PEACEMAKER Star John Cena Admits He Didn't Expect To Play The Character Again After THE SUICIDE SQUAD

PEACEMAKER Star John Cena Admits He Didn't Expect To Play The Character Again After THE SUICIDE SQUAD

The Suicide Squad star John Cena has admitted that he didn't expect to be given the chance to return to the DC Extended Universe prior to learning that James Gunn had plans for a Peacemaker TV series...

By JoshWilding - Feb 12, 2022 10:02 AM EST
Filed Under: Peacemaker
Source: Podly: The Peacemaker Podcast

After he killed Rick Flag, it's fair to say none of us were too upset when Peacemaker was gunned down by Bloodsport in The Suicide Squad. A post-credits scene confirmed that Christopher Smith survived his injuries, and we've since learned there's more to the character than meets the eye in Peacemaker.

While the series was announced before The Suicide Squad arrived in theaters, John Cena has now admitted that he never actually expected to return to the role in the DC Extended Universe.

"We saw a little bit of debut of a man who will keep peace at any cost in The Suicide Squad, and I guess James Gunn thought there was a story to be told around that ethos and around that character," Cena told HBO Max's Podly: The Peacemaker Podcast. "I thought The Suicide Squad would be the last time we saw Peacemaker, but here he is in Peacemaker the series." 

Peacemaker has proved that Smith isn't all bad, and vastly more layered and interesting than his comic book counterpart. This might explain why the WWE Superstar turned actor decided against diving into the source material while preparing for both The Suicide Squad and this spinoff series.

"I did not read any comics before, or during, production," Cena noted. "Here is my why: because the very first thing I did when I got the job, I shook James Gunn's hand and said, 'Do you want me to get every comic or periodical or anything about Peacemaker and study up? He's like, 'No. The reason I've chosen Peacemaker is because many different artists have given different interpretations of Peacemaker. This is a great character, so it's up to us to crack it.'"

James Gunn has talked a lot about his hopes for Peacemaker season 2, and given what a beloved character Smith has become since we've seen he's more than just a jerk in a shiny helmet, his continuing adventures would be welcomed by fans. There's been no word on viewing figures as HBO Max doesn't disclose them, but reviews have been positive, so we're betting this corner of the DCEU will continue to be explored.

The Peacemaker finale arrives this Thursday! 

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MrKeyzerSoze
MrKeyzerSoze - 2/12/2022, 10:14 AM
He has done a great job imo
KWilly
KWilly - 2/12/2022, 10:14 AM
Who's a better actor y'all? Cena or Bautista?
MrKeyzerSoze
MrKeyzerSoze - 2/12/2022, 10:19 AM
@KWilly - Cena
DarkDetective
DarkDetective - 2/12/2022, 10:38 AM
@KWilly - idk, but they are both better than The Rock, thats for sure
ElricReturns
ElricReturns - 2/12/2022, 10:39 AM
@KWilly - I think they have different strengths. Cena is definitely more charismatic and natural in front of the camera, he's a gifted speaker and smart, clever and quick with improve, and he's actually funny. Batista can do some of that too, as seen with Drax, but not on the scale Cena can. But I've yet to see Cena play subtle, tortured and soulful to the degree Batista is capable of. Batista really impressed me in Blade Runner 2049 and was surprisingly solid leading Zombie Casino or whatever the [frick] that trash movie was called.
MrKeyzerSoze
MrKeyzerSoze - 2/12/2022, 10:59 AM
@DarkDetective - Agreed, actually I miss the old Rock. He had more interesting characters before he got super popular. Now it just feels the same
McMurdo
McMurdo - 2/12/2022, 11:13 AM
@KWilly - easily Cena it ain’t even close
GhostDog
GhostDog - 2/12/2022, 11:27 AM
@KWilly - after these last few episodes it’s Cena
dragon316
dragon316 - 2/12/2022, 11:30 AM
@KWilly - can’t tell you I’m no critic I like them both fun to watch
luckypenny
luckypenny - 2/12/2022, 12:47 PM
@MrKeyzerSoze - Yeah. 2022 Rock would never do something weird like Southland Tales. He was also hilarious in the intro of The Other Guys.
MrKeyzerSoze
MrKeyzerSoze - 2/12/2022, 12:59 PM
@luckypenny - He should do more villain roles
Ha1frican
Ha1frican - 2/12/2022, 1:21 PM
@KWilly - Comedic Actor = Cena, Dramatic Actor = Bautista
Himura
Himura - 2/12/2022, 3:34 PM
@KWilly - We need to see him in more stuff first. Batista has shown us he's got range. Cena has shown us he can play very specific characters well.
Origame
Origame - 2/12/2022, 10:19 AM
It's so weird how much hype I'm feeling for this last episode of a peacemaker show starring John Cena. What kind of universe did we end up in?
McMurdo
McMurdo - 2/12/2022, 11:14 AM
@Origame - one of the best shows on tv. Maybe the best comic book show this far. Lotta heart and characterization to chew on and a lot of laughs
JFerguson
JFerguson - 2/12/2022, 10:27 AM
This is a really great show. Glad I gave it a shot after initially not vibing with the promos
BecauseICare
BecauseICare - 2/12/2022, 10:40 AM
There are different Peacemakers for different era's. So if he did read the source material (somebody in the comments said it would take him all of 20 minutes - HA!) he would probably have left confused. Like which Peacemaker am I actually supposed to be?
TheLobster
TheLobster - 2/12/2022, 10:46 AM
Pretty sure he was meant to stay dead until Gunn had the idea for the show in (TSS) post and WB gave him the greenlight to write a series so he quickly put together that end credits scene.
TheLobster
TheLobster - 2/12/2022, 10:47 AM
I wish I liked this series more since I loved Peacemaker in TSS but I just really hate a lot of the dialogue. They’ve fleshed out his character a lot more here but they also made him dumber/more pathetic and it’s just cringe a lot of the time.
MadThanos
MadThanos - 2/12/2022, 1:20 PM
@TheLobster - f you didn't notice, his dad damaged his psyche through abuse and the trauma of killing his brother is the cause why he grew up to have a body of a man and the mind of a child.
TheLobster
TheLobster - 2/12/2022, 4:36 PM
@MadThanos - oh I got that but they conveyed it much better in TSS. They just dumbed him down here to the point of cringe talking about “mud babies”. Jesus[frick]ingchrist Gunn smh
TheLobster
TheLobster - 2/12/2022, 4:37 PM
@MadThanos - it was a little more subtle that he wasn’t all “there” or as mature as you’re average adult. They didn’t beat you over the head with it.
PapaSpank54
PapaSpank54 - 2/12/2022, 11:15 AM
I would love for an alternate U story based on the Pax Americana concept, with Cena still as Peacemaker. Not Pax Americana the comic 1:1, mind you, but... something similar.
I think it's criminal Morrison set that earth up and nobody ever took advantage.
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 2/12/2022, 11:47 AM
Cena doing a fantastic job of actually making Peacemaker sympathetic.
TheLobster
TheLobster - 2/12/2022, 11:55 AM
@ModHaterSLADE - definitely - it’s too bad Gunn doesn’t have enough constraint to maximize those moments. Like *SPOILERS*




When he finically shoots his dad in the head and he starts sobbing… only for [frick]ing Vigilante one second later to make a joke about him doing face exercises? Does Gunn think this is funny? Does the general public think it’s funny? Genuinely asking.
Godzilla2000Zer
Godzilla2000Zer - 2/12/2022, 1:12 PM
I was skeptical about doing a show with John Cena as Peacemaker before Suicide Squad even came out but I glad to say I was proven wrong because while I thought the movie was ok John Cena as Peacemaker was great so Im officially on the train.
Lokiwasright
Lokiwasright - 2/12/2022, 3:29 PM
Yea right John. You know you had to sellout for it.
asherman93
asherman93 - 2/13/2022, 11:38 PM
Given Jaime Reyes is about to get a film, and Peacemaker was a supporting player in his first comic series, I wouldn't be surprised if we see him popping up there next.
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