John Cena, who played patriotic mercenary Christopher Smith in James Gunn’s “Peacemaker,” recently said he understood why the series was no longer a top priority for Gunn, who served as writer, creator and showrunner on the TV series.
In an interview with Josh Horowitz, host of the “Happy, Sad, Confused” podcast, the actor first answered the question of whether audiences had seen the last of the fan-favorite anti-hero. “You need a different guy in that chair,” Cena said, pointedly referring to Gunn. When asked if he’s worn a suit since the end of Season 2, Cena replied, “No,” adding, “When I put that helmet on, I told James, I was like, ‘Man, I’ll put this helmet on for as long as you need it.’ He makes me a better artist, so I love being around him.
Cena continued, noting that when Gunn wrote what would become “Peacemaker,” he had just done “Guardians of the Galaxy,” and then “was invited to DC. He had a crew to have fun with: the Suicide Squad. And then COVID hit, and he was really bored, so he wrote “Peacemaker.”
Cena’s character debuted in “The Suicide Squad” in 2021 and season 1 of “Peacemaker” premiered in 2022 on HBO Max before returning more than three years later in October 2025 for season 2.
Between the show’s two seasons, Gunn and Peter Safran were hired as co-CEOs of DC Studios and rebooted the new DC Universe with “Superman” and “Creature Commandos.” When David Ellison officially closed the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger. Discovery to form Skydance Corp. announced that Gunn and Safran would continue to lead DC Studios in the new company.
“Now this guy gets to play with a whole box of toys, and because you get the whole box of toys, you have to go after the ones that are really valuable first — and I understand that,” Cena said, referring to other “valuable IP” like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. “I’m not in a leadership position, but if I was, I would make these plays first,” he added. “It’s OK.”
Cena stars in “Matchbox: The Movie,” which hits theaters Friday.
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