Peacemaker: James Gunn Confirms Indiana Jones Homage in Latest Episode

Last night, James Gunn was joined by some of the Peacemaker cast for an Episode 7 watch party on Twitter. As always, the cast and crew took to the social media site to watch along with fans, share some interesting behind-the-scenes information, and post photos from the show’s set. Gunn also answered fan questions throughout the event, and last night he confirmed that the moment when Peacemaker (John Cena) runs from his father’s white supremacist followers was an homage to Indiana Jones.

“Was this scene an homage to the opening sequence in Raiders?,” @jcmoody75 asked. “Yes for sure,” Gunn confirmed. You can check out a side by side of Raiders of the Lost Ark and Peacemaker below:

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Peacemaker debuted on HBO Max last month, and it’s a hit among critics and fans alike. The new DCEU series is a follow-up to Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, which was released last year. Peacemaker sees Cena’s character joining forces with a new team in order to take down an alien species dubbed “butterflies.” Currently, Peacemaker is up on Rotten Tomatoes with a 94% critics score, which means it’s officially the highest-reviewed project in the entire DCEU. ComicBook.com‘s own Jenna Anderson gave the series a 4 out of 5 and called it an “action-packed, profane, and bizarre story that perfectly suits its protagonists.” 

As for Indiana Jones, the road to the franchise’s fifth installment has been a long one. It was annouced in October that the movie had been delayed yet again, and director James Mangold said in January that there was still about a month left of filming to compelte.  Indiana Jones 5 is expected to feature the return of Harrison Ford in the titular role as well as Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Solo: A Star Wars Story), Mads Mikkelsen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Boyd Holbrook (Logan), Thomas Kretschmann (King Kong), Toby Jones (Captain America: The First Avenger), and Shaunette Renée Wilson (The Resident).

When ComicBook.com spoke to Mangold about Indiana Jones 5, he shared what kind of goal he’s set for taking on the franchise.

“I can’t comment on anything… But like in all my work, I’m always trying to find an emotional center to operate from,” Mangold explained. “I think the most important thing is, in an age when franchises have become a commodity are serving the same thing again. At least for me, in the dances I’ve had with any franchises, serving the same thing again, the same way, usually just produces a longing for the first time you ate it. Meaning, it makes an audience wish that they just had the first one over again. So you have to push something to someplace new, while also remembering the core reasons why everyone was gathered. And to use Logan as an example of that, when you’re dealing in a world of a very pressured franchise.”

The finale of Peacemaker debuts next Thursday exclusively on HBO Max.