In the age of streaming, most television intros are often skipped after the first viewing. However, there are still shows with infectious openings that beg to be watched over and over again with each episode. One of those series in 2022 was Peacemaker, which featured John Cena and the rest of the cast dancing along on stage to Wig Wam's "Do You Wanna Taste It" with some delightful choreography that turned the sequence into a fan favorite. We've previously learned from Cena's practice stand-in, Alan Tudyk, that Season 2 will attempt to recapture the magic with a new song and dance, with the Creature Commandos star's wife Charissa Barton choreographing everything once more. According to Cena, the experience was much different in the second go around and the levels of enthusiasm for busting a move with James Gunn were off the charts.
In an interview with Collider's Steve Weintraub for Cena's new talk series What Drives You, the WWE icon was asked about the new intro for Peacemaker and how the filming process went after having some experience from Season 1. There's more pressure this time around given the wild success of their first attempt. In 2022, people around the world were willing to give peace a dance thanks to Cena and the rest's smooth moves, from Norway's biggest stars to social media users at home with instructions courtesy of Gunn. It resonated with audiences more than the show's star expected at the time and defied his skepticism. "I will say filming the dance number in Season 1, even though it was written in the script the whole way through, so I knew months out we were going to film it, you still kind of scratch your head, like, 'Is this going to work?'" he recalled.
Rather than feeling the weight of expectations, however, Cena said the overwhelming response was invigorating for everyone when performing the new intro. The enthusiasm is part of what he believes makes Christopher Smith's new number a worthy successor to "Do You Wanna Taste It," along with everyone's general understanding that the dance is such an important part of Peacemaker's identity.
"Then, when it became such a part of the show, I think everybody this time was just so excited, and I really think that's going to show. I'm very happy with it. I want to say so much more, but I’ll just say I'm very happy with it. Everyone was super enthused and also understood how important it is this time around, and I really hope that shows. I know the show is great. In my mind, the opening number is great. I hope the world agrees."
John Cena Credits the 'Peacemaker' Season 2 Team Behind the Camera
Although the actors are tasked with learning the moves, Cena adds that "It does take a village," to make a Peacekeeper intro. From the creator and showrunner Gunn to cinematographers, editors, composers, and beyond, everybody has a crucial role to play in bringing the project to life. Creating fun openings that viewers want to watch, in Cena's eyes, then also acts as a way to ensure the names of all the key players get in front of viewers' eyes:
"It's just a nice way to introduce everybody and also give everybody credit. I tip my hat to James Gunn. It does take a village, and gosh, we got so many heroes behind the camera. They should get a tip of the cap, too. So, it's a great way to thank everybody for putting a whole lot of effort into making something good."
Peacemaker Season 2 will land in a bit of an awkward spot in the timeline of the new DCU. The series will make its long-awaited return after Gunn's Superman hits theaters in July and will see Frank Grillo reprise his Creature Commandos role as Rick Flag Sr. in live-action. Despite that, it will continue from Season 1, which acts as a direct spin-off of Gunn's DCEU film The Suicide Squad and features a cameo from the old Justice League. How exactly the new eight-episode run will handle that situation remains to be seen, but Cena has assured the return will be worth the wait no matter what, as Gunn has been dedicated to getting everything right. Much of Team Peacemaker will be back on-screen for the occasion too, including Freddie Stroma, Danielle Brooks, Jennifer Holland, and Steve Agee, among others.
Peacemaker Season 2 debuts on Max in August. Stay tuned here at Collider for more on the DC comedy's return as it nears.
Release Date January 13, 2022
Seasons 1
Story By James Gunn
English (US) ·