Casting John Cena as Peacemaker worked out beautifully. Not only did the creator, James Gunn, benefit from it, but the wrestler-turned-actor’s net worth has also skyrocketed ever since. Different sources have reported varying figures regarding Cena’s Peacemaker salary; it is undoubtedly not short of a couple of million dollars. Here’s what we know.
How much was John Cena’s Peacemaker salary?
According to Parade, John Cena earned $1 million for each episode of the 8-episode series, totaling almost $8 million for season 1. He first portrayed the antihero character in the 2016 movie Suicide Squad, which was budgeted at around $185 million.
The DCU superhero television series aired its first episode on January 13, 2022. Cena portrayed the role of a chauvinistic avenger whose sole goal is to achieve peace, irrespective of the consequences. Describing the Peacemaker’s character, the executive producer and director James Gunn called him “a piece of shit.” He went on to tag the character as the world’s biggest douchebag.
In Season 2, which premiered on August 21, 2025, the Heads of State star can be seen playing an alternate heroic version of the character. That has been softened to be less obnoxious and aggressive.
With the Peacemaker’s first season scoring a 93% Rotten Tomatoes review and season 2 exceeding the previous one with 96% positive critics’ reviews, it is no surprise that viewers worldwide have enjoyed John Cena in the role of the DC antihero.
Speaking of scores, Metacritic has assigned the first season of Peacemaker a positive score of 70 out of 100. They praised the 48-year-old’s performance and Gunn’s risqué humour. However, with a score of 78, critics favored season 1, finding it equally dark, silly, and brutal yet grounded.
Before the release of season 2, the creator announced Peacemaker: The Official Podcast with James Gunn in July 2025. The podcast is available on HBO Max, YouTube, and other audio platforms. It begins with a rewatch and discussion of the DCU canon parts from the first season, followed by a brand-new podcast after each episode of season 2.
