When the news broke that James Gunn was looking to cast a female supporting character for Man of Tomorrow, it didn't take long for the Wonder Woman speculation to begin. It's not hard to see why, especially as we heard the actress had to be tall and have warrior-like qualities.
Since then, Gunn has debunked the Wonder Woman rumours, meaning we likely won't see Diana Prince in the DCU until her movie rolls around.
Nexus Point News is today reporting that the mystery female role is Maxima. She'll serve as a secondary antagonist to Lars Eidinger's Brainiac, the Superman sequel's big bad.
Created by Roger Stern and George Pérez, Maxima debuted in 1989's Action Comics #645. She hails from the planet Almerac, where she holds the royal title of Queen. She initially came to Earth seeking a worthy mate, targeting Superman for genetic compatibility to produce strong heirs, but she has also fought alongside the Justice League.
Maxima's powers include superhuman strength, durability, speed, flight, telekinesis, telepathy, mind control, energy projection, force fields, and teleportation. After Superman's big reveal that Kal-El was sent to Earth to form a harem and breed a superpowered master race, perhaps Gunn intends to expand on that with this debut?
During the "Panic in the Sky" storyline, a 1992 crossover event in the four monthly Superman comic book series (featuring the hero leading Earth's superheroes against an alien invasion led by Brainiac), Maxima fought alongside Brainiac. That came after he conquered Almerac and coerced her into helping him.
As the site posits, "There are also reports of another hero being cast for the film who could potentially join Superman and Lex Luthor to fight off Brainiac’s invasion. Although unconfirmed, it’s possible that the Justice Gang can return to join the heroes along with characters like Supergirl, Peacemaker, and Lobo."
Maxima is an interesting pick on Gunn's part, and it will be interesting to see who the DC Studios co-CEO eventually casts in the role. The character was previously portrayed by ex-professional wrestler Eve Torres Gracie in The CW's Supergirl.
Written and directed by James Gunn, Man of Tomorrow stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Isabela Merced as Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl, and Frank Grillo as Rick Flag, Sr. We recently learned that Lars Eidinger will play the movie's big bad, Brainiac.
Several actors and characters are rumoured to appear, including Aaron Pierre's John Stewart/Green Lantern and John Cena's Peacemaker.
Man of Tomorrow arrives in theaters on July 9, 2027.