Some more DCU casting news here, and this is certain to stir up some conversation!
According to Deadline, James Gunn's brother, Sean Gunn, has signed on to play the villainous Maxwell Lord in Warner Bros.' "rebooted" DC movie/TV universe. We're not sure if the character will be introduced in Superman: Legacy or not, as the report simply notes that Lord "will be referenced in the background of Legacy but will appear in future DC projects. A similar motif will occur for other characters in the new DC Universe."
A different incarnation of Lord was played by Pedro Pascal in Wonder Woman 1984, and there have been numerous animated versions of the character over the years.
Gunn played Kraglin in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and also voiced Weasel in The Suicide Squad. He's set to return as the furry menace in the animated Creature Commandos series.
Maxwell Lord made his DC Comics debut in Justice League #1, and was originally introduced as a shrewd and powerful businessman who was an ally of the heroes and was influential in the formation of the Justice League International. He later emerged as an adversary of the team, and went on to become one of their most formidable foes.
Despite having no powers initially, Lord would later develop telepathic abilities as a result of the Dominators' invasion of Earth. He was able to develop his mind-altering powers, which grew to the point where he could take full control of other beings, even Superman.
If Lord does show up in Legacy, he's going to have a lot of company!
We found out earlier today that a new take on Supergirl will (likely) appear, in addition to David Corenswet as the Man of Steel and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. Supporting characters include Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern Guy Gardner, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho.
More recently, Nicholas Hoult was announced as Lex Luthor, with Sara Sampaio signing on to play his assistant/lover Eve Teschmacher, and Skyler Gisondo taking on the role of Jimmy Olsen.
Members of the anti-hero team The Authority will also appear, and we recently learned that María Gabriela de Faría (Animal Control) has been cast as Angela Spica/The Engineer.
We're still not sure exactly how these other superheroes will factor into the story, but Gunn has previously revealed that Superman's dual-life as both Clark Kent and the Man of Steel will be explored in the film, suggesting that these characters will be his "super friends." Whether they'll be part of an actual team or not remains to be seen.
“Superman: Legacy is the true foundation of our creative vision for the DC Universe. Not only is Superman an iconic part of DC lore, he is also a favorite character for comic book readers, viewers of earlier movies, and fans around the world," said Gunn during the DCU slate announcement. "I can’t wait to introduce our version of Superman who audiences will be able to follow and get to know across films, movies, animation and gaming.”
Specific plot details are still under wraps, but Brainiac is rumored to be the movie's primary antagonist. Gunn recently debunked another report which claimed that the story would revolve around some kind of conflict in the fictional Middle Eastern country of Bialya, which is where the Scarab in Blue Beetle originates from in the comics.
What do you make of Sean Gunn being cast as Max Lord in the DCU? Drop us a comment down below.
Production is scheduled to get underway early next year.