Gunn, Cena Surprised by HBO Max Rebrand

DC Studios Co-CEO James Gunn and members of the Peacemaker crew were caught completely off guard—on camera—when they discovered Warner Bros. Discovery plans to bring back the HBO Max name during the filming of promotional content for Season 2. The reactions, now shared by the streaming platform’s official X account, are as genuine as they are entertaining.

Earlier today, Warner Bros. Discovery announced a surprising reversal: the streaming service formerly rebranded as Max will soon revert to its original name, HBO Max, this summer. While fans are reeling from the change, it turns out the news came as a total surprise to some of DC’s top creative figures.

In the clip, James Gunn is seen reading from a teleprompter promoting Peacemaker Season 2, set to premiere August 21. Mid-sentence, he pauses, clearly confused. The script refers to HBO Max instead of Max. “God, we’re calling it HBO Max—what?” Gunn says, visibly stunned. “We’re calling it HBO Max again?”

He’s quickly informed that the change is real and will be officially announced at the Upfronts. Gunn’s response? “That’s good, actually—but I didn’t know that was happening.”

The moment doesn’t just catch Gunn off guard—other crew members, including DC Studios Co-CEO Peter Safran, can be heard reacting in disbelief, turning the shoot into a spontaneous, behind-the-scenes comedy reel.

Meanwhile, John Cena appears to be in on the news before anyone else. Instead of reacting to the announcement, his footage shows him breaking the rebrand update to the crew, flipping the script entirely.

That's good actually. pic.twitter.com/b3WNWOsyT2
— Max (@StreamOnMax) May 14, 2025

POV: finding out about the rebrand from @JohnCena pic.twitter.com/eyQxhTcJrs
— Max (@StreamOnMax) May 14, 2025

While some may suspect this was a cleverly orchestrated marketing move, the authenticity of the reactions adds a layer of charm. Whether planned or not, seeing key DC figures genuinely surprised by a major corporate decision is a rare and amusing sight.

HBO Max originally launched in 2020 as a premium destination for HBO content and beyond. In 2023, after the merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery, the company dropped “HBO” from the name, rebranding it simply as Max. Now, after two years of acclimating audiences to the shorter name, the company is doubling back—confirming that HBO Max still holds strong brand value.

No exact date has been set for the official name switch, but the transition is expected this summer. Until then, fans can look forward to Peacemaker Season 2 and stay updated on upcoming DC projects set for 2025. For more, check out the latest takeaways from the Season 2 trailer.