A messy DC casting story took a sharper turn Wednesday after a Deadline report kicked up chatter about Maxima in filmmaker James Gunn’s next Superman movie. On Threads, Gunn publicly torched the article as “shoddy and incorrect,” adding that if the names had been run by DC Studios, “we would have said it’s bullshit,” turning what might have been routine superhero rumor traffic into a much louder public correction.
Regardless, the chatter did not disappear. The Hollywood Reporter added fuel to the fire, reporting that Adria Arjona (“Andor”), Eva De Dominici (“Under The Stars”), Sydney Chandler (“Alien: Earth”), and Grace Van Patten (“Tell Me Lies”) are the four finalists for the role, which the trade identified as Maxima. That sharpens the picture considerably. The earlier report appears to have gotten key details wrong, but clearly, DC is trying to cast this role asap.
Still, Gunn’s pushback was unusually blunt, even by his standards. On social, he said he had never met some of the actresses named in the earlier rumor cycle, while also stressing that he was “absolutely not confirming” that Maxima is even in the movie. 🤷♂️
Anywhoo, that leaves the situation pretty clear. Van Patten, Chandler, De Dominici, and Arjona are now the names most credibly tied to the remaining part, and De Dominici is the most notable new addition to the shortlist.
If Maxima is indeed the role, she would be a meaningful addition to Gunn’s Superman follow-up. In DC lore, the character is the warrior queen of Almerac, a figure who can serve as antagonist, wild card, and romantic complication all at once. That would fit a sequel already sounding bigger and more cosmic in scale. The film brings back David Corenswet as Superman and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, with Lars Eidinger as Brainiac and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, following the upcoming TV series “Lanterns.” Gunn has also described the project as “as much a Lex movie as it is a Superman movie.”
“Man of Tomorrow,” set for release on July 9, 2027, appears close enough to cameras that the final piece of the casting puzzle should come into focus soon.
