The first film was met with some harsh reviews, however, James Gunn managed to turn things around with the second 'Suicide Squad' film.
The cast has a lot to do with it, of course, Margot Robbie is still at the forefront, though this time around she's flanked by the likes of Idris Elba and John Cena.
Playing the role of Peacemaker, John Cena was an interesting choice, though, given the way he played the part, it was like it was meant for him all along.
Cena is a bit of a wacky dude, and the part played up his personality. Slowly but surely, he's climbing up the Hollywood ranks and this role played a major hand.
He'll be the first to admit that the preparation for the DC film was unlike anything he had ever done in the past. In fact, Cena agreed to the film without even knowing what role he'd be playing.
James Gunn is certainly unique when it comes to his approach and John learned that early on, especially when it came to his prep for the role, which was unlike any he had ever worked.
We'll take a look at that story, along with so much more from the behind the scenes.
John Wasn't The First Choice For The Film
It is all about opportunity and taking advantage, that's the way John Cena saw the role.
Now according to the star, he wasn't the first choice to play the role in the film, however, that didn't deter him one bit and if anything, it made his drive that much greater.
He discussed being cast alongside Esquire, "I operate under the construct of opportunity will find you and just be ready to answer the door when it does. It's a difficult quest to seek opportunity. And this is no different."
"I'm not sure I was James' first choice for Peacemaker. And I don't care. Because I eventually was asked, and when asked you do the best you can deliver."
Cena's hard work was evident from the start and heck, as it turns out, he knew very little about the role when he agreed to it.
He Agreed Without Knowing What The Role Was
In the land of Hollywood, it usually starts with reading a script and that's when the interest for an actor either heightens or subsides. Let's just say in John Cena's case, he skipped that step.
John admitted, he trusted and admired James Gunn, so agreeing to the role wasn't too difficult, "James is like, ‘OK, so I did this thing. And would you like to—?’ And before he can even tell me what it was, I said, ‘yes!’ There’s very few people I do that with because I really have to read the material. I'm not at a level where I can confidently make that commitment. I want to be able to read and know the tools that I have and what I can contribute. Working with James was such an experience that before he even said what he was doing I was interested,” says Cena.
It was then and there when Gunn offered John the role, "Well, OK, we're going to do Peacemaker for HBO Max'. And I was flattered,” Cena stated with Esquire.
Gunn Told Cena Not To Research For The Role
When he got cast in the role, John was familiar with 'Suicide Squad' but not the Peacemaker character himself. He asked the film head if he should research the history of the character, though surprisingly, Gunn had other things in mind.
"I met with James, and he immediately saw a perfect fit for Peacemaker, which is great,” he said. “And I asked if I should dive into the mythology, and he told me no. And I think that was so he could essentially curate what he wanted, as far as his vision.”
John trusted his decision and it would lead to major success. Cena was impressed with James' work ethic and how great their relationship was, "I strive to be a hardworking person, he works circles around me. And at the same time, isn’t a workaholic. He’s also a very friendly, caring, vulnerable-when-needed person, but also will put his foot down when we need to get the job done. This is his passion, you can see he’s doing what he loves."
Despite the different approaches, we can clearly see that everything worked out for the better.