James Gunn enjoys Peacemaker victory lap by teasing more The Suicide Squad spin-offs

Gunn says that Peacemaker is “the biggest show in the world right now”

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James Gunn enjoys Peacemaker victory lap by teasing more The Suicide Squad spin-offs
Peacemaker Photo: HBO Max

Taking a break from his duties directing Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3, James Gunn, who has secured his place as both DC and Marvel’s golden child, following a bad-faith attempt to derail his career, is enjoying the fruits of his labor. The director’s first The Suicide Squad spin-off, Peacemaker, was a gamble considering that many saw its progenitor as a box-office dud, but it’s currently doing the opposite of a Slipknot and cleaning up on HBO Max.

“We’re the biggest show in the world right now,” Gunn told Deadline from the Atlanta set of Guardians 3. To that end, it sounds like a second season of the John Cena vehicle is all but inevitable, but Gunn says that he’s the one holding it up. “The show is doing extraordinarily well, and we’re excited, we all like doing it, we just need to cross some Ts and dot some Is, which is basically me.”

HBO Max must be pretty happy about that, because Gunn also teased more The Suicide Squad spin-offs—which hopefully means at least one show starting with the letter “W” and ending with the word “easel.” “We’re basically on something else now, another TV show that’s connected to that universe,” Gunn said. “I can’t quite say.”

The Suicide Squad’s day and date HBO Max release may have hindered its box office success, but Gunn says it laid the runway necessary to make Peacemaker a hit, even against stiff streaming competition like the much-hyped second season of The Witcher and Disney+’s The Book Of Boba Fett.

“I wasn’t happy about Suicide Squad going to TV day and date, we also happened to come out at the absolute peak of Delta, so it was a difficult decision,” Gunn said. “For the sake of Peacemaker, I’m really glad: It got more subscribers for HBO, billions of people saw it on HBO; for Peacemaker it worked out really well.”

Now, on to what everyone wants to know: Will Peter Capaldi’s Thinker be in the next show? Well, there’s no answer to that. On the other hand, though, Gunn did leave some breadcrumbs. “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.” So he’s saying the new show will be in the same universe, which only narrows it down to about 15,000 characters. Great.

53 Comments

  • hiemoth-av says:

    I actually really want to watch the further adventures of Bloodsport and Ratcatcher. Also it pretty much sounds like the only option unless they somehow get Robbie to commit being Harley on the small screen.

  • theunnumberedone-av says:

    If any superhero movie in the last decade other than Spider-Verse deserves spinoffs, it’s The Suicide Squad.

  • anathanoffillions-av says:

    it’s a good thing that Rick Flagg can just slip into a different sleeve, that’s how we get Captain America into the DCE%qewf44$error!!@4f404notfound

  • thegobhoblin-av says:

    Ambush Bug confirmed!

  • laserface1242-av says:

    Put Peacmaker in the Blue Beetle movie!

  • pocrow-av says:

    The Suicide Squad’s day and date HBO Max release may have hindered its box office success, but Gunn says it laid the runway necessary to make Peacemaker a hit, even against stiff streaming competition like the much-hyped second season of The Witcher and Disney+’s The Book Of Boba Fett. I don’t understand any of this. These shows are on streaming, on demand. Who cares what else comes out around the same time? Anyone who wants to can watch all three? (I did.) And the hype around Boba Fett pretty much dissipated by the end of the second episode.

    • anathanoffillions-av says:

      Boba Fett has been great at removing any sense of momentum it might buildHey let’s have a 30 minute or more flashback every episode that’s basically Dances With Wolves…or The Last Samurai…they can’t call it white savior if it’s a maori mandalorian and tusken raiders!

      • pocrow-av says:

        I remember as a kid, getting the Boba Fett action figure before Empire Strikes Back came out (saved up those proof of purchases and everything).

        When it came in the mail, I remember turning it over in my hands and thinking, “I sure hope there’s a TV show one day where this guy takes a lot of baths.”

        • anathanoffillions-av says:

          lolit’s also funny because Boba and Fennec are nearly 60, they are starring in their own show…and that show involves a lot of baths.

        • igotlickfootagain-av says:

          Just another reminder that Disney has scrapped the original EU canon, which established that Fett was strictly a cold shower guy.

      • mattthewsedlar-av says:

        The best episode so far has been a secret episode of The Mandalorian! At least they gave us that much.

    • redmagesyndrome-av says:

      True, but the fact is is that the average person doesn’t have the time to watch all three in any timely fashion. And the longer most people puts off watching something the less likely it is that they’ll remember or even care to watch it later on.

    • cosmicghostrider-av says:

      What? That’s not the correct quote. He was referring to the film release of The Suicide Squad in theatres the same day as the film was released on HBO Max. You’re confused. 

    • gargsy-av says:

      “Who cares what else comes out around the same time? Anyone who wants to can watch all three?”

      OK, try to follow this: more people are choosing to watch The Peacemaker than are choosing to watch either The Witcher or Boba Fett, two already-established franchises.

      Is ThaT ReaLlY sO DiFfICULt To uNDersTanD?!?!?!

  • evanfowler-av says:

    I, for one, look forward to the fish-out-of-water story of King Shark’s time on the Canadian Women’s Curling Team.

    • defyne0-av says:

      I would actually love a series where King Shark returns to the sea after being ridiculed for being dumb, only to find that as far as fish intelligence is concerned, he’s brilliant beyond the comprehension of his peers. He becomes a social pariah for even attempting to preach “don’t eat friends,” which is blasphemy to his fellow sharks. Too dumb for land, too smart for the ocean. A shark between worlds.

      • evanfowler-av says:

        That’s actually a really solid alternate backstory for King Shark. I dig it. The one they usually use is a bit “Aquaman, but a shark”. Yours reminds me of something out of Finding Nemo (in a good way).

    • richardalinnii-av says:

      I mean, with Sly Stallone voicing King Shark, is there any situation people would NOT watch that in?  

  • jgp1972-av says:

    i love Peacemaker-but-”biggest show in the world right now?” COME ON

    • the-allusionist-av says:

      Some HBO Max flack out there somewhere is working hard for a promotion that ain’t in the cards.

    • thunderperfectmind-av says:

      According to one analytics company, it’s true, but it’s an outside analytics company that doesn’t have access to ‘real’ numbers because streaming services don’t provide them https://www.businessinsider.com/hbo-max-peacemaker-is-biggest-series-in-world-2022-1

    • igotlickfootagain-av says:

      I mean, it must be, Gunn said that billions of people saw it. Billions, plural.

    • gargsy-av says:

      Wow, you’ve figured out hyperbole! You get to go to grade five now!

    • adamtrevorjackson-av says:

      helps that ‘biggest shows in the world’ isn’t quantifiable by any metric. 

  • anathanoffillions-av says:

    wow the thing that blows my mind about this is the idea of James Gunn making something that isn’t a comedy.Down to the Bone 2
    Another Serbian Film
    Even More Irreversible

    • heyitsliam-av says:

      Have you seen Super? It is dark. 

      • anathanoffillions-av says:

        I have not.  I really should.  My question is: is it a comedy?  Even if it is dark, is it a comedy?

        • the-allusionist-av says:

          It absolutely is a comedy.

          • anathanoffillions-av says:

            Thank you. I like a clean answer.I will def watch it, not sure how I haven’t.

        • capeo-av says:

          Super is definetely a black comedy, and it’s also very dark, to the point that it arguably loses it’s cohesion. It’s got scenes that are incisive and surprisingly good, mixed with scenes that aren’t so much, and it ends up feeling like Gunn maybe bit off more than he chew when trying to deal with some of the subjects he included. He didn’t show the aptitude in Super to maintain a tone no matter the subject matter that he does now.That said, you should check it out. It’s definetely worth a watch.

          • anathanoffillions-av says:

            pls see other answer, which is clean: it is a comedy. I also read the rest of your comment and will think about it

          • heyitsliam-av says:

            I have to disagree. It’s just that Gunn seemed to have no interest in giving the viewer what they expect, or to keep them comfortable. There’s a scene where the-then Ellen Page rapes Dwight from The Office.

          • cosmicghostrider-av says:

            You can just say Elliot Page.

          • jalapenogeorge-av says:

            It’s been a while since I’ve seen it, but if I recall correctly, there’s a bit where Rainn Wilson smacks some guy over the head with a pipe wrench, and I don’t think any part 0f any other movie has ever caused me to laugh so hard. So I vote comedy.

        • heyitsliam-av says:

          It’s a dark comedy, and it gets progressively grimmer as it goes. Definitely not for the squeamish.

  • smokehouse-almonds-av says:

    TDK the TV show, which will feature a guest appearance by his buddy, Matter-Eater Lad.

  • pcthulhu-av says:

    JLI?

    • haodraws-av says:

      Oh, damn. I’ve longed for a JLI show for so long… And James Gunn would be perfect for it. This will never happen and now I’m sad.

  • antsnmyeyes-av says:

    Hopefully a Vengeance show.

  • tramplax-av says:

    Biggest show in the world? Like Good Sam and Republic of Sarah don’t even exist!

    • the-allusionist-av says:

      And who could forget classics like CSI: Bakersfield, FBI: Mexico City, and My Favorite Vivisectionist?

      • skipskatte-av says:

        Oh, and that show where there’s a doctor who’s REALLY good at being a doctor but has difficulty connecting with people. 

  • igotlickfootagain-av says:

    “[W]e just need to cross some Ts and dot some Is, which is basically me.” Wait, is Gunn teasing that he’ll make a show about my favourite obscure DC character, The I Dotter?

  • mikolesquiz-av says:

    Different genre? Aha! It’ll be a Call Me By Your Name-inspired romance flashing back to King Shark and John “Hellblazer” Constantine’s short-lived relationship.

  • amazingpotato-av says:

    I hope the next show centres on Superman’s poop fetish.

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