John Cena, who played the role of patriotic mercenary Christopher Smith in James Gunn’s “Peacemaker,” recently said he understands why the series is no longer a top priority for Gunn, who serves as the series’ writer, creator and showrunner.
In an interview with “Happy, Sad, Confused” podcast host Josh Horowitz, the actor first answered the question of whether viewers have seen the last of the fan-favorite anti-hero. “You need a different man in this chair,” Cena said, seemingly referring to Gunn. When asked if he had worn a costume since Season 2, Cena replied, “No,” and added, “When I put that helmet on, I told James, ‘Dude, I’ll wear this helmet as long as you need me.’ “He makes me a better artist, so I love being around him.”
Cena continued: When Gunn wrote what would become “Peacemaker,” he said he wrote “Guardians of the Galaxy” and then “got invited to DC. He had a team he could deal with: the Suicide Squad. Then COVID came along and he was really bored, so he wrote ‘Peacemaker.’
Cena’s character made his debut in “The Suicide Squad” in 2021, and Season 1 of “Peacemaker” premiered on HBO Max in 2022, returning more than three years later for Season 2 in October 2025.
Between the show’s two seasons, Gunn and Peter Safran were hired as co-CEOs of DC Studios and relaunched the new DC Universe with “Superman” and “Creature Commandos.” David Ellison merged with Paramount-Warner Bros. to form Skydance Corp. When Discovery officially closed its merger, it announced that Gunn and Safran would continue as co-presidents of DC Studios at the new company.
“Now this guy can play with a box of toys, and since you get the whole box of toys, you have to address the really valuable ones first — and I understand that,” Cena said, referencing other “valuable IPs” such as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. “I’m not in a leadership position, but if I were, I would play these games first,” he added. “This is good.”
Cena stars in “Matchbox: The Movie,” which opens in theaters Friday.