Man of Tomorrow – one of the upcoming films of DCU Chapter 1 – is set to start filming soon and, with that, casting news has been breaking as of late. Just days ago, it was also reported that writer and director James Gunn was screen-testing actresses for the role of Maxima. Ella Purnell, Marisa Abela and Adria Arjona were said to be in contention for the part, but Gunn refuted the report. However, there’s been a new development that seemingly counteracts Gunn’s claim, so what’s really going on here?
It’s been reported that Adria Arjona is officially joining the cast of Man of Tomorrow. That news comes by way of The Hollywood Reporter, and the trade claimed that Arjona was a finalist alongside fellow actresses Sydney Chandler, Eva De Dominici and Grace Van Patten. What’s interesting, though, is that the outlet doesn’t confirm whether or not Arjona is actually playing the role of Maxima. For now, her part is being referred to as a mystery role, which sparks plenty of questions.
Last week, after the initial Maxima report dropped, Gunn took to social media and said the details were inaccurate. The filmmaker (who was also named co-CEO of DC Studios in 2022) asserted that he had never met either Purnell or Abela. There is an aspect of that post that’s interesting in hindsight, though. Gunn confirmed that he had long been friends with Arjona, as he cast her in 2017’s The Belko Experiment. What the filmmaker didn’t do, however, was directly deny the notion of Arjona testing for a role.
Quite frankly, it’s difficult to sort out what exactly is going on here. In regard to James Gunn’s initial comments, maybe that was a case of semantics, and he was just being extra cautious with his words. Gunn does, after all, have experience with keeping details about major projects under wraps. The Guardians of the Galaxy helmer is known for being quite active on social media, and I’m curious as to whether he’ll address this latest piece of news head on.
There’s also still the matter of who Adria Arjona might be playing. It’s certainly possible that she’s portraying Maxima, an extraterrestrial conqueror introduced in the pages of DC Comics back in 1989. Coincidentally, though, there’s also been DCU-related speculation swirling around Arjona as of late. Many have been speculating that she could be a prime candidate for the role of Wonder Woman, though that’s been far from confirmed. Regardless, it seems she’ll be entering a superhero franchise in some form or another.
It’s looking relatively certain that Man of Tomorrow will have a major ensemble cast just like its predecessor, 2025’s Superman. David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult and more actors from that initial movie are expected to return for MoT. Also joining the fray this time around will be Lars Eidinger, who’s been cast in the role of Brainiac. The film will also include Aaron Pierre, who will reprise his role as Green Lantern John Stewart following his debut in the Lanterns TV show.
Story details on James Gunn’s upcoming superhero movie are slim, though it’s been teased that the Man of Steel will have to team up with Luthor to take down the technological threat that is Brainiac. If Maxima is indeed in the film, I’d be curious to see how she figures into the narrative. And, even if the character doesn’t appear, I’m eager to see what role the talented Adria Arjona ends up playing nonetheless.
Man of Tomorrow is set to soar into theaters on July 9, 2027. In the meantime, check out Superman and other DCU offerings using an HBO Max subscription.
