Gunn, Cena Surprised by HBO Max Rebrand

During the filming of promotional material for Season 2 of *Peacemaker*, DC Studios Co-CEO James Gunn and other crew members were caught off guard by Warner Bros. Discovery's decision to revert its streaming service name back to HBO Max. The announcement, which came earlier today, will see the streaming apps switch from Max to the original HBO Max branding this summer, leaving even the biggest names at DC puzzled and amused.

The official X account of the soon-to-be-renamed Max shared videos capturing the reactions of Gunn and *Peacemaker* star John Cena shortly after the announcement. In the footage, Gunn and Cena appear to be reading from a teleprompter, encouraging audiences to watch *Peacemaker* Season 2, set to debut on August 21.

As Gunn was informing viewers about where to watch the show, he was visibly surprised by the script mentioning HBO Max instead of Max. Upon being informed that this was not an error and would be officially announced at the Upfront, Gunn humorously remarked, “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, were also heard reacting to the change, adding to the confusion and hilarity of the moment. Gunn expressed his approval, stating, “That’s good, actually, but I didn’t know that was happening.”

In contrast, Cena was already in the know and used his video to break the news to those behind the camera, adding another layer of humor to the situation. While some might speculate that this could be a publicity stunt by the HBO Max team, the genuine reactions from the DC Studios team provide a light-hearted glimpse into the streaming service's latest rebrand.

HBO Max initially launched in 2020 as a comprehensive streaming platform. It retained its name until 2023 when Warner Bros. Discovery, following their merger, decided to drop the HBO part and rebrand it as Max. Now, after two years of the public adjusting to the new name, the company has opted to return to HBO Max, recognizing its original branding as valuable.

No specific date for the rebrand has been set yet. As we await further details on both the HBO Max rebrand and the release of *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.