UPDATE 2: The Hollywood Reporter is now stating that Adria Arjona is indeed testing for Maxima, as are Eva De Dominici, Sydney Chandler and Grace Van Patten. Let’s see if Gunn debunks this casting report too.
UPDATE: James Gunn has debunked Deadline‘s casting report, writing on Threads, “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.”
James Gunn is ready to cast another key role for his Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow.
According to Deadline, Marisa Abela, Adria Arjona, and Ella Purnell began testing last week for the role of Maxima, the warrior queen from the planet Almerac, who arrives on Earth in search of a suitable mate and quickly sets her sights on Superman.
Maxima was created by writer Roger Stern and artist George Pérez and first introduced in Action Comics #645 in 1990. The character has been depicted as an antagonist, ally, and would-be love interest to Superman in both the comics and past adaptations. She was previously portrayed in live-action by Charlotte Sullivan and Eve Torres Gracie in the television series Smallville and Supergirl, respectively.
Where Have You Seen These 3 Actors Before?
All three actors have starred in some pretty major projects. Abela is best known for her role in HBO’s Industry and for her portrayal of Amy Winehouse in the film Back to Black. She will next be seen starring alongside Henry Cavill in the new Highlander.
Purnell currently leads the Emmy-winning Prime Video series Fallout. Her other past credits include Kick-Ass 2, Yellowjackets, Sweetpea, and the animated Arcane.
Arjona testing for Maxima is interesting in that she is a fan favorite for the role of Wonder Woman. Gunn even said as much last year when speaking with Extra, saying that “she’d be a great Wonder Woman.”
The actor is best known for playing Bix Caleen in the Star Wars series Andor and for her roles in the films Hit Man, Blink Twice, and Morbius. Up next for Arjona is roles in Prime Video’s Criminal, Adam Wingard’s A24 film Onslaught, the Zellner Brothers’ Alpha Gang, the erotic thriller Scorn, and Michael B. Jordan’s reimagining of The Thomas Crown Affair.
The Man of Tomorrow Cast (So Far)
At the time of writing, the Man of Tomorrow cast includes returning stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent / Superman, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., Isabela Merced as Kendra Saunders / Hawkgirl, and María Gabriela de Faría as Angela Spica / The Engineer.
Lars Eidinger has been cast as the main antagonist of Man of Tomorrow, Brainiac, while Aaron Pierre is set to reprise his role of John Stewart / Green Lantern from the upcoming HBO series Lanterns.
Production on Man of Tomorrow is set to begin this month in Atlanta. Gunn will direct from his own script. The Superman sequel is scheduled to hit theaters on July 9, 2027, as the fourth film in the DC Universe.
Which actor do you want to see cast as Maxima?
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