Dave Bautista discusses his perspective on the Peacemaker casting controversy
Dave Bautista, the former WWE champion, has opened up about missing out on the role of Peacemaker in the hit HBO Max series, which was eventually played by John Cena.
In an interview, Bautista revealed that it was James Gunn who wrote the role of Peacemaker specifically for him, not John Cena. However, Bautista had prior commitments and could not do Zack Snyder's "Army of the Dead," which prevented him from taking on the role.
Cena was first introduced as Peacemaker in Gunn's "The Suicide Squad" in 2021, and the series premiered on HBO Max in early 2022 with Cena in the lead role. Since then, the show has become a critical and commercial success, with new episodes airing every Thursday through October 9, 2025.
Bautista, who has since been involved in various acting projects such as "Dune," "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery," "Knock at the Cabin," "Dune: Part Two," and "The Last Showgirl," confesses that he has some envy towards Cena for getting the role of Peacemaker. He believes that Cena brings the character to life in a new way and has done a "great" job in the role.
Despite missing out on the role, Bautista is happy with the finished product of "Peacemaker" and considers it a "blessing in disguise." He admits that he would not have been able to do the role as well as Cena. Bautista and Cena had a longstanding feud in WWE throughout the early 2000s and 2010s, but Bautista believes that Cena's portrayal of Peacemaker has put that behind them.
Bautista did not specify what he meant by "it wouldn't have been the same" or "it wouldn't have been as good" without the role of Peacemaker. He did mention, however, that the series takes place in Gunn's DCU, despite "The Suicide Squad" being part of the DCEU spearheaded by Zack Snyder.
Gunn created a spin-off series for the character, which premiered on HBO Max in January 2022. The second season of "Peacemaker" premiered on August 21, 2025, and continues to be a popular choice among viewers.
Despite missing out on the role, it's clear that Bautista remains a fan of the series and has nothing but praise for Cena's performance as Peacemaker.
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