James Gunn, John Cena Surprised by HBO Max Rebrand

DC Studios Co-CEO James Gunn and other members of the Peacemaker crew were taken by surprise while filming promotional material for Season 2, as they learned that Warner Bros. Discovery would be reverting the name of its streaming service back to HBO Max. Their reactions to this unexpected news have been nothing short of priceless, adding a humorous twist to the announcement.

The decision to revert the streaming service's name from Max back to HBO Max, announced earlier today, has left many, including some of the biggest names at DC, puzzled. This change will see the apps rebranded to HBO Max this summer, marking a significant shift after only two years of using the Max moniker.

The official X account for the soon-to-be-renamed Max shared videos capturing the real-time reactions of Gunn and Peacemaker star John Cena. In the footage, Gunn and Cena were reading from a teleprompter, promoting Peacemaker Season 2, set to debut on August 21. As Gunn read the script mentioning HBO Max, his confusion was evident, prompting him to question the change. "God, we’re calling it HBO Max – what? We’re calling it HBO Max again?" he remarked, clearly caught off guard. Other crew members, including DC Studios Co-CEO Peter Safran, also chimed in, adding to the amusing chaos.

While Gunn expressed his approval of the change, saying "That’s good, actually, but I didn’t know that was happening," Cena seemed more in the know, even breaking the news to some behind the camera. These reactions, whether part of a clever publicity stunt or genuine surprise, have provided a light-hearted look at the impact of the streaming service's rebranding on the DC team.

HBO Max initially launched in 2020 and became a go-to platform for streaming diverse content. The service retained its name until 2023 when, following the merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery, it was renamed to Max. Now, after subscribers had adjusted to the new name, the decision to revert to HBO Max has stirred a mix of confusion and amusement.

No specific date for the rebranding has been set, but as we await further updates on both HBO Max and Peacemaker Season 2, fans can explore the most anticipated DC projects slated for 2025 and delve into the key highlights from the latest Peacemaker Season 2 trailer.