Gunn, Cena Surprised by HBO Max Rebrand

DC Studios Co-CEO James Gunn and members of the *Peacemaker* Season 2 crew were caught completely off guard when they learned that Warner Bros. Discovery would be restoring the HBO Max branding during a promotional shoot — and their reactions are pure gold.

The surprise announcement, which revealed that the streaming platform will revert from Max back to HBO Max this summer, left many in the entertainment world confused. But perhaps no one was more visibly stunned than Gunn and his team while filming promo material for the upcoming season, set to debut on August 21.

The official X account for Max shared behind-the-scenes clips showing the moment Gunn and star John Cena discovered the rebranding news. In one clip, Gunn is seen reading from a teleprompter promoting *Peacemaker*, only to hesitate when he sees the name “HBO Max” instead of “MAX.”

That's good actually. pic.twitter.com/b3WNWOsyT2

— Max (@StreamOnMax) May 14, 2025

“God, we’re calling it HBO Max – what?” Gunn jokes. “We’re calling it HBO Max again?”

He’s quickly informed that the change wasn’t a typo, but rather a brand-new announcement scheduled for the Upfront presentation. His reaction? “That’s good, actually, but I didn’t know that was happening.”

Other crew members, including DC Studios Co-CEO Peter Safran, can be heard chiming in with confusion — making for an impromptu and humorous moment captured on camera.

John Cena, however, seems to have been let in on the secret beforehand. Instead of reacting to the news, he’s shown delivering it to others on set, adding another layer of humor to the situation.

POV: finding out about the rebrand from @JohnCena pic.twitter.com/eyQxhTcJrs

— Max (@StreamOnMax) May 14, 2025

While it’s possible this was a cleverly orchestrated marketing stunt by the streamer, the authenticity of the confusion and amusement makes for entertaining viewing regardless.

It’s worth noting that HBO Max originally launched in 2020 as a comprehensive streaming destination. The name remained until 2023, when the newly merged Warner Bros. Discovery announced its decision to drop “HBO” and simply call the service Max. Now, after just two years under the new moniker, the brand returns to its roots with the full HBO Max name reinstated.

No specific date has yet been given for when the updated branding will officially roll out across platforms. In the meantime, fans can look forward to the return of HBO Max — and catch up on all the latest updates regarding *Peacemaker* Season 2 and other major DC projects slated for 2025.