Adria Arjona is back in DC casting chatter, as Deadline reported that Arjona was among the actresses who began testing last week for a key role in James Gunn’s Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow, with the trade identifying the character as Maxima.
Deadline Says Maxima Is The Role
According to Deadline’s report, the role in question is Maxima, the warrior queen of Almerac.
In the comics, Maxima first appeared in Action Comics #645, where she comes to Earth looking for Superman as a mate.
James Gunn Shoots It Down
Update: Now THR says Adria Arjona, Eva De Dominici, Sydney Chandler and Grace Van Patten are the four finalists for the role of Maxima.
Previously:
Not long after the report made the rounds, Gunn responded on Threads and said Deadline’s reporting was “shoddy & incorrect.”
He added that if the names had been checked with DC Studios, they would have said it was false.
Gunn also said he has known Arjona for years since casting her in The Belko Experiment, while adding that he has never met Ella Purnell or Marisa Abela.
“This is not against Nexus – they’re sharing what Deadline reported – but Deadline’s reporting is shoddy & incorrect. I’ve always thought Deadline was pretty thorough in their journalism but that’s not the case here so I’m frankly disappointed. If someone would have run these names by us we would have said it’s bullshit. I’ve been friends with Adria a long time since I cast her in the Belko Experiment. I’m a fan of both Marisa and Ella but I’ve never met either of them. Crazy.”
Deadline Includes “Editors Note”
Deadline’s article also includes an “editor’s note.” The trade says it went through its normal editorial process, but the story was being updated after a review based on new information involving the actors:
Gunn pushes back
Gunn also pushed back on the bigger assumption fans ran with after the report.
A fan responded, “When are you announcing the actual casting for Man of Tomorrow?”
Gunn fired back: “I already have for every major role.”
A fan also questioned, “So are you confirming Maxima is in the movie. Plus Brainiac. My guy, how was Panic In The Sky not a big influence on this movie?”
“I am absolutely not confirming that (and didn’t),” replied Gunn.
Another fan asked, “Are all roles in MoT cast yet or are some still missing?”
Gunn shot back, “One left. Then we’re finished.”
Why Arjona Keeps Coming Up In DC Talk
Arjona has already been linked to DC before through Wonder Woman speculation.
Last year, Gunn said she would be “a great Wonder Woman,” but he also made clear people were reading too much into his social media follow because the two have known each other since working on The Belko Experiment.
Man of Tomorrow release info
Man of Tomorrow has been reported to start filming later this month. James Gunn writes and directs. The film is expected to be released on July 9, 2027. The film stars David Corenswet back as Superman, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, with Lars Eidinger as Brainiac.
