Lance Reddick, the actor who passed away at 60 in 2023, was renowned for his versatile roles. He lent his voice to both heroes and villains across the Marvel and DC universes. Originally planned by James Gunn, he was set to embody a unique blend of these characters. Notably, he starred as BPD Lt. Cedric Daniels in The Wire, the concierge Charon in the John Wick films, and Commander Zavala in the Destiny video game series. Over a 30-year career, Reddick voiced Marvel’s Falcon in the animated Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, portrayed Dr. Thomas Wayne in the audio series Batman Unburied on Spotify, and voiced Ra’s al Ghul in Beware the Batman as well as Superman’s arch-nemesis Lex Luthor in Kite Man: Hell Yeah!
During a recent chat tied to the debut of Peacemaker’s second season, Gunn shared that he specifically crafted the character of mercenary Clemson Murn with Reddick in mind.
Lance Reddick Was Almost In DC’s Peacemaker
On The Viall Files podcast, director James Gunn mentioned that in the initial season, a character named Murn, portrayed by Chukwudi Iwuji, was introduced. This same actor will be playing the antagonist, High Evolutionary, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 set for release in 2023. Gunn praised Iwuji as a fantastic person and one of his best collaborators, revealing that he originally penned the role with Lance Reddick in mind.
As a devoted cinephile, I found myself in a conundrum when Lance, due to scheduling conflicts and having another show, couldn’t take on the role I had intended for him. In stepped Chukwudi, who breathed an entirely unique life into the character. His interpretation was nothing short of remarkable – the standout performance of Season 1, in my humble opinion. Somehow, Chuk just seemed to resonate with the essence of the role in a way no one else did. The dialogue remained unaltered, but his approach elevated the character to new heights, ultimately earning him the part.
The debut season of Peacemaker uncovers that the ruthless mercenary and head of an undercover ops squad consisting of Christopher Smith (John Cena), Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), and John Economos (Steve Agee) is possessed by Butterfly Ik Nobe Llok, a member of an alien race that assumes the recollections of their human host vessels.
In a certain sequence, his character gets controlled by a Butterfly – these creatures known for slipping into minds and using people like bodies with no free will – yet they keep the host’s memories, emotions, and thoughts. This Butterfly chose the worst person in existence to control because it wanted to be righteous, but it’s stuck with that individual’s thoughts and feelings. In this situation, the character has to give a speech about his motives for taking over the worst person possible, emphasizing his desire to act morally. However, he continues to grapple with the thoughts and feelings of the host, which makes him realize that even the most wretched among us have the potential for change.
“It’s just such a multi-layed performance,” Gunn added. “And when you see Chuk do it, it’s crazy.”
Previously, it was hinted that actor Chukwudi Iwuji might portray a different character in the upcoming DC Universe. In an interview for ‘Peacemaker: The Official Podcast’, the showrunner suggested, ‘Clemson Murn is established, but if we were to cast Chuk as another role within the DCU, his face might not be recognized. However, Chuk could also play a character that isn’t entirely human-like.’
In the second season of “Peacemaker,” actors such as John Cena, Danielle Brooks, Jennifer Holland, Freddie Stroma, Steve Agee, and Robert Patrick reprise their roles. Joining them this time are new additions to the cast: Frank Grillo, David Denman, Sol Rodríguez, and Tim Meadows. The exciting continuation of “Peacemaker” begins streaming on HBO Max from August 21.
Read More
- Minecraft lets you get the Lava Chicken song in-game — but it’s absurdly rare
- Gold Rate Forecast
- PS5’s ChinaJoy Booth Needs to Be Seen to Be Believed
- Lewis Capaldi Details “Mental Episode” That Led to Him “Convulsing”
- Wrestler Marcus “Buff” Bagwell Undergoes Leg Amputation
- Cyberpunk 2077’s Patch 2.3 is Here and It’s Another Excellent Overhaul
- AI-powered malware eludes Microsoft Defender’s security checks 8% of the time — with just 3 months of training and “reinforcement learning” for around $1,600
- Yungblud Vows to Perform Ozzy Osbourne Song “Every Night”
- Elden Ring Nightreign’s Patch 1.02 update next week is adding a feature we’ve all been waiting for since launch — and another I’ve been begging for, too
- Rob Schneider’s Happy Gilmore 2 Role Is Much Different Than We Thought It’d Be
2025-08-21 04:10