Fans of James Gunn’s anarchic take on The Suicide Squad have a lot to look forward to this month, as spin-off streaming series Peacemaker gets underway on HBO Max.
The follow-up project sees former WWE star John Cena return to the role that he debuted in last year’s star-studded blockbuster, playing a man prepared to commit atrocities in his quest for peace.
While this show does feature a couple of other familiar faces from the 2021 reboot, Gunn has enlisted a cast comprised largely of brand new characters, which should help keep the story truly unpredictable.
Read on for your rundown of the key players in DC’s Peacemaker.
John Cena plays Christopher Smith / Peacemaker
!["John]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/01/john-cena_peacemaker-039d60a.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"john-cena_peacemaker\"")
Who is Christopher Smith / Peacemaker? Peacemaker was introduced in 2021’s The Suicide Squad as one of the leading figures on the team. He was trained to be a lethal fighter from a young age by his ruthless father, using these skills to mercilessly kill anyone that threatens his definition of peace. But the events of his debut appearance have exposed his moral compass to be seriously faulty, so expect to see more than a few problematic decisions across this eight-episode miniseries.
What else has John Cena been in? Since rising to fame as one of WWE’s most legendary characters, Cena has shifted his attention to acting with roles in Daddy’s Home, Bumblebee and F9: The Fast Saga.
Danielle Brooks plays Leota Adebayo
!["Danielle]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/01/danielle-brooks-peacemaker-5f3b7f2.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"danielle-brooks-peacemaker\"")
Who is Leota? Leota is a member of the Black Ops team tasked with keeping Peacemaker in-check, who it’s said will strongly disagree with his extreme world view. Brooks recently revealed to Variety that writer James Gunn created this character specifically for her.
What else has Danielle Brooks been in? Brooks broke out in the main cast of Netflix prison drama Orange is the New Black, where she played Tasha ‘Taystee’ Jefferson.
Robert Patrick plays Auggie Smith
!["Robert]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/01/robert-patrick-peacemaker-9d1b37a.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"robert-patrick-peacemaker\"")
Who is Auggie Smith? Auggie is Peacemaker’s father and the person responsible for turning him into the monster he is today.
What else has Robert Patrick been in? Patrick is best known for playing murderous cyborg T-1000 in classic action flick Terminator 2: Judgement Day. His more recent projects include television dramas Scorpion and Mayans M.C.
Steve Agee plays John Economos
!["Steve]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/01/steve-agee-peacemaker-28dd04b.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"steve-agee-peacemaker\"")
Who is John Economos? Economos was one of the aides to ARGUS boss Amanda Waller, who was placed onto Peacemaker duty (along with colleague Emilia Harcourt) after crossing her in the final act of The Suicide Squad.
What else has Steve Agee been in? Agee rose to prominence as a stand-up comedian, but has also acted for James Gunn on numerous occasions, with small roles in The Suicide Squad, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Brightburn and Super.
Jennifer Holland plays Emilia Harcourt
!["Jennifer]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/01/jennifer-holland_peacemaker-d9ce49b.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"jennifer-holland_peacemaker\"")
Who is Emilia Harcourt? Harcourt is another of Amanda Waller’s ex-aides, who now finds herself begrudgingly babysitting unhinged costumed operative Peacemaker.
What else has Jennifer Holland been in? Holland’s past credits include Brightburn, Sun Records and American Horror Story: Asylum. She is the partner of Peacemaker writer-director James Gunn.
Freddie Stroma plays Adrian Chase
!["Freddie]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/01/freddie-stroma-peacemaker-4607ed5.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"freddie-stroma-peacemaker\"")
Who is Freddie Stroma? Also known by the alias Vigilante, Stroma is a troubled superhero who will be working closely with Peacemaker on his latest mission.
What else has Adrian Chase been in? Harry Potter fans may recognise him as Cormac McLaggen, a role he played in the final three films of the franchise. Since then, Chase has appeared in Lifetime drama Unreal, Netflix’s The Crew as well as The Inbetweeners 2 and Michael Bay’s 13 Hours.
Chukwudi Iwuji plays Clemson Murn
!["Chukwudi]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/01/chukwudi-iwuji-peacemaker-ff89171.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"chukwudi-iwuji-peacemaker\"")
Who is Clemson Murn? Murn is a mercenary and one of the leading figures on Task Force X, characterised by his cynical, no-nonsense approach to their grim missions.
What else has Chukwudi Iwuji been in? Iwuji is known for his roles on BBC One’s The Split, factual drama When They See Us, political thriller Designated Survivor and last year’s acclaimed miniseries The Underground Railroad. He is currently collaborating with James Gunn for a second time with a role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Nhut Le plays Judomaster
!["Nhut]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/01/nhut-le-judomaster-peacemaker-e8e5ed2.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"nhut-le-judomaster-peacemaker\"")
Who is Judomaster? Judomaster is an obscure character from the pages of DC Comics, who appropriately is very good at Judo. Little is known about James Gunn’s interpretation, but we wouldn’t be surprised if he’s put his own zany twist on this character.
What else has Nhut Le been in? Le is a relatively unknown talent at present, but this could be a major breakout role for him. Fans of comedian Nick Kroll may recognise him for his dual role on The Kroll Show.
Peacemaker premieres on HBO Max on Thursday 13th January 2022. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.