Who is Peacemaker? Of all of the ne’er-do-well, scoundrels, and villains James Gunn’s brought to the big screen in The Suicide Squad, none are perhaps more interesting than Peacemaker. Played by the always charming John Cena, Peacemaker is a villain wholly dedicated to the idea of peace. In fact, he’s so dedicated he’s willing to do anything to preserve it, even kill.
He’s pretty obscure comic book character who even the most dedicated of readers would probably have trouble explaining. Don’t worry, though. We’ve done some digging to get to the bottom of who Peacemaker really is, both in the DC movies and the DC comics universe (we believe in being thorough when it comes to investigating characters in superheroes in action movies).
We’ve broken down the movie villain‘s strengths, weaknesses, and when you’ll next see the musclebound ‘superhero’. So grab your tightest red shirt, get on your silver toilet seat shaped helmet, and get ready to do anything in the name of peace. Here’s who is Peacemaker.
Who is Peacemaker?
Peacemaker is a hero so dedicated to peace he’ll protect it at any cost. There have actually been several Peacemakers in DC comics over the years, but for the sake of this article, we’ll be talking about Christopher Smith, the version Cena is playing in the film.
First introduced in Charlton Comics (before DC bought them out), Smith is a pacifist diplomat who becomes so dedicated to peace that he believes anything can be justified to preserve it, including the use of force. Becoming the deadly vigilante Peacemaker, Smith blasts his way through various villains threatening world peace until eventually being recruited by the organisation Checkmate. This clandestine intelligence organisation sends Smith on several missions until he becomes too unstable to make an effective agent and cut him loose.
Make mine Marvel! The Marvel Cinematic Universe in Order
After that, Peacemaker made sporadic appearances in various comics before finally becoming a member of Task Force X, aka The Suicide Squad.
In the DECU, Peacemaker retains several elements of his comic book counterpart, including his ‘ends justify the means philosophy, propensity for violence, and his frankly ridiculous helmet. In The Suicide Squad, Smith seems like an ordinary member of the team until the third act when it’s revealed Waller (Viola Davies) is using him as her secret weapon to ensure the secrets of Project Starfish never leave Corto Maltese.
What are Peacemaker’s powers?
Like Batman, Peacemaker doesn’t actually have any real superpowers. That doesn’t mean he’s helpless though, Pacemaker’s spent his entire life training his body to be the ultimate weapon so he’s in peak physical condition, knows multiple forms of hand-to-hand combat, and is also a surprisingly skilled gymnast. Not only that, he’s an expert marksman capable of building his own weapons if need be
Peacemaker’s costume further enhances his natural abilities. What looks like a red skin-tight t-shirt is, in fact, a powerful body armour that protects him from injury. He doesn’t wear that helmet for fun either, as well as protecting his head; it contains a radio, surveillance devices and in the comics, at least, a laser.
That’s everything we know about Peacemaker. Have a look at our guides to Batman actors, Joker actors, and Superman actors for more of DC’s finest. Keep an eye on our new movies list as well, to see where these caped crusaders might show up.