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James Gunn to Write ‘Suicide Squad’ Peacemaker Series Starring John Cena for HBO Max

James Gunn’s entry into the comic book world, “The Suicide Squad,” isn’t set to hit theaters till next August — barring the world is at some semblance of normal by then — but HBO Max is playing the long game with one of his characters.

John Cena, set to play the character of Peacemaker in the feature film, will star in his own series based on the character which will debut on the new WarnerMedia streaming service. Gunn himself will write all eight episodes of the untitled series, as well as direct “multiple” episodes, including the pilot, according to the company.

Not much is known about the series, but it is set to be the origin story of Cena’s character, a master of weapons who believes in peace no matter what — even if that means killing people. It will be interesting to see how fans react to meeting him in “The Suicide Squad” and how much of that will translate into wanting to watch an entire series.

Production is set to start on the new series sometime early next year, just in time for the director to transition into helming “Guardians of the Galaxy 3” for the Walt Disney Company. “‘Peacemaker’ is an opportunity to delve into current world issues through the lens of this superhero/supervillain/and world’s biggest douchebag,” Gunn said in a prepared statement.

“I have said before that it has been a tremendous honor and an incredible opportunity to be part of ‘The Suicide Squad’ and to work with James on what is going to be a fantastic movie,” Cena said in a statement. “I am unbelievably excited to have the chance to team up with him again for ‘Peacemaker.’ We can’t wait for fans to see this.”

This is one of several DC Comics’ series HBO Max has in the works. This past summer it was announced that director Matt Reeves, helmer of the new Batman feature, was working on a spin-off series about the Gotham Police Department. HBO Max also greenlit and became the home for a new season of the animated series “Harley Quinn” that has gained a huge cult following. It will transition from the DC streaming service to the new streamer.

 

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