The production of HBO Max’s Peacemaker will begin early next year in Canada. James Gunn already started work on the series before cameras get rolling. The project is set to film under the codename “Scriptures” and will film from January 11th to June 9th. We still have no release date, but it’ll most likely release sometime after Gunn‘s The Suicide Squad. This show will serve as a prequel focusing on the character of Peacemaker, played by John Cena, who is reprising the role.
New casting breakdowns have hinted at Peacemaker joining some characters from his days at Charlton Comics once again. Charlton went bankrupt in 1986 and lost the rights to a variety of its characters such as Peacemaker, Blue Beetle, Captain Atom, The Question, Nightshade, Sarge Steele and Judo Master. A few of these characters have come to be quite popular and staples within the DC Universe, while others have faded into obscurity.
According to the report, the production is looking for a character with the puny name Marshall Artist. They are looking for a male, who is 20-40 years old. His description states he is small with knowledge in martial action. It is pointing to a lot of fight scenes with him. It wasn’t easy to figure out who it is, but it seems Gunn could be adapting the character of Judo Master. He is a former Charlton Comics character who served in the military during World War II. After rescuing a Pacific Island chief’s daughter, he was taught the ways of Kung-Fu. While this character is obscure and hasn’t seen the pages of a comic book in a while, that’s all about to change with him joining the newest line-up of the suicide squad following next year’s Future State event.
The next Charlton character that may be joining the series is Sarge Steele. The production is looking for a male in the ’50-’60s age range to play a “strong, tough leader.” Gunn seems to be eyeing Lance Reddick to play the role, who seems like a perfect fit for the character. Once a private-eye, Steele would quite literally lead with an iron fist. He was involved with multiple government agencies that dealt with keeping an eye on superhuman activities, one of which is that of the CBI (Central Bureau of Intelligence).
These characters seem perfect for the vibe Gunn is known for and the characters he chooses to put into his stories. From his past endeavors and additions, it wouldn’t be crazy to see these two pop up, especially since they once stood side by side with Peacemaker back in the days of Charlton Comics.
