Devil in Disguise: Release date news, cast details, streaming details and more about the upcoming true-crime series

Peacock’s Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy isn’t here to rehash gory details or turn a murderer into a morbid cultural icon. Instead, this upcoming true-crime series asks a much harder question: how did he get away with it for so long?

Set to release on October 16, the eight-episode limited series Devil in Disguise pulls back the curtain on the systemic failures, cultural blind spots, and painful human consequences behind the headlines. Gacy may be the name that grabs attention, but the victims—and the silence that surrounded them—are the real story. There are no graphic recreations. No scenes designed to shock. Just a slow, unnerving unspooling of how horror can hide in a handshake and a clown costume.

With Severance star Michael Chernus stepping into the chilling role of Gacy, Devil in Disguise becomes more psychological than procedural. It’s not about how he killed, but how everyone else failed to see the truth staring them in the face. If you're looking for another binge-able true-crime series, this one might just leave you thinking twice—and sleeping with the lights on.

Cast and creators of Devil in Disguise: The minds behind the madness

At the forefront of the cast is Michael Chernus, from Severance and Orange Is the New Black. He turns into John Wayne Gacy with chilling subtlety. Chernus's performance is central to the story, albeit hidden in the background. He doesn't control the story, but menacingly looms around it.

Alongside are Gabriel Luna from The Last of Us, Marin Ireland from The Umbrella Academy, Chris Sullivan from This is Us, and Michael Angarano from Oppenheimer. All of them add to a tale steeped in sorrow and anger. In the background, Dr. Death and The Girl From Plainville's Patrick Macmanus has a team consisting of producers from NBC News Studios and Littleton Road Productions working under him.

Notably, Macmanus will be directing the finale himself, which indicates how much he cares about the direction the series is taking. Other executive producers, with Liz Cole and Noah Oppenheim, who are also seasoned in telling intricate high-stakes stories, complete the powerful group.

Streaming information, format, and what to expect

All eight episodes of Devil in Disguise drop at once on Peacock, offering a bingeable format tailor-made for a rainy weekend—or a long, unsettling night. Unlike many true-crime series that stagger releases, this one leans into immersion. But don’t confuse bingeable with exploitative: there are no murder scenes, no glamorized violence, and no sympathy for the devil.

Trending

Rather, audiences can look forward to an intricate narrative that utilizes character snapshots and flashbacks to explore the multitudes whose lives were affected by Gacy’s horrific deeds. The synopsis is strikingly grim: from 1972 to 1978, 33 youths were killed and laid to rest in Gacy’s house in the suburbs. He was known as a community guy, the children’s clown, the man no one ever suspected.

This series seeks to answer the questions of why this happened and the multiple ways the system failed so many.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback