James Gunn’s First Choice For Peacemaker Reveals Why He Was Forced To Turn It Down

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Peacemaker first appeared in James Gunn’s *The Suicide Squad* and quickly gained his own TV series. John Cena has become well-known for playing the character, particularly in the second season. Recently, Gunn revealed that Cena wasn’t his first choice for the role, and now the original actor has explained why he turned it down.

James Gunn shared that he originally wrote the role of Peacemaker with Dave Bautista (known for *Guardians of the Galaxy*) in mind, but it didn’t pan out. Bautista recently told ComicBook, while discussing his new film *Afterburn* with director J.J. Perry, that he actively pursued the part and tried to make it happen, but ultimately wasn’t able to.

I was really hoping to do that scene. James Gunn actually wrote it with me in mind, but unfortunately, it just didn’t work out with the timing. I was busy filming *Army of the Dead*, and we couldn’t find a way to make it fit.

Blessing in Disguise

Dave Bautista initially wanted the role of Peacemaker, but now he feels it’s a good thing he didn’t get it after seeing John Cena’s performance. He believes Cena was perfectly cast and would have brought something special to the role that Bautista couldn’t have matched, likely leading to a less successful outcome. Bautista admits he wouldn’t have done the character justice.

Bautista admitted he was a little envious of John’s performance, saying he’d have loved the opportunity, but knew he couldn’t have brought the same qualities to the character. He honestly believes the performance wouldn’t have been as strong if he’d played the role.

A Different World

I’m really intrigued by the world of *Afterburn*. It’s definitely got a unique vibe, similar to *Peacemaker*, but it’s actually based on a graphic novel by Scott Chitwood and Wayne Nichols, which is cool. The story is set a decade after a massive solar flare wipes out most electronics, throwing the world into chaos and letting all sorts of dictators rise to power. I learned that the director, Perry, and Dave Bautista worked together before on *Killer’s Game*, and that experience really helped them figure out how to adapt the key parts of *Afterburn* for the screen and build this whole post-apocalyptic world.

For me, the most challenging part was figuring out the right feel for the story. It really makes you think about what life would be like if we lost power and technology. We were actually exploring those questions while we were filming, constantly asking ourselves how people would cope without those things. It was a really interesting thought experiment – just imagining what you’d do if the electricity went out and technology disappeared.

I didn’t realize it was based on a comic book until Dave showed it to me. Then I really looked into it – I read the script several times and understood it was an adaptation. Interestingly, the comic book’s creator is also from my hometown, Houston, Texas. We connected immediately when we spoke. As Dave mentioned, the project had a strong post-apocalyptic setting and a treasure hunting element. While I often work on action films, this felt more like an action-adventure. It focused on finding treasure and solving problems. My character, Jake, wasn’t a highly trained soldier like a Navy SEAL; he was a resourceful and tough individual who could both get into and get out of tricky situations.

Afterburner hits theaters on September 19.

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2025-09-16 23:41