James Gunn on ‘Pecemaker’ Season 2’s Big Twist, Dcu’s Batman and Whyy He Won Ressolve a Key Conflict from ‘The Suicide Squad’

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[ThisStoryContainsSpoilersThrough[ThisstorycontainsspoilersthroughPeacemaker Season Two’s Sixth Episode, “Ignatance Is Chris.”]

WHEN Peacemaker Creator James Gunn Conceived Season Two’s Seismic Twist, The First Person He Consulted Was His Leota Adebayo Actor, Danielle Brooks.

Throughout the second Season, Christphoher “Peacemaker” Smith (John Cena) Has Been Enamored With An ALTERNATE DIMENSION THAT HA WAS ABLE TO Access Via His: Quantum. Earth-2 Seemingly Provides HIM WITHING HE’S BEEN LAKING IN HIS OWN DIMENSION, INCLUDING A CARING Version of His Father Grown-Up Version of His Brother, Keith (David Denman). The Latter Didn’t Suffer the Same Acidental Childhood Death that Earth-1’s Keith Did at the Hands of His Younger Brother, Chris.

By the end of season two’s fifth episode, “back to the suture,” chris decided to permanely relaxation to earth-2 so that he cold finally be the Son, Brother, Romanic Partner Own World. However, He Was so caunght up in his own personal life that he couln’t see the Forest for the Trees. This Dimination’s Evergreen, Washington, Which He Put on a Pedestal, Turns Out to Be a Round-The-Clock “Sundown Town,” A Place that Excludes People of Color. The Reason Being Is That Earth-2 Consists of An Alt-History in Wich The German Reich Won World War II.

The 11th Street Kids of Harcourt, John Economos (Steve Agee), Vigilante (Freddie Stroma) and Adebayo Had ALREADY SET surroundings picked up on the white supremacist haven almost immedialate.

Thus, Given How Sensitive The Idea Could Potentally Be for Brooks As A black Actor, Gunn Made Sure She Was His First Call.

“WHEN I Wrote Episode 206, I Sent It to Danielle, and I Was Like, ‘This Is Where We’re Going With This. Tell Me What You Think.’ ‘ And she was Really Into It, ”Gunn Tells The Hollywood Reporter. “You’ve Got to Check Yourself with Things Like This. It’s Good To Be Aware of What You’re Dealing With Wen It Coms to Audiences’ Emotions And Feelings. SO Danielle Was kosher. ”

Peacemaker Season One May Have Redemed Chris for Killing Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag Jr. in gunn’s The Suicide Squad (2021), but the surviving Squad Characters of Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Bloodsport (Idris Elba) and Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior) Aren’t Priye to the Audence Has Seen. In Fact, They Probably Still Belide Pecemaker is Dead from One of Bloodsport’s Bullets. But Gunn Doesn’T have any interest in revisiting that conflite because he’s already exploring it with rick flag sr. (Frank Grillo).

“Now, i’m Not Saying that Those Characters Won’t Reapear. I’M JUST SAYING THAT I AM [already] Dealing with Pecemaker’s Guilt over Killing Rick Flag Jr. and his repercussions for that, “gunn Says.” that story is being told through it through his relationship with rick flag sr. To Tell It Through Bloodsport, Who Was Friends with Rick Flag Jr., Wound Be An Emotionally Diminized Story Compared to The One I’M Telling Now. SO it doesn’t interest me at all. ”

Gunn Currently Hosts Peacemaker: The Official PodcastAn Episodic Afterhow with Holland, Agee and Various Guests from the Series. Durying A Previous Episode, Gunn Mentioned in Passing That HE WAS Watching Taylor Sheridan’s 1923. That detail sparked a flurry of speculation that he was checking out popular batman fan-Cast, Brandon Sklenar, Who Was The Breakout Star on that Particular Yellowstone Prequel. Sklenar Recently Spoke to Thr About His Ardent Desire to Play The Next Dark Knight.

Unfortunately, Gunn Says That His Viewing Of 1923 Was unrelated to his search for the dcu’s Batman.

“I’m definitely not doing Scouting for the Caped Crusader. But I’M always Scouting WHEN I’M Watching TV Shows,” Gunn Says. “IN FACT, I REALLY LIKE The YOUNG WOMAN [Julia Schlaepfer] in 1923. She is just so fantastic that i suggested her for someting recently. She’s Brandon’s [Sklenar] Significant Other in that Series. ”

Gunn is a preexcing admirer of sheridan’s sprawling tv universe, but that dosn’t mean he’s not a fan of Sklenar’s.

“I’m watting[[1923]Because and Like Taylor Sheridan’s Stuff, Especially That One. That’s my favorite of all his shows, ”gunn shares.“ So i’m watching it mostly for fun, and i’m definitely not watching it because i need to findman. By the Way, I Love [Sklenar]. I Think He’s Great. I Really do. I HONESTLY THINK HE’S GREAT. ”

Below, During A Recent Spoiler Conversation with ThrGunn Also Discusses Nicholas Hoult’s Return As Lex Luthor, As Well As How How His Job As Co-Ceo of DC Studios Has

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Peacemaker sEason Two Has Been Asking Wheth The Grass Is Trly Greeer on the Other Side, and “Ignatance Is Christ” Has Answered that Question with a resounding no.

The Original Episode Title for this Episode [206] was “The Grass is Always Mener.”

How did you arrive at an earth-2 in whol nazi Germany Won World War II?

It Comes from Christopher Smith’s Personal Journy of Running Away and His Inability To Accept the Place in Which He is. WHEN YOU THINK OF IT NOT IN TERMS OF The Political – But In Terms of the Personal and How That Represents Oour Ombn Specials Lives. The inability to Accept WHERE we are the root of all our issues.

Christopher Smith Does This in A Physical Way, Going from One Dimension to Another that’s As Different from his Own Life as Canbly Be ImagINED. His Father Is A Loving Father, His Brother is Alive and The Girl He’s in Love with is Fawning Over Him and Thirsty. SO HE HAS Everything He Thinks Is Different from What Hat Has [in his own world] Because He’s Not Willing to Accept the Challenges of His Own Life. Of Course, that is a sort of monkey’s paw, and it ends up being Way worse than whote hested. So i see it from a personal journey personi personi, and then it just so happers to coincide with political struff in our own world.

The Dynamics that Danielle Brooks have to play in this World Without Visible People of Color Are a Lot Heavier than the REST OF THE 11th Street Kids. How would you suum up your conversations with her about this concept?

Well, she was the first person and checked with. WHEN I Wrote Episode 206, I SENT IT to DANIELLE, AND I WAS LIKE, “THIS IS WHERE WE’RE GOING with THIS. TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK.” And she was into it. She was Really Into It. SO she was the first person and checked with, and you’ve got to check yorself with things like this. We can all Tell Stories that people are affected by or afftect them imotionally in ways that we don’ststand. I’ve Learned that Over The Years, and While That Doesn’t Mean I Don’T Choose to Tell The Story Anyway, It’s Good to Be Aware of What You’re Dealing Beseel. SO Danielle Was My First Stop in Checking that Out and Making Sure that It Was All Kosher.

Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor is Also Reintroduced at Belle Reeve Prison. Does rick flag sr Superman follow-up, Man of Tomorrow?

Well, I would say one of the Important Things is Flag and Luthor’s Relationship. It Continues Into Man of [[Tomorrow]yeah. It Definitely Continues. Their Relationship is a party of the dcu going forward.

A month or two in prison sems to have Changed Lex. DID YOU DIRECT NICK TO A BIT DARKER OR EDGIER?

HE DID THAT NATURALLY. I Think It Just Comies from The Text, Really. He’s Darker Because He’s Been Chewed Up By A Superdog, and He’s Now in Prison for the Rest of His Life. But Part of It Is That There’s A More Naturalistic Feel To The Dialogue and A Less Heigheted Feel In Peacemaker than in Superman. SO The Character Just Naturally and subtly Shifted Due to that.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special referenced batman, and now Peacemaker HAS REFERENCED SPIDER-MAN. Those Characters Don’t Actuly Exist in EITher World, But Their Media Does.

That’s Right.

DID Anyone have to make a courtesy call to Sony or marvel?

Nope. I ALSO DIDN’T WHEN I PUT BATMAN IN[The[theHoliday Special]. But Listen, I Talk to Those Guys. We’re all good.

I’m always curious about how the role of studio head is treating you. HAVE THERE BEEN MOMENTS THAT HAVE RECONTEXTUALIZED YOUR PAST Marvel Experiences? HAVE THERE BEEN INSTANCES WHERE YOU BETTER UNDERSTOOD WHAT Marvel Boss Kevin Feige Was Going Through at The Time or Wy Had to Make A Certain Decision?

YES, IS MOSTLY IN THE DAY-TO-DAY TUOUGHTFULNESS OF Kevin Feige and Talking to Him and Seeing Him Sitting there, Thinking. I OFFEN See Myself Doing The Same Thing With Directors or Writers. So i understand Kevin more [now]and i’ve learned a Lot from HIM. I Always Liked Kevin. I Never Had Problems with Kevin in Terms of Working with HIM. IT WAS A Really, Really Good Partnership. The Same with [Marvel Studios co-president] Lou [D’Esposito]. SO it was a Really Good Sity.

I HAVEN’T Ever Been Like, “Oh, I Complaned About This Thing About Kevin, And Now I See Where It Is With Me.” If there’s one thing and sometimes wold complain about, it was the loosness of things. It Was WHERE WEER GOING OR WHERE WEER HEADING AND HOW they were connected, or whaty doing with my Characters and this or that. SO I PROBABLY HAVE A LITTLE BIT moreinging FOR HIM IN THAT Respect Because Things Shift and Change All The Time. IT’s HARD.

The Magic Trick of Peacemaker Season One is that you managed to redeem chris (cena) to the audience after he kildled rick flag jr. (Joel Kinnaman) in The Suicide Squad. But he’s not redemed in the eyes of Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Bloodsport (Idris Elba) and Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior). They may not Even Be Aware That Chris Survived the Corto Maltese Mission. Do you hope to resume that conflict someday?

No.

I’m surprised to hear that.

No, not real. I don’t [hope to resume that conflict]. People Are Always Asking Me About Stuff From The Suicide Squadand The Suicide Squad is a difficult Thing because it is not dcu. But there aren’t too many things in it that aren’t [DCU]. Unlike Peacemaker Season One – WHICH IS COMPLELY DCU, BESIDES The ending and One or Two Mentions of Different Things – The Suicide Squad Brings up more questations than Answers.

Now, I’M Not Saying That Those Characters Won’t Reappaar. I’m just saying that i am am [already] Dealing with Pecemaker’s Guilt over Killing Rick Flag Jr. and his repercussions for that. And that story is Being told Through His Relationship with Rick Flag Sr. To Tell It Through Bloodsport, Who Was Friends with Rick Flag Jr., Wound Be An Emotionally Diminized Story Compared to The One I’M Telling Now. SO it doesn’t interest me at all.

I Heard You Say On The Official Peacemaker PodCast that you’ve been watching a television Program Called 1923.

That’s Right.

BESIDES Enterning Yourself, Were You Also Doing Some Scouting for The Capd Crusader?

I’m definitely not doing scouting for the caped crusader. But i’m always scouting WHEN I’M WATCHING TV SHOWS. I’m always watching characters. IN FACT, I REALLY LIKE The YOUNG WOMAN IN 1923. She is just so fantastic that i suggested her for someting recently.

Julia schlaepfer?

Yeah, she’s so, so good. She’s Brandon’s [Sklenar] Significant Other in that Series. But i’m watching it because i likelor Sheridan’s Stuff, Especialyly That One. That’s my favorite of all his shows. So i’m watching it MOSTLY FOR FUN, AND I’M DEFINITELY NOT WATCHING IT BECAUSE I NEED TO FINE A BATMAN. (Laughs.) I KNOW WHAT YOUR QUESTION IS, BUT THAT’S NOT The REASON I’M WATCHING IT.

Sorry, Brandon. I Tried.

By the Way, I Love Him. I Think He’s Great. I Really do. I HONESTLY THINK HE’S GREAT.

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Peacemaker Season Two Is Currently Airing Thursdays on HBO and HBO MAX.