John Cena's Peacemaker Series Adds Another Suicide Squad Star And More

John Cena as Peacemaker for The Suicide Squad (2020)

John Cena and James Gunn’s Peacemaker series, a TV spinoff of the upcoming film The Suicide Squad, is moving right along. The production, which was originally reported to be kicking off in early 2021, actually appears to be starting in just a few weeks. This news comes after Gunn revealed that he was quarantining for two weeks ahead of his work on the show. Now, the cast is really starting to fill out, as the show has officially tapped four new cast members, including another star from The Suicide Squad.

HBO Max has announced that Peacemaker has cast Orange Is the New Black’s Danielle Brooks as Leota Adebayo, Perry Mason’s Robert Patrick as Auggie Smith, Patriot’s Chris Conrad as DC Comics hero Adrian Chase a.k.a. Vigilante. In addition, The Suicide Squad’s Jennifer Holland will also reprise her role as Emilia Harcourt for the show.

These are definitely some strong casting additions, as Gunn definitely seems to be bringing some quality talent to the small screen spinoff. One of the most exciting parts of this news has to be the inclusion of Vigilante. Chase originally appeared on TV through the Arrowverse, but it’s a safe bet that Gunn will probably take a different approach with his version of the character.

Aside from John Cena and this new group of actors, The Suicide Squad’s Steve Agee has also been confirmed to be starring in the show. In the movie, Agee plays both John Economos and King Shark, but he’ll be reprising the latter character for the HBO Max show. Economos is a warden at Belle Reve Federal Penitentiary and also serves as an aide to Amanda Waller. Coincidentally, Holland’s Emilia Harcourt also works with Waller.

When it comes to story details, James Gunn has been tight-lipped, though it appears that the show will take place before the events of the upcoming film. So viewers should get a better idea of how Cena’s violently noble protagonist gets involved with Task Force X.

When it comes to The Suicide Squad, James Gunn mostly seems to be utilizing established comic book characters, albeit ones that may not be that well known to casual readers. Though with characters like those of Danielle Brooks and Robert Patrick, it looks like he’s also bringing in a few original characters.

It’s fun to speculate about how these characters could factor into Peacemaker’s journey, as there are plenty of possibilities. But one thing that seems to be a possibility is that these people will either get on Peacemaker’s good or bad side as the show progresses. The relationship between him and Vigilante alone has plenty of potential.

There could very well be more additions to Peacemaker’s cast list as the show moves even closer to its production start date. As great as The Suicide Squad’s cast is, it also looks like Gunn is taking the time and effort to cast quality actors for this show. It’ll be exciting to see who else gets to rub shoulders with Cena’s hero.

Erik Swann
Senior Content Producer

Erik Swann is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He began working with the publication in 2020 when he was hired as Weekend Editor. Today, he continues to write, edit and handle social media responsibilities over the weekend. On weekdays, he also writes TV and movie-related news and helps out with editing and social media as needed. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After shifting into multi-platform journalism, he started working as a freelance writer and editor before joining CB. Covers superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. He eats more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.