John Cena‘s The Suicide Squad character hasn’t even made his big screen debut yet, and he’s already landed his own HBO Max series.
As part of the streaming service’s ongoing commitment to live-action series based on DC Comics characters, Peacemaker will explore the origin story of Cena’s problematic anti-hero in a new “action-adventure-comedy” show. Adding to the surprise announcement is the news that The Suicide Squad director James Gunn will write all eight episodes of the first season.
“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 statement. “I’m excited to expand The Suicide Squad and bring this character from the DC film universe to the full breadth of a series. And of course, to be able to work again with John, Peter, and my friends at Warner Bros. is the icing on the cake.”
Cena is, of course, pumped for the new project. “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. 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.”
Peacemaker is now the second HBO Max series with direct ties to a DC Comics film. Back in July, the streaming platform announced a spinoff show connected to Matt Reeves’ The Batman starring Robert Pattinson. That series will reportedly focus on the Gotham PD as it reacts to Batman’s first year on the job.