James Gunn’s Peacemaker series on HBO Max has been an unqualified success. Now, even before the first season ends, Gunn just confirmed work has started on a second spinoff from The Suicide Squad film.
After bringing life to the Guardians of the Galaxy for the MCU (which is getting a Holiday Special and the final film in its trilogy that will feature the current roster), Gunn brought his signature style to the DCEU by revitalizing The Suicide Squad. While the first Suicide Squad film directed by David Ayer received mixed reactions, Gunn’s sequel and soft reboot enjoyed universal praise.
Now that Gunn has proven his chops with the Peacemaker show, what could he have planned for the second spinoff? Check out the details revealed so far about the next project Gunn has in store for the DCEU.
Peacemaker Season 2
Although no announcement has been officially made, a second season of Peacemaker on HBO Max is virtually guaranteed.
The DCEU superhero show with a mature bent on its humor and violence (as well as language) is the most in-demand new series on streaming. Peacemaker has even beaten out perennial fan-favorites such as the second season of The Witcher and Star Wars (specifically, The Book of Boba Fett). Gunn himself has stated that Peacemaker is doing exceptionally well.
Given the success with both critics and fans of the Peacemaker HBO Max series, it would be a no-brainer to greenlight a second season. It will likely be only a matter of time, and Gunn is confident this will happen.
Second Suicide Squad spinoff
While Gunn and HBO Max are still coy with confirming a second season for Peacemaker, the director has been more forthcoming with regard to the rumors of another DCEU project that will spinoff from The Suicide Squad film.
However, James Gunn has stated that this would be different in tone and approach, while still being rooted in the current DCEU:
I can't say anything. It is connected to this universe, and I don't think it will be the same genre as Peacemaker; it won't be as much a comedy as Peacemaker, but it will be in the same universe.
Gunn has been teasing this project for some time, but this interview with Deadline is the first official confirmation that this second Suicide Squad spinoff is in the works.
But while this is a solid confirmation of the project, there are no clear details on which characters from the Suicide Squad would be the central figures of the spinoff. Whereas John Cena’s Christopher Smith/Peacemaker was confirmed early on, this second spinoff is scarce with the details.
Speculation among industry insiders and DCEU fans is that it will be one or more of the surviving members of the Suicide Squad. At the end of the 2021 film, Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Ratcatcher (Daniela Mechior), King Shark (Sylvester Stallone), and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) were the only remaining members of Task Force X, aside from the Weasel and Peacemaker (both revealed to be survivors during the film’s end credits).
Elba and Robbie might be unlikely. In fact, Gunn made it clear early on that a Bloodsport spinoff is not in the horizon. Stallone as King Shark would only require the action icon’s voice, but the King Shark CGI would be expensive VFX. That leaves Diana Melchior’s Ratcatcher as the most likely possibility, as even Sebastian was actually a real rat, requiring only a small amount of CGI.
A distinct possibility would be Jai Courtney’s Captain Boomerang. Although he was visibly shown as blowing up (thanks to a crashed helicopter explosion), Captain Boomerang in the comic books always came back (echoing his gimmick of using boomerangs). Perhaps his death was a clever staging by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis)?
And if Captain Boomerang is a possibility, perhaps a series about Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) who might have survived his fatal wounds at the hands of Peacemaker? That would certainly be an interesting scenario, especially if it crosses over with the Peacemaker series, seeing as how Flag’s death continues to haunt Christopher Smith.
Guardians of the Galaxy crossover?
Interestingly, Gunn’s habit of casting people he has previously worked with has been a constant in projects with both the MCU and the DCEU.
Michael Rooker, who played Yondu and Savant is one example. Another example is Sylvester Stallone (Stakar Ogord and King Shark). Even Pom Klementieff (Mantis in Guardians of the Galaxy) made a brief cameo as one of the dancers in The Suicide Squad. However, it appears sometimes, Gunn himself is oblivious to actually cross-casting his actors.
One amusing instance is the casting of Elizabeth Ludlow as Keeya, wife of Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks). Apparently, Gunn did not realize she played an alien in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, as pointed out by one fan on Twitter:
Appreciation tweet for @ElizabethLudlow. She played an alien in GotG Vol 2 but she wore makeup so I didn’t recognize her until after I cast her as Keeya! #PeacemakerParty #Peacemaker pic.twitter.com/2MvV4Gvsyi
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) January 30, 2022
On that note, Gunn is continuing with this tradition by bringing in a Peacemaker co-star to the next Guardians of the Galaxy film. Chukwudi Iwuji (who plays Clemson Murn on Peacemaker) shared in an interview with Rotten Tomatoes that he has been cast by Gunn for a role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3:
When we were filming that opening dance sequence, we did a take and James came up to me and said, 'Do you want to come see the take and can I have a word with you in a second?
The actor initially thought it was Gunn breaking the news that he was going to be replaced, but instead it was an invitation to take on a role in the MCU’s upcoming third installment of the ragtag film intergalactic mercenaries. And Iwuji might not be the only Peacemaker and Suicide Squad actor set to appear in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, as Gunn hinted at on his social media:
That is a distinct possibility. https://t.co/UrFRaGyd6w
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) September 13, 2021
While this is, technically, not a true crossover between the DCEU and MCU film franchises, James Gunn has previously pointed out that such a thing is not impossible. If in fact the two companies and studios (Marvel Studios/Disney and DC Entertainment/Warner Bros.) can come to a mutual agreement, Gunn is probably going to be instrumental in making it happen in the future.
The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker Season 1 are both currently streaming on HBO Max and HBO GO.
