James Gunn, John Cena Surprised by HBO Max Rebrand

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn and the Peacemaker cast and crew recently experienced a surprise while filming promotional material for Season 2. Warner Bros. Discovery’s decision to revert the HBO Max name for its streaming service came as a shock to even some of the biggest names in the industry.

When the HBO parent company announced the rebranding, which will swap the Max app name back to HBO Max this summer, reactions were priceless. Gunn and John Cena, who plays the titular character in Peacemaker, were filmed reacting to the news during a promo shoot.

In the footage, Gunn is seen reading from a teleprompter that mentions HBO Max instead of MAX, clearly catching him off guard. His initial reaction is disbelief, followed by humor as he processes the change. Co-CEO Peter Safran and others chimed in, adding to the comedic chaos. Despite the confusion, Gunn eventually expressed approval, saying, “That’s good, actually, but I didn’t know that was happening.”

Meanwhile, Cena appeared to break the news to the crew himself, showcasing a more composed demeanor compared to Gunn’s genuine surprise. While some speculate this could be a clever marketing stunt, the candid reactions remain entertaining regardless.

HBO Max initially launched in 2020, blending content from various networks. Two years later, the merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery led to the switch to Max. Now, after audiences had begun acclimating to the shorter name, HBO Max is back. An exact timeline for the rebrand remains unclear, but fans eagerly anticipate updates on both the streaming service and Peacemaker Season 2. In the meantime, keep an eye out for upcoming DC releases in 2025 and dive deeper into the latest Peacemaker trailer highlights.