Peacemaker Was Originally Written for WWE Legend, Not John Cena

John Cena made his debut as Peacemaker in James Gunn’s 2021 film The Suicide Squad. He later starred in the character’s self-titled HBO Max series, which premiered on January 13, 2022.

Peacemaker is Christopher Smith, a vigilante who seeks peace at any cost, even if it means violence and death. Portrayed as jingoistic, ruthless, and emotionally troubled, Peacemaker’s commitment to peace is so intense that he’ll kill for it, making him a complex antihero rather than a traditional superhero.

James Gunn Wanted To Cast Batista As Peacemaker Instead of John Cena

Interestingly, James Gunn recently revealed on The Howard Stern Show that the role was first written for another WWE legend, Dave Bautista, aka Batista. Gunn crafted Peacemaker specifically with The Animal in mind, but he was offered two movies with better pay and had to decline due to scheduling and financial reasons.

“I wrote the character of Peacemaker for him, and we offered him the role, but [he] was offered two movies, and we weren’t paying him a lot, so he had to go where the money was.”

Gunn, having admired Cena’s work since Trainwreck, met him and quickly realized Cena was perfect for the role.

Both John Cena and Dave Bautista moved from WWE to Hollywood stardom during the late 2010s. Batista officially retired from wrestling after his match against Triple H at WrestleMania 35 in April 2019. He then devoted himself to acting full-time, with notable roles like Drax the Destroyer in the Guardians of the Galaxy series.

Meanwhile, John Cena entered Hollywood in the 2000s. But it was only in mid-2010 that his acting career gained momentum. He became a part-time wrestler in 2018, juggling movies and occasional WWE appearances. In June 2025, Cena publicly announced his WWE retirement, effective at the end of the year.

Saturday Night Main Event in Washington. DC will be his final in-ring performance as a WWE wrestler. WWE has yet to reveal who The Never Seen 17 will face in his retirement match. Cena has already faced some of the biggest names like Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, and CM Punk during his retirement tour. He’s scheduled to face Brock Lesnar next at Wrestlepalooza on September 20.

H/T to Fightful