Navigating his career from wrestling to cinema, John Cena became a Hollywood legend in no time, just like his predecessor, Dwayne Johnson. Initially becoming a household name, after appearing in franchise blockbusters such as the Transformers spin-off, Bumblebee, and Johnson’s Fast and Furious storyline, Cena later reprised his role as a DC anti-hero in James Gunn’s 2021 blockbuster.
Debuting as DC’s Peacemaker, in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad (2021), John Cena acquired a massive fanbase, alongside Viola Davis and Margot Robbie. The former wrestler’s appearance was hailed by the audience, forcing DC to offer him his own spinoff series, Peacemaker (2022). However, despite all the love he received, Cena wasn’t Gunn’s initial choice for the role.
John Cena Reprised His Role As DC’s Peacemaker
Following his appearance in Dwayne Johnson‘s Fast and Furious film series, John Cena was heavily grateful to the former wrestler for providing an opportunity in the million-dollar franchise. Further, Cena landed his breakthrough role as a superhero with his DC debut as Peacemaker in James Gunn’s 2021 iteration, The Suicide Squad.
Appearing in the franchise’s second take on Suicide Squad, John Cena became a fan-favorite character, as the movie hit the theatres during the pandemic. Venturing into an adventurous journey alongside Viola Davis, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, and Jai Courtney, who reprised their roles from the first installment in 2016, Cena and his on-screen alter ego acquired a separate fanbase.
As John Cena‘s Peacemaker became a standout role, the former wrestler was offered his own spinoff series, Peacemaker in 2022. Taking on the role of the DC superhero, “who loves peace so much that he’s willing to kill for it, ” fans hailed Cena for his work with Gunn. However, the acclaimed filmmaker reflected on how he initially considered Cena “a bit of a risk”.
John Cena Wasn’t The Initial Choice For James Gunn
During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, following the release of John Cena’s first episode of Peacemaker, James Gunn mentioned how he hired Cena “without auditioning”. Thus, feeling the risky factor in the casting choice, Gunn told Screen Rant that he initially wanted another WWE champion to appear as Peacemaker.
Evidently, it was none other than Dave Bautista, who was the initial choice for James Gunn. Reportedly running to play Peacemaker in Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, the actor was considered a fair choice as previously worked with the filmmaker as Drax the Destroyer in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy films. However, Bautista refused to appear in The Suicide Squad, as he “wanted to work with Zack [Snyder]” on the director’s Netflix zombie apocalypse movie, Army of the Dead.
Although John Cena was a second option for the role of Peacemaker, he claimed that he doesn’t view himself as a second choice. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Cena explained, “I didn’t look at myself as a second choice; I just looked at it as a chance to do the best I could”. Being grateful to Bautista for refusing the role, Cena called the 2021 movie, “a tremendous honor and an incredible opportunity”.
Further, the former wrestler signed a deal with James Gunn for the eight-episode spin-off series Peacemaker released on Max in 2022.
Watch The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker on Max.
Source: Screen Rant, Entertainment Weekly
