by John Cena.
The character is basically a very over-the-top take on Marvel’s Captain America. He is so utterly rigid in his ideals that he might actually be more of a villain than a superhero. Basically, he’s horrible. Hence why he was in prison at the beginning of the movie.
But, Peacemaker’s philosophy that he will do anything necessary to deliver peace, even if he has to kill everyone. Which is part of what makes him a hilarious character (if you’re into laughing at an over the top misogynist, who believes to his core that he is a good guy).
John Cena brought the character to life in the movie so a streaming series was a logical next step, except…
Wait, Didn’t Peacemaker Die in The Suicide Squad?
I think most people who watched The Suicide Squad would have agreed that at the end of the movie, Peacemaker was dead. He had just been shot in the throat by Bloodsport after betraying the team and killing popular character Rick Flagg.
So, it’s fair to say that most viewers thought it was justice served when Peacemaker went down. But, not so fast…
What’s it About?
It turns out that Peacemaker was only seriously wounded by that bullet and at the beginning of the series, he is being released from the hospital. Peacemaker understandably questions when the doctors tell him he can just leave. He was in prison after all.
But, out he goes, heading back home to meet up with his even more horrible father. Who happens to be an avowed white supremacist) who trained his son to become a hyper-violent vigilante… er superhero.
The character humor from the film is back in full force, as both the movie and most of the series episodes are directed by James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy). Peacemaker’s concerns are quickly justified when a small black ops team shows up at his trailer with an ‘offer’ to come work for them on Project Butterfly.
Peacemaker quickly concludes that since these missions are all aptly named (project Starfish turned to be a giant alien starfish) he is being hired to fight Mothra (fans of 1970s Japanese monster movies rejoice!). But no, it turns out they just want him to kill people (but only really bad people!).
What follows in the early going is Peacemaker meeting his new team, made up of a shadowy leader (Clemson Murn), a hyper-competent agent (Emilia Harcourt), a tech nerd (John Economus), and a newbie agent (Leota Adebayo).
Safe to say that he rubs them all the wrong way from the beginning, with both his philosophy and penchant for always wearing his costume.
Where Can I Watch it?
Peacemaker is playing on HBO Max, with new episodes being released each Thursday, through the end of the first 8 episode season on February 17, 2022.
Watch it or Not?
Based on the first few episodes, if you enjoyed the character in The Suicide Squad, then it’s worth your time. However, the humor does start to feel a bit played out after a couple of episodes. But, we do get to see this terrible character make some subtle steps toward growth.
