The Suicide Squad director James Gunn has explained why John Cena always wears his Peacemaker costume. The Suicide Squad is a soft sequel/mostly reboot that will see Gunn take the Warner Bros. franchise in a more fitting rated R direction while injecting it with his trademark humor and knack for delving into the emotional side of obscure characters. Already certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, Gunn’s film introduces brand new faces into Task Force X. So alongside the returning Harley Quinn, fans will see DC characters like Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian), and the gangs “douchey Captain America” Peacemaker (John Cena) embark on a dangerous mission to Corto Maltese.
Cena’s role as Peacemaker marks the first time the character is getting a live-action portrayal, and Cena’s rogue peace seeker has been given quite the spotlight in The Suicide Squad’s marketing, suggesting he has a big role to play in DC’s ensemble film. Of course, the former WWE Champion will be returning to the role as he will star in a Peacemaker TV show, premiering on January 16, 2022, that will explore the character’s origins. Interestingly, during the filming of the show, Cena introduced a unique and amusing tradition of wearing his Peacemaker costume for seemingly everything – naps, interviews, and filming. Now, Gunn has explained why the wrestler-turned-actor always wears his supervillain costume.
On Monday night, the cast and crew of The Suicide Squad enjoyed the film’s premiere in Los Angeles, and Cena, as he has throughout the promotion of this film, arrived in his Peacemaker outfit. Post-the premiere, Gunn answered questions on his Instagram story while on a flight, and one question posed to the director was why does Cena not take off his Peacemaker costume. According to the director, his star loves it, and in addition to finding it comfortable, enjoys wearing the outfit he wears in “regular life” to all his promotional obligations. Full answer can be seen below:
Gunn’s response, while likely true, may come with a little bit of a wink as well, as Cena’s ongoing desire to wear his costume has become a fun back and forth for the director-actor duo. Whether it’s Gunn and Cena talking via Twitter about the star wearing his costume to take a nap in, or the director jokingly claiming they are not making a Peacemaker season 2 because they’re over budget while on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, it’s proven to be a fun topic for The Suicide Squad team and fans to discuss. There’s no denying Cena’s commitment and fondness for Peacemaker’s attire has been a great promotional tool, too, as fans continue to discuss him wearing it, and the actor has even made jokes about it on WWE programming recently.
The Suicide Squad will finally release on HBO Max and in theaters this week, and based on its overwhelmingly positive reviews as well as the fact it hit number 1 at the UK box office (where it released last week), all signs seem to be pointing to the film being a big success for Warner Bros.. Of course, The Suicide Squad's success will only boost the studio’s confidence in Peacemaker, as according to Cena, it “turns up the volume on anything that you see in The Suicide Squad.” However, judging by Gunn’s answer about Cena’s fondness for the Peacemaker costume, fans should expect to see the costume appearing anywhere and everywhere around January time.
Source: James Gunn
