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Vigilante, The New DC Antihero In The Peacemaker Series, Vigilantism, James Gunn

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What You Need To Know About Vigilante, The New DC Antihero In The Peacemaker Series

The release of “Peacemaker” is fast approaching, bringing back John Cena, self proclaimed superhero, and the many disasters he’s sure to cause. But the egotistical patriot won’t be the only vigilante onscreen, with the series also introducing yet another antihero in Vigilante. Fans of both DC Comics and the Arrowverse will no doubt recognize the name behind the alias, Adrian Chase, and even those new to the character can probably guess his deal given the self-explanatory nickname. But there’s a lot more to the character than you may realize, and it points to quite a few exciting possibilities for James Gunn’s “Peacemaker” series. So without further ado, here’s all you need to know about Vigilante.

Who is Adrien Chase?

As the name suggests, Vigilante is a crime-fighting antihero who functions outside of the law to take down street-level criminals and mob bosses.

The Vigilante alias itself has been taken on by various characters throughout DC comics, but Adrien Chase is by far the most well-known. A New York City district attorney, Chase was determined to fight for justice any way he could. The law was a good enough venture, until he woke up in the midst of a classic hero origin story: his family was murdered by mobsters. Deciding to seek justice his own way, Adrien took on the Vigilante monicker and took to the streets in a mask.

His dedication to justice and morality made him an especially complex character. Initially, he took special care not to kill his foes, a real Batman-esque approach to heroics. In fact, Chase was haunted by his actions throughout the comics: one incident saw him savagely beat an ex-convict later revealed to be innocent. Tortured by his actions, he considered abandoning his bloody crusade. For a time, he left it behind to pursue his career in law instead. Believing more good could be done in the court systems, he worked to become a judge. In the meanwhile, the Vigilante alias was taken up by another, who was later killed by Peacemaker.

The tragic incident sent Adrien back to the streets to exact justice with a newfound brutality. It mostly served to kickstart a painful cycle of violence followed by immense guilt. The damage to his psyche sent him spiraling into paranoia and madness, eventually leading him back to his new nemesis, Peacemaker. Seeking revenge, Adrien sought out a battle with Peacemaker. But years out of practice and out of shape led to a devastating defeat at Peacemaker’s hands that also unmasked Chase on live TV.

Adrien Chase in Peacemaker

So how might Vigilante fit into the DCEU? Well the character obviously has a history inextricably linked with Peacemaker, who often served as his primary antagonist. In what little we’ve seen of him in quick glimpses of the “Peacemaker” series, Adrien Chase seems to be buddying up to Cena’s character. Given all we’ve learned about Peacemaker’s approach to heroics, and the dark path that Chase spirals down in the comics, their philosophies align pretty well. They could make a solid team for one another (if unfortunate for the rest of the world). But of course, that’s only if their relationship isn’t destined to end in the same angry, bloody fashion.

In Peacemaker, Freddie Stroma takes on the role of Adrien Chase. The British actor is best known for his brief appearances in the Harry Potter films as Cormac McLaggen, but recently played a hilariously memorable role as the handsome Prince of Prussia in Netflix’s “Bridgerton.” He also has a brief stint in “Game of Thrones” as the unfortunately named Dickon Tarly and starred in the short-lived Kevin James Netflix series, “The Crew.” Chris Conrad was originally cast as Adrien Chase but later dropped out due to creative difference.

 

Peacemaker’s Vigilante Explained: Who Is Freddie Stroma’s Character?

DC FanDome 2021

How will this DC anti-hero fit into the HBO Max series?

Director James Gunn is leaving a big mark on the DCEU — not only did Gunn direct The Suicide Squad, but he’s also heavily involved in the HBO Max spinoff series Peacemaker, which explores the more of John Cena’s goofy but murderous character. But aside from Peacemaker, another wacky introduction to the DCEU will be Vigilante/Adrian Chase, played by Freddie Stroma.

Fans of the classic Vigilante comics or The CW’s Arrow will no doubt recognize that name.

But if you don’t know Vigilante or have trouble making sense of the many different incarnations of the character, maybe we can sort things out.

Here’s everything you need to know about Vigilante and how he may factor into the larger DCEU.

Who Is Vigilante?

As his name suggests, Vigilante is an anti-hero who targets street-level criminals and mob bosses rather than superhuman villains. There have been no fewer than nine incarnations of Vigilante in DC’s comics. The original version, Greg Saunders, was a Wild West-era hero who dates all the way back to 1941’s Action Comics #42.

However, the second Vigilante, Adrian Chase, is easily the most famous of the bunch. Chase is a former district attorney who turns to a life of violence after his family are killed by mobsters. Though Chase is initially more Batman than The Punisher in terms of avoiding lethal force, one of the main focal points of writer Marv Wolfman’s ongoing Vigilante comic is the way in which Chase slowly becomes corrupted by his bloody crusade. Chase’s actions also directly inspire several other characters to take up the Vigilante mantle, including Judge Alan Wells, a bailiff named Dave Winston and even Chase’s own brother Dorian.

Vigilante’s Powers and Abilities

Not all versions of Vigilante have superhuman powers, but all are masters of armed and unarmed combat, including (in a throwback to the original cowboy version) the lasso. Like Wolverine, Adrian Chase possesses superhuman healing abilities and can recover from nearly any injury. However, he can be killed if the initial injury is severe enough.
Who Is DC’s Peacemaker? John Cena’s The Suicide Squad Character Explained

The Arrowverse’s Vigilante

While it remains to be seen just how faithfully (or not) Vigilante will be portrayed in Peacemaker, if Arrow is anything to go by, we may be looking at a very different take on the character.

Both Adrian Chase and Vigilante made their Arrowverse debuts in Arrow: Season 5, but as completely separate characters. Chase was played by Josh Segarra, with the character being portrayed as Star City’s new DA and a man with a deep grudge against Oliver Queen for killing his father years before. Rather than suit up as Vigilante, Chase instead became Prometheus. In the comics, Prometheus is basically an evil, high-tech version of Batman, but in Arrow he was portrayed more as the dark antithesis to Green Arrow.

Josh Segarra plays a very different version of Adrian Chase on Arrow.

The actual Vigilante, meanwhile, was eventually revealed to be a brand new character named Vincent Sobel. Sobel was an undercover cop and partner to Dinah Drake before being caught in the STAR Labs particle accelerator accident that created the Flash. That accident is the source of Sobel’s superhuman healing powers.

We don’t necessarily expect the Arrowverse versions of Chase and Vigilante to inform The Suicide Squad’s take on the character. That series reinterpreted those characters in a way that made them better mirrors for Green Arrow and Black Canary, respectively. But just like Arrow, we wouldn’t be surprised if the new movie takes a very loose approach to the source material and draws from several different incarnations as it introduces Vigilante into the DCEU.

 

How Vigilante Fits Into the Peacemaker Series

On the other hand, the Peacemaker series may not need to revamp Vigilante. Vigilante and Peacemaker have a preexisting relationship in the comics, and it’s one that could well set the tone for their dynamic in the DCEU.

Though Vigilante and Peacemaker are both ostensibly devoted to fighting evil and protecting the innocent, they eventually become mortal enemies. 1986’s Peacemaker #36 lays the groundwork for that rivalry. At this point in the series, Adrian Chase is attempting to leave his life as a costumed killer behind him, and Dave Winston has taken up the vigilante mantle instead. However, when the new Vigilante and Peacemaker both show up to stop terrorists from hijacking a plane, Peacemaker kills his “colleague.”

That tragedy spurs Chase to resume his old ways, fearing his loved ones will never be safe otherwise. He even attempts to take revenge on Peacemaker, though he winds up losing their duel and having his identity revealed on national TV. The destruction of his personal life sends Chase deep into despair and mental illness, culminating in a very tragic end for this troubled but well-meaning character.

 

Vigilantism

Vigilantism is the act of enforcement, investigation or punishment of perceived offenses without legal authority.

A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”) is a practitioner of vigilantism.
Vigilantism and the vigilante ethos existed long before the word vigilante was introduced into the English language. There are conceptual and psychological parallels between the Dark Age and medieval aristocratic custom of private war or vendetta and the modern vigilante philosophy.

Peacemaker Trailer Shows Vigilante, Reveals Release Date

DC released a Peacemaker trailer and sneak peek of behind-the-scenes footage ahead of the HBO Max series, which debuts on January 13, 2022. Written by James Gunn, who also directed five of the eight episodes, the follow-up to The Suicide Squad will focus on John Cena’s character from the film and further flesh out the DC Extended Universe.

Check out the Peacemaker trailer and sneak peek footage below:

Peacemaker DC Fandome Sneak Peak

Peacemaker | Official Teaser | HBO Max

Beyond the WWE legend in the lead role, the Peacemaker series will also star Steve Agee (The Suicide Squad, Superstore), Danielle Brooks (Orange Is the New Black, Close Enough), Robert Patrick (Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Perry Mason) as Auggie Smith, Jennifer Holland (Brightburn, American Horror Story) as Emilia Harcourt, and Chris Conrad (Perpetual Grace, LTD., Patriot) as Vigilante.

Additional cast includes Lochlyn Munro (Riverdale), Chukwudi Iwuji (The Underground Railroad), Annie Chang (Shades of Blue), Christoper Heyerdahl (Hell on Wheels, Supernatural), Elizabeth Faith Ludlow (The Walking Dead), Rizwan Manji (Goliath), Nhut Le (The Kroll Show) as DC hero Judomaster, Aison Araya (Arrow) as Amber, and Lenny Jacobson (Nurse Jackie) as Evan.

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James Gunn

James Francis Gunn Jr. is an American film director, actor, producer, screenwriter, and former musician.

(born August 5, 1966)

He began his career as a screenwriter in the mid-1990s. He then began working as a director, starting with the horror-comedy film Slither (2006), and moving to the superhero genre with Super (2010), Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), its sequel Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) and The Suicide Squad (2021).

He also wrote and directed the web series James Gunn‘s PG Porn (2008–2009).

Adrian Chase

Adrian Chase is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, he is the second character to use the Vigilante alias.

Chase debuted in New Teen Titans #23 (September 1982) before becoming Vigilante in New Teen Titans Annual #2 (August 1983). He later appeared in his own Vigilante series that featured Wolfman, Alan Moore, and Paul Kupperberg as writers.

Josh Segarra portrayed the character on The CW’s live-action Arrowverse TV series Arrow while Freddie Stroma will portray the character in the upcoming DC Extended Universe / HBO Max series Peacemaker.

 

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