James Gunn, John Cena Surprised by HBO Max Rebrand

DC Studios Co-CEO James Gunn and the Peacemaker crew were caught off guard by Warner Bros. Discovery's decision to revert the streaming service's name back to HBO Max while filming promotional content for Season 2. Their reactions, captured on camera, offer a humorous glimpse into the confusion and surprise this unexpected change elicited.

The announcement came as a shock to many, including Gunn and his team, when HBO's parent company declared it would abandon the Max name and return to the original HBO Max branding this summer. The move left even the biggest names at DC puzzled and bemused.

The soon-to-be-renamed Max's official X account shared the recorded reactions of Gunn and Peacemaker star John Cena shortly after the announcement. In the footage, Gunn is seen reading from a teleprompter, promoting Peacemaker Season 2, set to debut on August 21. His surprise is evident when he reads "HBO Max" instead of "MAX," and he is quickly informed that the change is intentional and would be officially announced at the Upfront.

That's good actually. pic.twitter.com/b3WNWOsyT2

— Max (@StreamOnMax) May 14, 2025

Gunn humorously questions the reversion: "God, we’re calling it HBO Max – what? We’re calling it HBO Max again?" Other crew members, including DC Studios Co-CEO Peter Safran, join in the confusion, creating a light-hearted and entertaining moment on film. Despite the initial surprise, Gunn expresses his approval of the change, saying, "That’s good, actually, but I didn’t know that was happening."

In contrast, John Cena appears to be well-informed about the rebrand. His video shows him breaking the news to those behind the camera, adding to the comedic effect of the situation.

POV: finding out about the rebrand from @JohnCena pic.twitter.com/eyQxhTcJrs

— Max (@StreamOnMax) May 14, 2025

While it's possible that this could be an elaborate publicity stunt by the HBO Max team, the genuine reactions from Gunn and the crew make for an amusing spectacle, highlighting the impact of Warner Bros. Discovery's latest streaming service rebrand.

HBO Max initially launched in 2020, offering a wide range of content to stream. The service retained its name until 2023 when the newly merged Warner Bros. Discovery announced it would drop the HBO portion in favor of simply Max. After two years of adjusting to the new name, the company has now decided to revert to HBO Max.

No specific date for the rebrand has been set. As fans await further updates on both HBO Max and Peacemaker Season 2, they can explore the most anticipated DC projects of 2025 and delve into the key takeaways from Peacemaker Season 2's latest trailer.