Peacemaker: Danielle Brooks Joins HBO Max’s Suicide Squad Spinoff Series

November 11, 2020

Danielle Brooks (Orange Is the New Black, Close Enough, Broadway’s The Color Purple) has joined Peacemaker, HBO Max’s spinoff sequel series of James Gunn’s upcoming The Suicide Squad film, according to Deadline.

The Grammy and SAG winner will star as Leota Adebayo in the series, joining John Cena, who plays the title character, as well as the previously announced Steve Agee, who portrays John Economos in The Suicide Squad and also voices King Shark in the film.

In addition to Brooks, more cast members have been announced including Robert Patrick (Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Perry Mason) as Auggie Smith, Jennifer Holland (Brightburn, American Horror Story), who will reprise her role of Emilia Harcourt from The Suicide Squad film, and Chris Conrad (Perpetual Grace, LTD., Patriot) as Vigilante/Adrian Chase.

While details about Peacemaker are being kept under wraps, the series will explore the origins of the character that Cena will play in the upcoming film, a man who believes in peace at any cost — no matter how many people he has to kill to get it. The series will extend the world that Gunn is creating for The Suicide Squad movie, which is scheduled to be released in theaters by Warner Bros. Pictures on August 6, 2021.

Gunn wrote all eight episodes of Peacemaker and is set to direct multiple episodes. He also serves as executive producer on the project along with the film’s producer Peter Safran. Cena will co-executive produce.

Based on the characters from DC, Peacemaker is produced by Gunn’s Troll Court Entertainment and The Safran Company in association with Warner Bros. Television. Production is scheduled to begin in early 2021, prior to Gunn beginning work on the next Guardians of the Galaxy film.

(Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)