Not John Cena, Peacemaker Creator James Gunn Originally Wanted Another WWE Star in the Leading Role
YO, SO APPARENTLY, JAMES GUNN – THE GUY WHO BROUGHT US THE ABSURDLY HILARIOUS, BLOOD-SOAKED, MIND-BENDING SERIES PEACEMAKER – ALMOST CAST SOMEONE ELSE FROM WWE FOR THE LEAD ROLE BEFORE LOCKING IN JOHN CENA. NO, IT WASN’T YOUR USUAL SUSPECTS LIKE THE ROCK OR STONE COLD; THIS WAS SOME OTHER WWE STAR WHO COULD’VE MADE THINGS WILDLY DIFFERENT.
OKAY, FIRST OFF, THIS KINDA INFO MAKES YOU WONDER ABOUT HOW MUCH A CASTING DECISION CAN SHAPE A SHOW'S ENTIRE MOOD AND CULTURE. I MEAN, PEACEMAKER IS THE PERFECT MIX OF DEADPAN SARCASM, OVER-THE-TOP ACTION, AND THAT OFF-KILTER HUMOR THAT ONLY JAMES GUNN CAN PULL OFF. REMEMBER THE CHAOTIC YET SOMETIMES TENDER VIBE JOHN CENA BROUGHT? SWAP HIM OUT FOR JUST ANYONE ELSE FROM THAT WORLD OF WRESTLING, AND WE’RE TALKING ABOUT A WHOLE NEW BALLGAME.
WRESTLING, FROM THE OUTSIDE, LOOKS LIKE JUST BIG MUSCLES THROWING EACH OTHER AROUND, BUT THOSE CHARACTERS? OH, THEY’RE ROLE PLAYING PROS, LIKE ACTORS ON STEROIDS (LITERALLY). SO WHEN YOU THROW A WWE STAR INTO A SCRIPTED TV ROLE, IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY OR PHYSICAL PRESENCE. IT’S ABOUT HOW WELL THEY CAN ACT, DELIVER LINES, AND ADD THAT HUMAN TOUCH TO SOMETHING INSANE. JOHN CENA NAILED THIS. HE’S NOT JUST A CHAMP IN THE RING; HE'S GOT THE LOW-KEY CHARM AND COMEDIC TIMING THAT MADE PEACEMAKER A MIX OF HILARITY AND PATHOS.
NOW, IMAGINE IF IT HAD BEEN SOMEONE ELSE. I’M NOT SAYING THE ALTERNATE CHOICE WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN COOL – MAYBE EVEN RAD IN A DIFFERENT WAY – BUT THE WHOLE SERIES MIGHT’VE TAKEN ON A DIFFERENT TONE. MAYBE MORE BRASH, OR LESS EMOTIONALLY NUANCED? IDK. CASTING IS WEIRD LIKE THAT. IT’S LIKE CHOOSING YOUR WEAPON IN A RPG: TWO SWORDS MIGHT SLASH AT THE SAME SPEED, BUT THE FEEL AND FLAVOR OF THE FIGHT CAN BE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
AND LET’S BE REAL, JAMES GUNN KNOWS WHAT HE’S DOING. THE DUDE WAS PRETTY DARN SPECIFIC ABOUT EVERY LITTLE THING IN HIS PROJECTS. SO THIS “ALMOST CAST” THING SHOWS THAT EVEN THE BEST CREATORS TOSS AROUND IDEAS, AWAITING THAT *PERFECT* FIT. SOMETIMES, THAT “PERFECT” IS A SLAM DUNK; OTHER TIMES, IT’S THAT GUY ON THE BENCH THAT SURPRISES YOU IN THE FINAL QUARTER.
THE BIGGER PICTURE HERE? IT’S A REMINDER THAT ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY DECISIONS ARE LIKE A CHAIN REACTION. ONE SMALL TWEAK CAN TOTALLY FLIP THE SCRIPT — AND NOT JUST LITERALLY. CHANGE ONE LEAD ROLE, AND AUDIENCE REACTIONS, CRITIC REVIEWS, MEMES, FAN ART, AND THE WHOLE CULTURE AROUND THE SHOW CAN SHIFT.
PLUS, IT DRAGS OUT THE AGE-OLD QUESTION: HOW MUCH DOES AN ACTOR DEFINE A CHARACTER, OR DOES THE CHARACTER DEFINE THE ACTOR? JOHN CENA WAS PRETTY MUCH TYPECAST FROM WWE TO PEACEMAKER, BUT THAT ALSO GAVE HIM ROOM TO BREAK STEREOTYPES. HE’S NOT THE STEREOTYPICAL MUSCLE-BRAIN, AND THAT’S WHY THE SHOW HIT DIFFERENT.
IN THE END, WHETHER IT’S WWE STARS OR HOLLYWOOD A-LISTERS, IT’S THE CHARM, THE PERFORMANCE, AND HOW THEY JIVE WITH THE WRITING THAT MAKES OR BREAKS A SHOW. SO PROPS TO JAMES GUNN FOR ROCKING THE RIGHT CHOICE. ALSO, SHOUT OUT TO WHOEVER THE “OTHER WWE STAR” WAS — WHO KNOWS? MAYBE THEY’RE STILL WAITING FOR THEIR BREAKOUT ROLE THAT WILL FLIP THE GAME ON ITS HEAD.
ANYWAY, THE WHOLE THING HAS ME THINKING ABOUT HOW MUCH MORE CHAOS AND MAYHEM WEIRD CASTING DECISIONS COULD BRING TO THE TABLE. LIKE, WHAT IF THEY CAST SOMEONE COMPLETELY RANDOM? *COUGH* YOU KNOW WHO I’M TALKING ABOUT... (LOOKING AT YOU, GUY WHO CAN VERSATILELY SLAY IN A VIDEO GAME BUT CANNOT STOP DRINKING RED BULL).
SO, IN SUMMARY: CASTING = GAME-CHANGER. JOHN CENA? STILL KING. JAMES GUNN? MASTER OF CHAOS AND GOOD CHOICES. WWE STAR WHO DIDN’T MAKE IT? SOMEDAY, SOMEHOW, MAYBE...
OKAY, FIRST OFF, THIS KINDA INFO MAKES YOU WONDER ABOUT HOW MUCH A CASTING DECISION CAN SHAPE A SHOW'S ENTIRE MOOD AND CULTURE. I MEAN, PEACEMAKER IS THE PERFECT MIX OF DEADPAN SARCASM, OVER-THE-TOP ACTION, AND THAT OFF-KILTER HUMOR THAT ONLY JAMES GUNN CAN PULL OFF. REMEMBER THE CHAOTIC YET SOMETIMES TENDER VIBE JOHN CENA BROUGHT? SWAP HIM OUT FOR JUST ANYONE ELSE FROM THAT WORLD OF WRESTLING, AND WE’RE TALKING ABOUT A WHOLE NEW BALLGAME.
WRESTLING, FROM THE OUTSIDE, LOOKS LIKE JUST BIG MUSCLES THROWING EACH OTHER AROUND, BUT THOSE CHARACTERS? OH, THEY’RE ROLE PLAYING PROS, LIKE ACTORS ON STEROIDS (LITERALLY). SO WHEN YOU THROW A WWE STAR INTO A SCRIPTED TV ROLE, IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY OR PHYSICAL PRESENCE. IT’S ABOUT HOW WELL THEY CAN ACT, DELIVER LINES, AND ADD THAT HUMAN TOUCH TO SOMETHING INSANE. JOHN CENA NAILED THIS. HE’S NOT JUST A CHAMP IN THE RING; HE'S GOT THE LOW-KEY CHARM AND COMEDIC TIMING THAT MADE PEACEMAKER A MIX OF HILARITY AND PATHOS.
NOW, IMAGINE IF IT HAD BEEN SOMEONE ELSE. I’M NOT SAYING THE ALTERNATE CHOICE WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN COOL – MAYBE EVEN RAD IN A DIFFERENT WAY – BUT THE WHOLE SERIES MIGHT’VE TAKEN ON A DIFFERENT TONE. MAYBE MORE BRASH, OR LESS EMOTIONALLY NUANCED? IDK. CASTING IS WEIRD LIKE THAT. IT’S LIKE CHOOSING YOUR WEAPON IN A RPG: TWO SWORDS MIGHT SLASH AT THE SAME SPEED, BUT THE FEEL AND FLAVOR OF THE FIGHT CAN BE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
AND LET’S BE REAL, JAMES GUNN KNOWS WHAT HE’S DOING. THE DUDE WAS PRETTY DARN SPECIFIC ABOUT EVERY LITTLE THING IN HIS PROJECTS. SO THIS “ALMOST CAST” THING SHOWS THAT EVEN THE BEST CREATORS TOSS AROUND IDEAS, AWAITING THAT *PERFECT* FIT. SOMETIMES, THAT “PERFECT” IS A SLAM DUNK; OTHER TIMES, IT’S THAT GUY ON THE BENCH THAT SURPRISES YOU IN THE FINAL QUARTER.
THE BIGGER PICTURE HERE? IT’S A REMINDER THAT ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY DECISIONS ARE LIKE A CHAIN REACTION. ONE SMALL TWEAK CAN TOTALLY FLIP THE SCRIPT — AND NOT JUST LITERALLY. CHANGE ONE LEAD ROLE, AND AUDIENCE REACTIONS, CRITIC REVIEWS, MEMES, FAN ART, AND THE WHOLE CULTURE AROUND THE SHOW CAN SHIFT.
PLUS, IT DRAGS OUT THE AGE-OLD QUESTION: HOW MUCH DOES AN ACTOR DEFINE A CHARACTER, OR DOES THE CHARACTER DEFINE THE ACTOR? JOHN CENA WAS PRETTY MUCH TYPECAST FROM WWE TO PEACEMAKER, BUT THAT ALSO GAVE HIM ROOM TO BREAK STEREOTYPES. HE’S NOT THE STEREOTYPICAL MUSCLE-BRAIN, AND THAT’S WHY THE SHOW HIT DIFFERENT.
IN THE END, WHETHER IT’S WWE STARS OR HOLLYWOOD A-LISTERS, IT’S THE CHARM, THE PERFORMANCE, AND HOW THEY JIVE WITH THE WRITING THAT MAKES OR BREAKS A SHOW. SO PROPS TO JAMES GUNN FOR ROCKING THE RIGHT CHOICE. ALSO, SHOUT OUT TO WHOEVER THE “OTHER WWE STAR” WAS — WHO KNOWS? MAYBE THEY’RE STILL WAITING FOR THEIR BREAKOUT ROLE THAT WILL FLIP THE GAME ON ITS HEAD.
ANYWAY, THE WHOLE THING HAS ME THINKING ABOUT HOW MUCH MORE CHAOS AND MAYHEM WEIRD CASTING DECISIONS COULD BRING TO THE TABLE. LIKE, WHAT IF THEY CAST SOMEONE COMPLETELY RANDOM? *COUGH* YOU KNOW WHO I’M TALKING ABOUT... (LOOKING AT YOU, GUY WHO CAN VERSATILELY SLAY IN A VIDEO GAME BUT CANNOT STOP DRINKING RED BULL).
SO, IN SUMMARY: CASTING = GAME-CHANGER. JOHN CENA? STILL KING. JAMES GUNN? MASTER OF CHAOS AND GOOD CHOICES. WWE STAR WHO DIDN’T MAKE IT? SOMEDAY, SOMEHOW, MAYBE...
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