It's no secret that for the better part of the 2010s, DC struggled to keep up with the cinematic output that Marvel was introducing to the world. The MCU was thriving, and the DCEU (in fear of falling behind) tried to duplicate the feat with a line-up of quick releases featuring their most well-known characters. As we now know, the strategy didn't work out as DC hadn't taken the time to plant seeds like Marvel had, resulting in the movies feeling cluttered and rushed. After a few flops, it was uncertain whether DC would recover, and their cinematic future appeared quite bleak.
Thankfully, fans who stuck around and gave DC the benefit of the doubt were rewarded for their patience as the studio has released a long list of successful projects in the past few years that have brought their cinematic world back to life. One such project was Peacemaker, a spin-off based on the titular character (played by John Cena) introduced in James Gunn's Suicide Squad. The series won audiences over with critics praising John Cena's performance as Peacemaker, but there was a different masked hero that stole the show -- Vigilante (played by Freddie Stroma). In every scene that the character was in, he stole the spotlight -- and there's no better hero that deserves a spin-off of a spin-off.
We Don't Know Much About Vigilante
One of the main reasons we need a Vigilante spin-off is that audiences didn't get a chance to learn that much about him. We know his real name is Adrian Chase and that he works as a busboy. He is also a psychopathic serial killer who has no problem blowing somebody's brains out for something as minimal as a misdemeanor. He also idolizes Peacemaker regardless of how poorly Peacemaker treats him, giving the two of them an older-brother/younger-brother relationship. That's pretty much all we know.
Audiences never really learned what Vigilante was doing while Peacemaker was in jail (other than killing people), what he was doing with Peacemaker prior to him going to jail (probably killing people), or how he became the masked assailant known as Vigilante in the first place (probably killed some people). Understandably, not much is known about the character as the story was centered around Peacemaker. Still, with such an intriguing and puzzling character, it's only natural for audiences to guess (and want to know) where exactly Vigilante came from -- and a spin-off series could show that.
Freddie Stroma is Hilarious
Freddie Stroma, the actor who plays Vigilante, has had a few minor roles leading up to this part (the Harry Potter movies, Game of Thrones, etc.), but he's never gotten to play a character like Vigilante, and he absolutely nailed it. As already stated, Vigilante stole the show every single time he stepped into frame and left audiences comatose with laughter thanks to his combination of awkward deadliness. In a way, Vigilante can almost be viewed as a DC version of Deadpool (minus the healing powers and fourth-wall-breaking) due to his obscene antics and total disregard for whomever he has to kill, and Stroma captured the essence of the character perfectly. Not only was Stroma hilarious, but he was also able to drop the comedy and deliver a heavy line when the scene called for an emotional moment (usually between him and Peacemaker), giving the character and the performance even more depth. Even if Stroma never got the chance to play Vigilante again (which would be a tragedy), his performance has assuredly opened several Hollywood doors for his future.
Vigilante Isn’t Really a Superhero
We mentioned that Vigilante is basically a DC Deadpool minus the superpowers, but that makes him all the more awesome. Peacemaker has his helmet and any other technology that he could get from his dearly departed father. The rest of the team was government-funded with access to virtually anything that they could possibly need. Vigilante was just a guy with a sword and some guns. Some people might argue that that would make him a horrible protagonist of his own superhero spin-off series, but it could work for an R-rated character like Vigilante.
Picture the movie Kick-Ass, but less corny and more brutal. Vigilante has proven that he can go toe-to-toe with super-beings, so watching him tear through regular people would be an absolute spectacle. We already know that Peacemaker has been renewed for a second season, so it's pretty much guaranteed that Vigilante will be reprising his role. Nevertheless, fans wouldn't be upset if DC decided to let James Gunn helm another television series for the franchise.