James Gunn Confirms Sweet “Rumor” About Peacemaker’s Freddie Stroma

The Suicide Squad director and Peacemaker showrunner James Gunn responded to a recent post discussing a “rumor” about Peacemaker star Freddie Stroma. Stroma played the violent gleeful anti-hero Vigilante in the HBO Max series inspired by DC Comics. The star acted alongside John Cena, who plays the titular character.

A fan of Cena’s hero through his brother, Stroma’s Adrian Chase became the violent crimefighter Vigilante, following in the footsteps of his personal idol. After stalking Peacemaker and his group of Task Force X members during his job as a Fennel Fields busboy, Vigilante celebrates his hero’s return before quickly inserting himself into his idol’s life and mission. Joining the team in their mission to uncover the alien Butterfly conspiracy, Chase quickly makes friends with the group, endearing himself by aiding them and helping Peacemaker grapple with issues surrounding his father. While Stroma was a last-minute addition to the cast, replacing Chris Conrad as Chase, the character became a highlight for many, and now Gunn has taken a recent opportunity to praise the actor behind Vigilante.

In a post on his personal Twitter, Gunn responded to a recent viral post created by a fan centering on a joke rumor about Stroma. In the original tweet, DC fan davinson joked that it had been rumored that the actor had been accused of being a respectful and sweet individual. Gunn quote-tweeted the original tweet to weigh in on the joke, “confirming” the rumor and taking the opportunity to praise the Peacemaker star. Check out Gunn’s response below:

Click here to see Gunn’s original post.

Stroma had previously opened up about the positive and fun atmosphere on the set of Peacemaker, recalling a funny moment when filming a meeting between Vigilante, Peacemaker, and the Task Force X members. While the final scene would be a moment that pushed the team dynamics to their limits, Stroma stated that it was one of the funniest moments between the crew and him, as he found the scene and Gunn’s improvisation hard to keep a straight face at. As the scene had to be filmed 15 times at various angles, Stroma stated that each time he struggled to stay in character and avoid causing a disruption. Stroma was later pranked by the rest of the cast during a small reunion, where co-star Danielle Brooks lied and persuaded the restaurant staff to surprise him and sing “Happy Birthday” to him.

While some Vigilante jokes were cut from the series, Stroma and the character made one of the strongest impressions on fans of Peacemaker. While Stroma is no stranger to fandoms thanks to prior roles such as in Bridgerton, Stroma’s portrayal of Chase won him the adoration of the DC Comics fanbase. Gunn’s confirmation of Stroma’s “rumored” pleasantness is welcome to the actor and Vigilante’s growing fanbase, as the actor is responsible for helping elevate one of DC’s more niche characters into the public spotlight.

Source: James Gunn

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