Adria Arjona is now officially joining James Gunn’s Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow, according to the trades.
The new wrinkle is the same one that blew up last week: The Hollywood Reporter says Arjona has landed the mystery role but says it is still unknown if the character is actually Maxima, while Deadline is now reporting flat-out that she got the Maxima part.
THR Says Arjona Is In, But Keeps The Role A Mystery
The Hollywood Reporter says Arjona won the role after several rounds of screen tests.
Its report describes the part as a mystery role in DC Studios’ sequel to Superman and adds that earlier reports tied the character to Maxima, but says that has not been confirmed. THR also noted DC Studios had no comment. James Gunn also has yet to comment.
Deadline Says The Role Is Maxima
Deadline, on the other hand, is sticking with Maxima.
The trade says Arjona landed the role of the warrior queen from Almerac following auditions last week. Variety is also now reporting that Arjona has been cast as Maxima in Man of Tomorrow.
Why This Story Got Messy Fast
The casting update comes after Gunn publicly blasted an earlier Deadline report about actresses testing for Maxima.
Last week, Gunn called the reporting “shoddy & incorrect” and said DC would have said it was “bulls—” if the names had been checked with the studio.
He also said he was “absolutely not confirming” Maxima was even in the movie.
Deadline then added an editor’s note and updated its reporting. THR later added names to the casting call.
Wonder Woman Speculation Isn’t Going Away
Because THR is still not naming the character, it’s wondered if Arjona could still be tied to Wonder Woman instead.
Speculation has been around for months after Gunn said Arjona would be “a great Wonder Woman,” while also saying fans were reading too much into his social media follow and making clear no casting had been announced at the time.
As of the current trade reports, though, nothing official says Arjona is playing Diana.
Gunn not allowed to use Wonder Woman?
I’ll throw this out there: Gunn may not be allowed to use Wonder Woman. Sources have filled me in on the fact that he’s been forced to pivot to his “Superman Family Saga.”
I’ve already been told they’re afraid of what Gunn will do with Batman – hence why no DCU Batman – and that the future of Gunn’s DCU hangs on what happens with the Paramount-WBD merger.
I’ve even been told Gunn isn’t allowed to use a live-action Darkseid because the SnyderVerse is returning. It’s also why the Jimmy Olsen series is up next, as it’s Superman-related. Maxima, too.
It’s also worth noting that Gunn has never actually shot down any of my reporting. Instead, after my stories gained attention, he turned to his favorite YouTubers and Bloomberg, which comes off as an attempt to steady the narrative and protect his job.
The latest talk is that he could be gone by the end of the year, or before Man of Tomorrow is released. It would be hard to believe the studio would hand him the keys to major characters like Wonder Woman or Batman if that were the case.
Maxima, on the other hand, would be a much easier character to use as a substitute, which is why it’s possible she was brought in as a replaceable stand-in if Wonder Woman was Gunn’s original idea.
Maxima also sticks with Gunn being forced to pivot to his “Superman Family Saga” instead of the greater DCU, which I first told you, and something that was confirmed by WBD David Zaslav, Deadline — and Puck News.
Release info
Man of Tomorrow has a July 9, 2027, release date. Filming is said to start as early as next week, which lines up with Superman Day.
Starring includes David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, with Lars Eidinger as Brainiac.
Also starring are Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, and Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, with Aaron Pierre reprising as Green Lantern John Stewart from Lanterns.
