In a surprising turn of events, DC Studios Co-CEO James Gunn and the Peacemaker crew were caught off guard by Warner Bros. Discovery's decision to revert the streaming service name back to HBO Max. The revelation came during the filming of promotional material for Peacemaker Season 2, and the reactions from Gunn and others were nothing short of priceless.
The announcement that HBO's parent company would be undoing its previous rebrand from HBO Max to Max has left many, including some of DC's biggest names, utterly confused. This summer, the apps will once again feature the HBO Max banner, reversing the change made in 2023.
The soon-to-be-renamed Max's official X account shared the reactions of Gunn and Peacemaker star John Cena shortly after the announcement. The duo was seen reading from a teleprompter, promoting the upcoming Season 2 of Peacemaker, set to debut on August 21. As Gunn was informing viewers where to watch the show, he stumbled upon the name change in real time.
That's good actually. pic.twitter.com/b3WNWOsyT2
— Max (@StreamOnMax) May 14, 2025
Gunn's confusion was palpable as he read the script mentioning HBO Max instead of Max. "God, we’re calling it HBO Max – what?" he exclaimed. "We’re calling it HBO Max again?" Other crew members, including DC Studios Co-CEO Peter Safran, chimed in, adding to the humorous yet bewildering moment. Gunn, however, expressed his approval of the change: "That’s good, actually, but I didn’t know that was happening."
In contrast, John Cena was well-informed about the rebrand and even broke the news to some of the crew members behind the camera. Whether this is a clever publicity stunt by the HBO Max team or not, the genuine reactions from DC Studios' top brass have added a layer of entertainment to the rebranding news.
POV: finding out about the rebrand from @JohnCena pic.twitter.com/eyQxhTcJrs
— Max (@StreamOnMax) May 14, 2025
HBO Max originally launched in 2020 as a comprehensive streaming hub, retaining its name until the 2023 merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery prompted a name change to Max. Now, after two years, the company has decided to revert back to the original HBO Max moniker.
While an exact date for the rebrand hasn't been disclosed, fans can stay updated on both HBO Max and Peacemaker Season 2. In the meantime, you can explore other notable DC projects set to release in 2025 and delve into our detailed analysis of the latest Peacemaker Season 2 trailer.
