‘Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy’ Final Trailer Drops as Peacock Series Premieres Today
The wait is over — “Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy” has finally premiered on Peacock, and the newly released final trailer sets the tone for a dark, haunting deep dive into one of America’s most infamous serial killers. The series, which arrives in full today, promises to explore the chilling duality of John Wayne Gacy — the friendly neighborhood contractor who hid unspeakable horrors beneath his home.
A Final Trailer That Chills to the Core
The last look before the premiere of “Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy” doesn’t hold back. Rather than relying on shock value, the trailer builds its dread through mood, silence, and tension. Michael Chernus’s portrayal of Gacy is deeply unsettling — calm, courteous, and almost charming until his mask begins to crack. Scenes flash between his ordinary suburban life, terse police interrogations, and the devastating discoveries that would horrify a nation.
Detective Rafael Tovar (Gabriel Luna) presses Gacy about a missing teenager: “Kid’s missing, last seen with you.” Gacy’s measured response — “I don’t know who that is” — lands like ice. The sequence closes with Gacy’s chilling retort to a reporter’s question about his body count: “Up to you to find out.” That line, coupled with Chernus’s unnerving composure, encapsulates the series’s sinister allure.
The trailer signals that Peacock’s take won’t be gratuitous but psychological — using implication and atmosphere to drive its terror home.
Behind the Scenes: Vision, Cast & Approach
This version of “Devil in Disguise” is not a straightforward reenactment — it’s a scripted drama inspired by Peacock’s 2021 docuseries of the same name. Under showrunner Patrick Macmanus (known for “Dr. Death”), creators made a conscious decision to shift the focus away from sensationalism and toward empathy — especially for the victims and their families. In a Vanity Fair article, Michael Chernus discusses the reason he agreed to the role:
“There, he learned that Macmanus’s vision matched his own. “He said to me, ‘Gacy’s not going to be at the center of this, so you won’t be in every scene.’ And to me that was such a huge relief,” Chernus says.”
The cast is strong and purposefully assembled. In addition to Michael Chernus as Gacy, the series features Gabriel Luna as Detective Rafael Tovar, Michael Angarano as defense attorney Sam Amirante, Chris Sullivan as prosecutor Bill Kunkle, James Badge Dale, and Marin Ireland, among others. Notably, the production reportedly contacted victim families directly in hopes of remaining sensitive to their experiences.
Perhaps most intriguing is how the series handles the violence: producers and critics note that many of the acts will be implied or shown in restrained, carefully framed imagery — rather than graphic spectacle.
Now Streaming: ‘Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy’
All eight episodes of “Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy“ are now available to stream exclusively on Peacock as of October 16. The story begins with the disappearance of 15-year-old Robert Piest in 1978 — Gacy’s final known victim — before unraveling backward through the years to reveal how a seemingly ordinary man managed to evade suspicion for so long.
The series deftly balances procedural drama with psychological horror. It digs into the failures of institutions that allowed Gacy’s crimes to persist, while examining the psychological manipulation that made him both a trusted community member and a monstrous predator.
Critics have already praised the show’s restraint and emotional depth, calling it “a chilling, intelligent portrait of evil” that avoids the pitfalls of exploitation. For true-crime devotees and fans of character-driven thrillers, “Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy“ delivers a disturbing yet thoughtful look at the darkness hiding in plain sight.
