John Cena and James Gunn team for HBO Max spin-off of The Suicide Squad

Looks like HBO Max is truly the new home of DC Comics properties! After giving a series order to THE BATMAN spin-off based on Gotham PD, James Gunn's partial reboot THE SUICIDE SQUAD will explore one of the new characters in their own limited series. Peacemaker, starring John Cena as the titular character, will be an eight-episode series exploring the origins of the big screen character. It's also been reported that James Gunn will write all the episodes in addition to directing most of them. We're also hearing that the spin-off will serve as an origin story for the character, who stands to make quite the splash when THE SUICIDE SQUAD blasts into theaters next year.

HBO Max is already home to DC Universe properties Doom Patrol, Harley Quinn, Titans, Swamp Thing, Stargirl, and Young Justice and this surely mature-themed series is another nice addition to their library.

"James Gunn has the unique ability to create an expansive universe while also bringing to life the soul and wit of each character. We look forward to a deep dive into the world of Peacemaker,” said Casey Bloys, Chief Content Officer for HBO and HBO Max. James Gunn said, “Peacemaker is an opportunity to delve into current world issues through the lens of this superhero/supervillain/and world’s biggest douchebag. 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.”

John Cena added, “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.”

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Peacemaker, the character was created by Joe Gill and Pat Boyette and first appeared in the Fightin’ 5 series originally owned by Charlton Comics. With muscles bulging from every inch of his body and a silly-looking helmet atop his skull, Peacemaker believes in achieving peace at any cost – even if that means turning lots of people into worm food. The character first arrived on the comic book scene under the name Christopher Smith, a pacifist diplomat and son of a Nazi death camp commandant who founded the Pax Institute who fights dictators and warlords. (character description via Deadline)

Could Peacemaker be the first in several origin series for characters from THE SUICIDE SQUAD? Time will tell and it all depends on how successful the movie and this series are, but HBO Max and DC Comics may have stumbled on a synergy between the big and small screen that has been lacking on the Marvel side of things. Which service will reign supreme: Disney+ or HBO Max? Stay tuned to find out!