WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Peacemaker, Season 1, Episode 8, “It’s Cow or Never,” available now on HBO Max.
John Cena discussed the cameos in the Season 1 finale of Peacemaker.
The finale, “It’s Cow or Never,” sees the DC Extended Universe’s Justice League arrive to help Peacemaker and his team stop the Butterfly invasion after the fight is already over, with Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and The Flash (Ezra Miller) responding to his insults. In an interview with Fandom, Cena expressed his gratitude to the actors for taking part in the show. “[T]hey were able to put themselves in the limelight and get everybody talking, but they do so in a way where the joke’s not on them,” he explained. “And they did it for the good of our show. Whether that was their intention or not, it really, really, really, really helped us, especially after eight episodes of people being excited about the show, to put a stamp on it. It lets everybody know that there’s a new player in the DC Universe and that this is what’s going on. ‘These folks are now on an equal playing field, wow!’ That’s my takeaway from that.”
The cameos also serve to pay off a season-long running gag in which Peacemaker insults nearly every other hero in the DCEU or spreads malicious, outlandish rumors about them. As Cena explained, “He’s jealous of the other superheroes because of what they have. And he wants that and he doesn’t have it. So he has to bad mouth everybody… Calling The Flash a d-bag, weaving his jokes about Aquaman in there, and talking about Wonder Woman’s desire for him. Everything he says is just indicative of how insecure he is. He wants to be where they are.” His brief confrontation with the League “gives vindication to Peacemaker, but more so, it really does a whole hell of a lot for our show.”
Conspicuously absent from the League’s line-up in Peacemaker were Batman and Cyborg. Actor Matt Turner confirmed he served as a stand-in for the Dark Knight on set, but that he was taken out of the episode’s final cut and only showrunner James Gunn and the higher-ups at Warner Bros. know the reasons why. Gunn himself said that he couldn’t give any answers at this time, explaining, “You know, I don’t know what I can — there are reasons for it, but I’m actually uncertain whether I can say what those reasons are. It might have to do with future stuff.” Many fans theorize it has something to do with Ben Affleck’s uncertain future in the DCEU and Ray Fisher’s condemnation of Justice League director Joss Whedon for his on-set behavior.
“It’s Cow or Never” broke viewership records for HBO Max, becoming the most viewed single episode of an original series in the service’s history. Shortly before it aired, Peacemaker was renewed for a second season. “I am incredibly honored and humbled by the response to Peacemaker and the experience of playing this character,” Cena said. “Thank you to James Gunn, Peter Safran, HBO Max, the crew, and my castmates who worked tirelessly to make this unforgettable series.”
Peacemaker Season 1 is available to stream on HBO Max.
Source: Fandom
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