The DCEU may be dead-silent following the release of last summer’s The Suicide Squad but 2022 is set to open with a loud bang as Peacemaker debuts on January 13th. In the face of that anticipated release, there has been some question regarding the series’ release format, whether it would be a weekly affair or a Netflix-style binge release. Series creator and director James Gunn confirmed on Twitter that the show would follow a weekly release after the season premiere on HBO Max.
Just like how the Marvel Studios Disney+ shows are dominating on social media on a weekly basis, it isn’t surprising to see HBO Max opt the same for their first major DCEU series. Fans will have a lot to chew on with the hefty 3-episode premiere on January 13th, followed by more 5 weeks of action-packed hilarity starring John Cena. MCU fans will have to wait until they get some Marvel content so this will have to do.
The Suicide Squad spin off series, Peacemaker, is set to make its streaming debut on HBO Max in just over a month and will continue the story of John Cena’s Christopher Smith. The 8-episode series looks like it’ll pick up Smith’s story right where it left off, finding him working with some of Amanda Waller’s Task Force X aides and also introducing some new characters, including Freddie Stroma’s Vigilante. The footage we’ve seen so far looks seems to indicate the series will play to the strength’s the Cena brought to the character in The Suicide Squad and, if we’re being honest, looks like it’ll be a hell of a lot of fun.
Gunn genuinely seemed to love working on The Suicide Squad. He wrote and directed the film and took great care to develop the main characters, giving them all their time to shine. While Cena’s turn as Peacemaker certainly stood out for Cena’s willingness to be the butt of the joke, Harley Quinn, Ratcatcher 2, King Shark, Polka-Dot Man, Rick Flagg and Bloodsport all took turns captivating audiences. While the film marked the end of the road for a couple of their stories, several of the characters walked away from the wild events of the film, leaving room for more stories to be told.
Gunn, who has always been responsive to fans on social media, was asked if there could be any more spin offs to The Suicide Squad, potentially for some of the characters mentioned above, and while he didn’t give a direct answer, he also didn’t say no.
Gunn recently indicated he had some more ideas about potential DC properties he’d like to develop in the future, so perhaps another spin off series is among them. Could the stars align for an Idris Elba-led Bloodsport series? Earlier this year, Gunn indicated that the potential for such a series existed, though it wasn’t something in development at that time. Elba seemed to truly enjoy playing the character and should he be open to reprising the role, certainly carries the star power required to lead a big budget series. Time will tell what Gunn has in mind, but until then fans have plenty to look forward to with Peacemaker streaming on HBO Max on January 13th.
My favorite comic book property this year had to be Netflix’s Sweet Tooth. Jeff Lemire’s original comic is one of my very favorites and was such an interesting read. The series mostly stays true to it’s source material but isn’t afraid to make creative changes that let it stand apart from the comic. It’s a sweet and wholesome story that sees a young hybrid boy and a grizzled survivor of the plague travel what’s left of the world to find the answers to what came first: the plague or the hybrids?
Anthony Canton III
There’s something to be said for a show that continues to get better over each of its three seasons. Doom Patrol does that in spades. There’s a level of self awareness, humor, and introspection that makes it the best live-action comic book adaptation I’ve seen. The casts performances particularly this season have been extraordinary. Nuanced, tragic, and some even angry. Brendan Fraser in particular has been a standout in bringing such a broken character like Robotman to the screen. We’ve had a lot of good to great entries in comic book tv and film this year, but no property quite understands it’s assignment like Doom Patrol.
Nathan Miller
My favorite comic book project of the year is Eternals. I loved how the film made me feel. Through the performances, direction and soundtrack, I felt the weight of human history, the joy of friendships and found family, the terrifying vastness of space, and the drive of needing to pull together to tackle environmental problems. Intellectually I think the film points toward the future of storytelling, in leaving behind The Hero’s Journey and embodying a more collective journey beyond binary perspectives. It’s a shame more people didn’t initially appreciate the film’s complexity, but hopefully that will change over the next few years, as the Marvel Cinematic Universe enriches its appreciation retrospectively. I’m looking forward to Chloe Zhao’s sequel and the Eternals themselves eventually appearing alongside other established MCU characters.
João Pinto
This wasn’t my first choice, but someone with impeccable taste got to that one first (thank you to my friend, JJ!). But in a sense, this show deserves to take the top spot. WandaVision was a pop culture phenomenon. Due to many production delays that affected several projects, it ended up becoming the first Marvel Studios project to be released after the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic and to say audiences were hungry for content is an obvious understatement. The weeks the show was on were some of the best ever to be a comic book fan. The theories ran wild as the show lent itself to the sort of online discourse that drove everyone insane by the sheer magnitude of some of the hot takes. Covering it was a blast as well. I must say that the Murphy’s Multiverse team covered that show as well as any other site, big or small, did. It showed us how much fun we could have while doing something that hopefully everyone enjoyed, and in a way, it became the stepping stone for the work we’ve been doing covering every show ever since. By the enjoyment I got from covering it to following it as a fan it deserves its spot on my favorite comic book adaptations of 2021 list.
Joseph Aberl
I think my favorite comic book adaptation of the year must be Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. I have no prior knowledge or history with the character. So, I went in pretty open about the adaptation. I was hoping for at least some fun kung-fu actions inspired by classics from the genre. Yet, the film went above and beyond as I ended up with an incredibly heartfelt story that also manages to open up the MCU in a creative way. I cannot wait to see Simu Liu’s future with the character and what a sequel might offer.
Charles Murphy
This will probably come as a shock to absolutely everyone, most of all JJ, but my favorite comic book-based project of 2021 was not a Marvel property. James Gunn’sThe SuicideSquad takes the top spot for me and it’s not a particularly close race. While I certainly loved Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings, The Suicide Squad feels like the most complete story. While the casts of WandaVision, Loki and Black Widow were lights out, the cast of The Suicide Squad was all but perfect. And finally, while Marvel Studios did a great job bringing some less-than-popular characters this past year, Idris Elba’s Bloodsport stands as not only the best reinvention of a little known comic book character in the past year, but also arguably of all time. After a year in which the comic book-based entertainment we all love was painfully absent, we had plenty in 2021 but none of them quite matched the quality of The Suicide Squad.
Hunter Radesi
I’m as surprised as anyone to be writing this, but I think the quirky magic of Loki was my favorite experience with a comic adaptation this year. I was firmly against the idea of this project from the start, and you can probably find old tweets of mine stating the show would be a waste of resources on a character whose story I felt was already over. I couldn’t have been proven more wrong. Michael Waldron and Kate Herron managed to craft a fresh, unique spin on the genre that left me wanting more every week. Absolutely charming performances from every member of the cast, genuinely joyous twists and turns throughout, and constantly beautiful set pieces that begged you to keep your eyes on the screen. I think I finally understand why my friends love Dr. Who so much. Can’t wait for the next season.
The critical success that The Suicide Squad has garnered these past few months doesn’t make it a surprise to know that director James Gunn is keen on bringing some people from that film to work on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Composer John Murphy, specifically, has been revealed to be composing the score for the third Guardians film by Gunn himself. In an interview with Cinemablend, Gunn said:
I had to get off of a zoom right before this zoom because I was talking to all of my heads of department. We were going through the finale of the film from shot to shot, to shot, to shot and explaining exactly how each shot was going to be done. Now, this stuff we’re going to shoot in May. So this is about just planning. After I get off of this, I’m going to have to go listen to some music that John Murphy wrote that we’re going to be playing during the movie. … I guess I’m spoiling the fact that John Murphy is doing the score for Guardians. So you guys got a scoop.
Like OG Guardians composer Tyler Bates, who used to be Marilyn Manson’s lead guitarist, Murphy has a knack for writing heavier music for films. His 28 Days Later score is an absolute icon. His work on The Suicide Squad had a refreshing sonic palette that we don’t always hear from the DCEU side of things. Him working on Vol. 3 should be an exciting prospect.
All eyes have been on James Gunn, as he may have kickstarted a new era for DC. The Suicide Squad offered viewers an experience unlike previous entries, and it was only the beginning of his new tenure. While he’ll take a brief pitstop to finalize his Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, he’s also already putting the finishing touches on the upcoming HBO Max Peacemaker series. In August, DC President Walter Hamada teased that they may have plans to continue working with the director, but there never was a confirmation he’s already developing something. At least there wasn’t until now.
In a discussion today on Twitter, Gunn chimed in and confirmed that he is working on another DC project in addition to Peacemaker. Of course, he doesn’t give away what project it is exactly, but it’s great to know that once he’s done with the Guardians threequel, he’ll likely jump on whatever project is currently in the pipeline. He’s no stranger to working on multiple projects and we’ll likely get a hint once he’s wrapped up with his next Marvel project.
There were rumors pointing to Idris Elba‘s Bloodsport potentially getting his own series, but the director shot that down rather quickly. He confirmed that it was in no state of development, which means he’s most likely working on something else. Of course, there’s a chance that Gunn is currently still preparing a pitch for his next DC project, as him working on it doesn’t mean it’s entered any form of pre-production. Whatever it may end up being, we’re definitely going to be in for a wild ride.
UPDATE: It looks like we’ll have to wait a bit more on Bloodsport’s future in the DCEU, as The Suicide Squad director James Gunn took to Twitter to share that there is no project currently in development. While he did state we can expect more from the character in the future, he denies that anything has currently moved forward:
It would appear the rivalry between Bloodsport and Peacemaker won’t stop on the big screen. An exclusive report from My Cosmic Circus indicates Idris Elba’s fan favorite mercenary could follow in Peacemaker’s footsteps and get his own spin-off from The Suicide Squad. While no further information could be learned at this time, the report does mention that Elbahas expressed enthusiasm towards returning to the Bloodsport role before. This makes the actor’s potential return more likely, and he even revealed what he’d like to see the spin-off entail:
It wouldn’t be next, it would be what came before. I would be really interested to see why he went to jail, why did he shoot Superman. I would love to see that narrative come alive
It’s not known if the spin-off would be a theatrical film or yet another HBO Max original, but a duel between Elba and Henry Cavill’s Superman seems like something people would turn up for. The character of Robert DuBois has a relatively long history in the comics, so there’s a fairly decent amount that the project’s developers could draw from. Until then, director James Gunn’s first Suicide Squad spin-off Peacemaker is set to debut on HBO Max sometime in 2022. Perhaps Bloodsport could be one of the filmmaker’s next projects after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?
Fortnite has become the world for any kind of property you can think of. They’ve collected a variety of iconic franchises through their skin offerings. Over the past year, players were able to get their hands on Marvel and DC skins of all kind. Recently, a rumor seems to hint at Shang-Chi joining the game alongside the film’s premiere. Well, it looks like The Suicide Squad might get more rep soon.
Earlier in the month, we got the release of a Bloodsport skin in the game. It added many theories that we might see more represented, as the game included marks for Peacemaker, Rebirth Harley Quinn, King shark, and Polka-Dot Man, which released alongside the character and his Starro backpack. Harely Quinn, who was already in the game, did get the new outfit, but there was no sign of the rest. Well, Fortnite leaker @HYPEX may have revealed that a King Shark and Weasel skin might release in the future. He does also point out they may have gotten scrapped as well.
MORE UPCOMING/SCRAPPED SKINS!
– Weasel (Suicide Squad) – King Shark (Suicide Squad) – Jester (Male, Female & King?) – Jurassic Archaeology (Male) – Male counterpart of Komplex – A male Halloween skin from Save The World
King Shark seemed like a popular choice to join the game, but Weasel is a curious surprise. As stated above, HYPEX doesn’t clarify which of these skins got scrapped. There’s a chance that it only refers to the unspecified ones, but as the film has released some time ago, it’s odd they wouldn’t try to time the release accordingly. King Shark might also be a difficult one to adapt as he requires a completely new body type unlike the more humanoid characters. Here’s hoping we get some more information in the near future.
The Suicide Squad has finally released in theaters and on HBO Max. Even with a lukewarm Box Office opening over the weekend, it’s proving quite popular on the streaming service. It introduces us to some new characters from the DC canon alongside some familiar faces from the previous entry. One of the highlights is the newly introduced character of Bloodsport, who is played by Idris Elba in the film.
Yet, it looks like his role might’ve been very different at one point as Twitter user @DCversio1 shared an image from behind-the-scenes with various artwork in the background. Once you take a closer look you’ll notice that Bloodsport’s leading position is taken by the iconic DC anti-hero, Deathstroke. It’s possible they kept the artwork for production purposes but already realized the role would be perfect for Bloodsport.
James Gunn did reveal that the character almost made the cut into the film. Yet, we never got into any insight into what role he would’ve had and it seems he almost was the leading man of the original second team throughout the film. The other members, King Shark, Peacemaker, Polka-Dot Man, and Ratcatcher 2, are present in the visual. We sadly don’t see the first team from the film, which might reveal its original line-up.
Still, it’s a shame we didn’t get the return of Deathstroke, who only briefly returned in Zack Snyder’s Justice League for a brief appearance. He was played by Joe Manganiello in both versions of the film. It’s uncertain if he was up for the role, or Idris Elba would’ve taken on a new interpretation of the character. Still, Bloodsport’s unique weapons added a great visual flair to the film, and it hopefully is just the beginning of Elba‘s time in the DCEU.
There’s a major shift in the cinematic landscape happening as we speak. Up until before the pandemic hit, Netflix dominated the streaming landmark. We never found out just how successful their projects were, but saw their subscription numbers continue to grow. Now, Disney+, Apple+, and HBO Max have entered the market. In addition, we’ve entered a year when major motion pictures no longer are theater-only releases. HBO Max and Disney+ Premier Access offer accessibility to popular films in different ways. It’s taken a bite out of their Box Office numbers and shows we’re adapting to a brand-new market.
We’re entering a new generation where a film’s success will be more than its Box Office income and physical sales. Just releasing information during its launch does not give a great estimate of a film’s overall performance. Plus, it seems like these metrics are more a PR move rather than useful information if it’s not communicated consistently. As we enter the new era, it’s time for more transparency. Third parties can only offer estimates, and it’ll get more difficult if this model wants to remain. Plus, digital-only releases like Pixar’s Luca or The Tomorrow War depend on estimated Nielsen ratings for any sign of life. It’ll become more difficult to understand how and why a film deserves a sequel or not. At some point, they can no longer keep these numbers under lock and key.
Relying purely on Box Office numbers could paint their productions in a negative light. The Suicide Squad is a perfect showcase of that, with headlines calling it a disappointment based on purely one metric. Black Widow’s Box Office is hindered by a lack of Chinese release and a lack of understanding of how Disney+ Premier Access performs for repeat viewers after its initial launch. Even if companies don’t want to provide these metrics, they are essential for understanding a film’s overall performance, as well as relevant for their talent’s individual contracts as the current allegations showcase. The streaming era is here, but the industry refuses to fully embrace all that comes with it.
The Suicide Squadhad to face an uphill battle with the Delta variant roaming the world and adding some doubt in people willing to visit a cinema. So, our only point of orientation on its potential success would be how popular it was on the HBO Max streaming service. It could give us an inkling how well the same-day release strategy is working for Warner Bros. and it seems it might’ve been far more popular than expected. HBO Max chief Andy Forssell shared that the film was their second most-viewed film during its release weekend.
As the country faces new challenges due to the COVID variant, we’re happy to continue to offer fans the option of viewing movies in their homes. Many chose to do just that as Suicide Squad emerged as the second most viewed film over an opening weekend on HBO Max since we began day-and-date releases with theaters.
Of course, they didn’t share any exact numbers and according to The Hollywood Reporter, Mortal Kombat is currently holding the top spot. Samba TV shared an analysis yesterday that on Thursday, 363K US households watched the film, but it doesn’t offer a direct point of comparison for the entire weekend. Still, it’s good to see the film is prospering through streaming and might be a hint that R-rated projects have a good home in streaming media.
The Delta variant is still adding a lot of uncertainty for cinemas. So, the upcoming weeks will give us a better idea, especially with early September still locked in. It’ll be curious if major Marvel Studios like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings might push beyond the current threshold and offer some more trust in movie-going audiences, as some delays are still happening for major releases.
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