New Peacemaker trailer has screened for press – here's what happens

Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad
(Image credit: Warner Bros./DC)

A Peacemaker trailer has been screened during a panel as part of the Television Critics Association press tour, revealing brand new footage of the upcoming DC series. 

The Suicide Squad spin-off series sees John Cena's character, an antihero who believes in peace at any cost (no matter how many people he has to kill), take center stage. Via The Hollywood Reporter, the trailer shows Christopher Smith (AKA Peacemaker) in hospital following the events of The Suicide Squad. He tells the hospital staff who he is and that he's supposed to be in jail for "superhero shit" – they laugh and insist that there isn't a superhero named Peacemaker. It also showed a glimpse of his disapproving father, played by Robert Patrick, and his handler Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland). 

During the panel, director James Gunn also revealed why it was Peacemaker, as opposed to any of the other characters in The Suicide Squad, that he decided to focus on for a TV spin-off.

"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," he said. 

"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."

The cast of Peacemaker also includes Danielle Brooks, Steve Agee, Freddie Stroma, and Chukwudi Iwuji. It's set to air on HBO Max sometime in January 2022.

While we wait for Peacemaker to hit the small screen, check out our list of the best superhero movies of all time. And, if you don't have a subscription yet, take a look at our guide to the best HBO Max prices.

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Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism. 

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