James Gunn, John Cena Shocked by HBO Max Rebrand

In a surprising twist during the filming of promotional content for Peacemaker Season 2, DC Studios Co-CEO James Gunn and other crew members were caught on camera reacting to Warner Bros. Discovery's decision to revert the streaming service's name back to HBO Max. The announcement, which came earlier today, will see the service ditch the "Max" moniker in favor of the original HBO Max banner this summer, leaving even the biggest names at DC puzzled.

The official X account of the soon-to-be-renamed Max shared clips capturing the real-time reactions of Gunn and Peacemaker star John Cena. In the footage, Gunn is seen reading from a teleprompter, promoting the upcoming season set to debut on August 21, when he suddenly notices the script refers to HBO Max instead of Max. His confusion is palpable as he questions the change, only to be informed it's not a mistake and will be officially announced at the Upfront.

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

— Max (@StreamOnMax) May 14, 2025

Gunn's bemusement is evident as he exclaims, “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, chime in, adding to the confusion and hilarity of the moment. Despite the surprise, Gunn expresses a positive sentiment, stating, “That’s good, actually, but I didn’t know that was happening.”

John Cena, on the other hand, seems to be in the know. Instead of being surprised by the news, his video shows him breaking the news to those behind the camera, adding a humorous twist to the unfolding events.

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

— Max (@StreamOnMax) May 14, 2025

While this could all be part of an elaborate publicity stunt orchestrated by the HBO Max team, the genuine reactions from Gunn and the crew provide a light-hearted and entertaining glimpse into the impact of the rebranding.

HBO Max originally launched in 2020 as a comprehensive streaming platform. It retained its name until 2023, when the newly merged Warner Bros. Discovery announced it would drop the HBO part of its name to simply Max. After two years of subscribers adjusting to the new name, the company has decided to revert to HBO Max, acknowledging its initial branding success.

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