Following the success of HBO's Peacemaker, James Gunn is busy with several other top-secret projects with DC, which he says will feature some familiar faces from the newly beloved gang of unlikely heroes. After achieving success with Gunn on The Suicide Squad, Warner Bros. partnered with the director/writer on Peacemaker, which follows John Cena as Christopher Smith as he sets out to find answers about "Project Butterfly." Viola Davis reprised her role as Amanda Waller, and several new stars were inducted into the DCEU, including Danielle Brooks, Chukwudi Iwuji, Freddie Stroma, and Jennifer Holland.
Peacemaker marked a turning point for Warner Bros, as many feel Gunn helped revive the DCEU with his latest work. Viewers expressed their intense support and love for Peacemaker, shattering HBO Max streaming records and applauding the balance of humor, gore, and sincerity. Cena impressed audiences with his performance in the titular role, hunting down an alien life-form invading the planet and threatening the Earth. With support from his new band of rejected troops, the series gracefully introduced audiences to exciting new characters. Viewers have rallied for Gunn since the release of The Suicide Squad, but Peacemaker solidified his position as an essential element to the rising success of the DCEU.
In a conversation with The Playlist, Gunn teases the future for his Peacemaker characters, sharing that his other in-the-works DC series will include them in some way. Read Gunn's full quote below:
I am working very seriously on another DC project, where I’m very involved in the writing and the direction of it. There will be some blending of the characters from ‘Peacemaker’ in the other shows I’m working on. And I’m involved with a couple of other [DC] things too.
After a busy year working on both DC and Marvel productions, there will be no shortage of content from Gunn in either universe any time soon. Peacemaker season 2 will be led by Gunn once again, and Warner Bros. was said to have started development on an Amanda Waller spinoff, though Gunn points out that hasn't been confirmed elsewhere in the interview. As the DCEU begins its rapid expansion plan, viewers are eager to learn what other top-secret projects are in the works, and HBO Max is likely to earn a few new titles after the success of its first DCEU series. Now that Gunn has provided confirmation that the other projects will feature some Peacemaker characters, audiences can begin the speculation process.
In an effort to keep up with Marvel's constant outpouring of content on Disney+, HBO Max and Warner Bros. are clearly doing all they can to expand the universe. Although Gunn has managed to improve public opinion immensely, the company needs to be cautious moving forward to give each project the same time and care it did with Peacemaker. The series raised the bar of expectation amongst audiences, so now it is the challenge of creators like Gunn to deliver more surprising victories.