Actresses Test for Maxima Role in DC's Superman Sequel Man of Tomorrow

James Gunn, co-chairman of DC Studios, is considering candidates for a key role in the upcoming Superman sequel titled Man of Tomorrow. Sources informed Deadline that actresses Marisa Abela, Adria Arjona, and Ella Purnell started testing for the role last week. Representatives for DC declined to comment, and representatives for the actresses could not be reached.

The character in question is Maxima, a warrior queen from the planet Almerac. Maxima first appeared in Action Comics #645 in 1990, created by writer Roger Stern and artist George Pérez. In DC Comics, Maxima is portrayed as an antagonist, ally, and potential love interest to Superman, arriving on Earth to find a suitable mate.

Maxima has appeared in live-action television series, including Smallville, played by Charlotte Sullivan, and Supergirl, played by Eve Torres Gracie. The character also featured in Superman: The Animated Series and other animated projects but has not appeared in a live-action DC film.

the testing actresses, Adria Arjona and Ella Purnell have prior comic book-related experience.

Arjona portrayed Martine Bancroft in Sony's Morbius, opposite Jared Leto, and was rumored for the role of Wonder Woman in the DC Universe. In an interview with Extra, Gunn described Arjona as a potential fit for Wonder Woman while noting that fan interpretations of his social media activity might be overstated.

Ella Purnell appeared in Universal's Kick-Ass 2 and an episode of Prime Video's Invincible.

Marisa Abela is known for her roles in HBO/BBC's Industry and as Amy Winehouse in Back to Black, for which she won a BAFTA. Abela's upcoming projects include Amazon MGM's Highlander reboot with Henry Cavill and Russell Crowe. Purnell stars in Amazon's Fallout series, which is entering its third season, and has roles in Yellowjackets, Sweetpea, and the animated Arcane.

Arjona plays Bix Caleen in the Star Wars series Andor and has appeared in films such as Hit Man, Splitsville, Blink Twice, and Los Frikis. Her future projects include Prime Video's Criminal, Adam Wingard's A24 film Onslaught, the Zellner Brothers' Alpha Gang, the erotic thriller Scorn, and a reimagining of The Thomas Crown Affair directed by and starring Michael B. Jordan.

The actress selected for Maxima will join a cast that includes returning actors David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.

In the sequel, Superman and Luthor ally against Brainiac, portrayed by new cast member Lars Eidinger. Rachel Brosnahan, Skyler Gisondo, and Sara Sampaio are expected to reprise their roles as Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and Eve Teschmacher, respectively. Newcomer Aaron Pierre is also cast, likely reprising his role as John Stewart/Green Lantern from HBO's upcoming series Lanterns.

Man of Tomorrow is Gunn's follow-up to the 2024 film Superman, which he wrote and directed and which grossed over $618 million worldwide. That film served as the launch for DC Studios' new cinematic universe. Gunn is directing Man of Tomorrow from his own script, with production scheduled to begin in April 2025 in Atlanta and continue through the summer.

The film is slated for theatrical release on July 9, 2027. The inclusion of Maxima expands the sequel's storyline, building on the established DC Universe narrative.