Every Peacemaker Episode Will Have A Post-Credits Scene

James Gunn's "The Suicide Squad," which came out in early August of 2021 and is currently available to stream in the United States on HBO Max, was far better received by fans and critics than David Ayer's 2016 film "Suicide Squad," a film which takes place in the same continuity and features some of the same actors but was notoriously undone by endless re-edits and studio tinkering. Gunn's film was, comparatively, gently raucous and featured several new, wackier characters, including a human shark creature voiced by Sylvester Stallone, a man infected with brightly colored, extraterrestrial polka dots, and, most notably, the super-serious supervillain The Peacemaker (John Cena), who is so convinced that he is doing the right thing that it allows him to do some pretty horrible things. Think Captain America without the aw-shucks attitude, an ironclad ego, and a much, much stronger compunction for murder.

James Gunn will also be the showrunner on the upcoming TV series "Peacemaker" (not to be confused with the 1997 feature film starring George Clooney), with Cena reprising the role and Gunn directing most of the episodes. Gunn describes The Peacemaker as a "superhero/supervillain/world's biggest douchebag." 

While promoting "Peacemaker" on Twitter, Gunn revealed that there will be more to the show than the mere episodes themselves.

Don't Touch That Dial

One Twitter user asked Gunn if there will be post-credits scenes in "Peacemaker," and Gunn revealed that he would include a post-credit scene in every episode. Post-credits scenes have, of course, become an enormous part of modern superhero media, offering audiences a preview of an upcoming project, an introduction of a new character who will become involved in the action in later series installments, or a cute throwaway gag. If an "Avengers" film passed without a post-credit sequence, fans of the series would become upset. Gunn is going full-tilt in the opposite direction, giving viewers of "Peacemaker" something extra, partly as a riff on how expected they are — let's just flood the market — and also, in his words, to "give... something a little special for watching the credits of our hardworking crew." 

It's a good point: Sitting through the credits of any TV show or feature film is a great courtesy to the people who worked on it. 

But Wait, There's More!

The phrase "special features" seems to have fallen out of favor in the streaming era, as they once only served as the primary selling point for the increasingly moribund technology of DVDs. Some streaming services are wise about including special features and commentary tracks (thank you deeply, Criterion Channel), but they are uncommon. Gunn also revealed on Twitter that special features for "Peacemaker" will be available to watch on HBO Max alongside the show. There's some added value for anyone who may become a fan  or who just wants to spend some more time with the actors and crew. 

"Peacemaker" will debut on HBO Max on January 13, 2022.