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Chris Conrad was originally cast as Vigilante (Adrian Chase) in Peacemaker, but left during Season 1 production and was replaced by Freddie Stroma. Contemporary coverage described the departure as amicable and due to creative differences. Years later, creator James Gunn added that the character was not working as well as it could. The public explanations do not reveal the precise private disagreement.
Conrad was the original Vigilante
Warner Bros. Discovery announced Conrad as part of the Peacemaker cast in November 2020. In May 2021, TVLine reported that Freddie Stroma had taken over the role of Adrian Chase, also known as Vigilante, citing an amicable departure attributed to creative differences. TVLine’s report described the change while the first season was in production.
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| 1 |
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Peacemaker: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray) | $32.00 | Buy on Amazon |
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The Peacemaker (1997) [Blu-Ray] | $22.49 | Buy on Amazon |
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The Peacemaker [Blu-ray] | $11.86 | Buy on Amazon |
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Peacemaker, The (1997) | $25.94 | Buy on Amazon |
What Gunn said about the recast
In 2025, James Gunn discussed the change on Peacemaker: The Official Podcast. As quoted by ComicBook.com, the production had filmed episodes 1–5 and part of episode 8 before deciding to recast. Gunn said “one particular part of it wasn’t working as well as it could,” and that the part happened to be a favorite character in the script.
That gives more context than the brief contemporary description of “creative differences,” but it does not identify the exact disagreement or provide a detailed account from Conrad. The available statements support a production-level explanation; they do not establish a specific personal dispute or a particular performance choice as the cause.
#1 Best Overall
- Runtime: 480 minutes
Why Stroma had to fit Conrad’s costume
The recast came late enough that the Vigilante costume had already been tailored to Conrad, and production did not have time to make another suit. Gunn said, “We actually had to cast around the suit because we didn’t have time to make a new suit.” That practical constraint was part of finding a replacement, not an explanation for why Conrad left.
Jennifer Holland also said some shots of Vigilante fully suited and helmeted show the original actor, with Stroma’s voice dubbed over the performance. Stroma later described joining after the rest of the cast had already begun working together, as reported in Entertainment Tonight’s interview.
Rank #2
What is known—and what remains private
- Established: Conrad was announced as Vigilante, then Stroma replaced him during first-season production.
- Reported at the time: Conrad’s departure was amicable and due to creative differences.
- Gunn’s later explanation: A part of the show, involving a favorite character in the script, was not working as well as it could.
- Not established publicly: The specific disagreement between Conrad and the production, or a more precise private reason for his exit.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s original cast announcement and its later cast announcement document the casting context; neither provides a more detailed account of the disagreement.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Factory sealed DVD
Rank #4
Rank #3
- Blu-ray
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