Batista Admits Missing out on John Cena’s Peacemaker Role in HBO Series

Former 6-time World Champion Batista makes a revelation about almost landing John Cena's Peacemaker role in the acclaimed HBO series.

Batista Admits Missing out on John Cena’s Peacemaker Role in HBO Series

Batista and John Cena (via Getty, HBO and WWE)

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It is safe to say that between 2005 and 2010, Batista and John Cena were the top stars leading WWE, Batista on SmackDown and Cena on Raw. Both men came from the legendary 2002 Ohio Valley Wrestling Class, which also produced Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton. Their rise to the top of the professional wrestling circuit also happened at the same time. 

The duo cemented their legacy at WrestleMania 21, where Cena defeated JBL to win the WWE Championship, while Batista beat Triple H to capture the World Heavyweight Championship. From there, both went on to accomplish just about everything in the company. Their success wasn’t limited to WWE. 

Outside the ring, Cena and Batista both built strong Hollywood careers, starring in blockbuster films like Guardians of the Galaxy, F9, Blade Runner 2049, and Peacemaker. Interestingly, their paths almost crossed again in Hollywood. Cena is now thriving as Peacemaker since January 2022 on HBO, with season two of the hit DC show currently in full swing. 

The role is considered Cena’s biggest and most successful project to date, but it nearly went to Batista. Director James Gunn revealed on The Howard Stern Show that he originally had the real-life Dave Bautista in mind when creating the character. In an interview with Comic Book, Batista admitted he was interested in the role but couldn’t take it due to scheduling conflicts while filming Army of the Dead. 

I have to say, that one. I really wanted to do that part. He (Gunn) wrote that part for me, and it was meant for me, and it just became a scheduling thing where I just couldn’t do it, because I was doing Army of the Dead. And so it was a scheduling issue that we just could not figure out.

Batista via Comic Book

Despite missing out, Batista praised Cena’s performance, calling him the perfect fit for the DC anti-hero Christopher Smith.

I think it was great. It was a blessing in disguise that I didn’t do that, because I have to say, I have to be honest, there’s no way that I would have been able to do that role like John. He’s just perfect for it, you know, and I wouldn’t have done it justice, and it wouldn’t have been as successful.

Batista via Comic Book

As for John Cena, the 17-time WWE Champion is now less than three months away from the end of his retirement tour. He recently stepped into the ring against Brock Lesnar at Wrestlepalooza but was defeated in under 10 minutes, a result that reminded fans of their one-sided clash at SummerSlam 2014.

Batista, on the other hand, is officially done with wrestling. His final match came at WrestleMania 35, where he faced Triple H. In fact, his full-time WWE career had already wrapped up years earlier after a feud with Cena in 2010. He made a brief return in 2014 to reunite with Triple H and Randy Orton as part of Evolution, but the run was short-lived, and he soon left again before finally closing the door on his in-ring career.

Batista promotes his latest film on social media with an explosive post

While Batista has closed the book on professional wrestling, his acting career is running at full speed. The former six-time WWE Champion was recently named the best wrestler-turned-actor by The Hollywood Reporter, even surpassing stars like The Rock and Cena. His standout performances in films such as Dune have earned him widespread critical acclaim.

Now, Batista is looking to continue that momentum with his upcoming project, Afterburn. Directed by JJ Perry, the film is inspired by the wasteland settings of some of the most iconic post-apocalyptic movies. In it, Batista plays Jake, an ex-soldier-turned-treasure-hunter who often finds himself in over his head.

Batista
Batista (via Getty)

The story takes place on a post-apocalyptic Earth, where a massive solar flare has wiped out half the planet, leaving it overrun by mutants and scavengers. Bautista, who replaced Gerard Butler in the lead role, portrays one of many treasure hunters trying to survive by tracking down valuable artifacts, including the Mona Lisa.

Recently, he hyped the project on social media by posting a video of himself training with a dire wolf with a caption. 

Dire Wolf. Afterburn. September 21, 2025.

Batista via Instagram

The film also features Samuel L. Jackson and Olga Kurylenko and carries an R rating for strong bloody violence and language. It remains to be seen whether Afterburn can capture the same attention and fan appreciation that Batista’s role as Drax once did in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.

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