Posted in: Max, Movies, Preview, streaming, TV | Tagged: james gunn, John Cena, max, peacemaker, preview, season 2

Peacemaker: John Cena BDay Brings Empanada Memories, Fresh Armpits

Peacemaker star John Cena's birthday was honored by his "collaborator & friend" James Gunn with... empanada memories and refreshed armpits?

After learning from series creator James Gunn that three directors will be joining him on the filming of the second season of Max's John Cena-starring Peacemaker, we're getting a chance to jump from the business/production side of things to something much more personal (and a lot more fun). In case you didn't know, today is Cena's birthday – with the actor, professional wrestler & multimedia personality born on April 23, 1977. Well, Gunn wasn't going to waste time sending his "collaborator & friend" some special birthday love via social media. On Instagram, Gunn shared a brief video showing what goes on between takes & scenes – like how Cena reacts to his armpits receiving special treatment. Following that, Gunn headed on over to TikTok for a reminder of what would become a social media sensation, with Cena and his empanadas proving to be exactly the metaphor that folks needed in their lives.

"Happy Birthday, @johncena! It's a true gift having you as a collaborator & friend. 🧜‍♂️🧜‍♂️🧜‍♂️," Gunn wrote as the caption to his Instagram post, offering Cena birthday wishes by sharing a look at the "glamorous life" he enjoyed while filming the series:

And in case anyone needs a nostalgic look back to the days when social media was preoccupied with Cena's well-being and his ability to consume a large number of empanadas, here's a look back at the Peacemaker star's on-set "confessional" video – with a guest-starring turn by his The Suicide Squad co-star Joel Kinnaman, aka Rick Flag:

@officialjamesgunn Happy Birthday @John Cena #peacemaker ♬ original sound – James Gunn

While we more than understand all of the reasons why the second season will need new opening credits, the following start to the first season will always hold a special place in our hearts for being the reason why we don't skip intros anymore:

Steve Agee (Super, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Brightburn) rejoined Gunn and Cena, reprising his film role of John Economos, a warden of Belle Reve Federal Penitentiary and an aide to Viola Davis' Amanda Waller. Danielle Brooks (Orange Is The New Black) joined the series as Leota Adebayo, with Robert Patrick (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) in the role of Auggie Smith. Jennifer Holland (Brightburn) reprised her film role of Emilia Harcourt, and Freddie Stroma (Bridgerton) took on the role of Adrian Chase, aka Vigilante. In addition, Chukwudi Iwuji (When They See Us) as Clemson Murn, Lochlyn Munro (Riverdale) as Larry Fitzgibbon, Annie Chang (Shades of Blue) as Detective Sophie Song, Christopher Heyerdahl (Togo) as Captain Locke, Nhut Le (Kroll Show) as Judomaster, and Elizabeth Faith Ludlow (The Walking Dead) and Rizwan Manji (Perfect Harmony) as recurring characters of Keeya and Jamil. Alison Araya (Riverdale) & Lenny Jacobson (Narcos: Mexico) were tapped for the roles of the married couple Amber and Evan, respectively.

Gunn, Brad Anderson (Session 9), Rosemary Rodriguez (The Walking Dead), and Jody Hill (The Righteous Gemstones) directed the eight-episode series. Gunn and Peter Safran served as executive producers, with Cena as co-executive producer. Peacemaker was produced by Gunn's Troll Court Entertainment and The Safran Company in association with Warner Bros TV. The series explored the origins of Cena's The Suicide Squad character, a man who believes in peace at any cost — no matter how many people he has to kill to get it.

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