Peacemaker LA Red Carpet Premiere Cancelled By HBO Max Due To Omicron

The Los Angeles red carpet premiere for Peacemaker, has been canceled due to concerns over surging cases of Omicron, the COVID-19 variant. Peacemaker stars John Cena in the title role, picking up with the character following James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. Gunn also wrote every episode and directed several for Peacemaker, exploring the character’s journey from villain to antihero. Aside from Cena, the series also features Robert Patrick, Jennifer Holland, Steve Agee, and Danielle Brooks.

According to Deadline, Peacemaker’s Los Angeles premiere event was slated for January 8th before HBO Max saw fit to cancel it. However, the decision to cancel the premiere was floated before the holidays, with cases of Omicron already rising. Peacemaker‘s premiere is also not the only event affected by the surge in Omicron cases. Other events and awards shows are being postponed or flat-out canceled over the same concerns. While the holidays did give a boost to the box office, thanks to films like Spider-Man: No Way Home, as things begin to settle down again, the elevated Omicron cases may prove detrimental in the coming months to entertainment venues that may have to pivot to make accommodations for their audiences.

The decision to cancel the premiere was ultimately made over safety, though it will not affect its debut on the streaming service. Peacemaker will hit HBO Max on January 13th with a three-episode premiere. The series will then debut a new episode each week through February 17th. Peacemaker looks to deliver Gunn’s unique brand of humor and action that made The Suicide Squad work so well, and audiences will soon be able to judge for themselves.