Peacemaker Director James Gunn Reveals Inspiration for John Cena’s Piano Moment

James Gunn revealed that John Cena actually played “Home Sweet Home” on the piano in an episode of Peacemaker series on HBO Max. In a post on Twitter, the director shared the song and recalled when he heard the actor play the instrument for the first time.

“For those asking, yes, it really was John Cena playing the piano version of Motley Crue’s ‘Home Sweet Home’ in the latest episode of Peacemaker,” he wrote. “[The song] has been added to the official Peacemaker playlist.”

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Gunn explained that while filming The Suicide Squad (2021) in Panama, his dog passed away and the director decided to come home early. While waiting to be taken to the airport, Cena sat down at a piano and played The Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind”, moving everyone around.

“It got me and still calmed me down. Everyone around me was crying. I wanted to capture some semblance of that moment with this song,” he revealed. 

“Chris Smith is an artist who has been decimated by this world. He’s been decimated by who his parents are, what surrounds him, and the entire culture he was raised in. This is not to say that he is not guilty; he is. But he is emotionally mute, unable to express himself. When he’s playing the piano here, it’s the first time we really see him. Everything else was noise, drama, and braggadocio.”

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Gunn also revealed that the piano needed sharpening and the technician complained about how old it was. However, the director felt that this motif made it ideal for the scene: “This looked like the kind of piano that was abandoned in an old video store, and more true to the story, so we went with it.”

Peacemaker

The series follows the protagonist Peacemaker (John Cena) after the events of Suicide Squad (2021). The cast includes names like Danielle Brooks, Freddie Stroma, Jennifer Holland, Chukwudi Iwuji, Steve Agee, and Robert Patrick. The first episodes are available on HBO Max.