News recently broke that Sean Gunn, James Gunn's brother, will be portraying Maxwell Lord in the DCU.
Sean is set to reprise his (primarily motion capture) Weasel role from The Suicide Squad in Creature Commandos.
The report from Deadline mentions that Maxwell Lord will be mentioned in Superman: Legacy but it's currently unclear whether the character will actually appear in the film. Instead, Lord's role in Legacy(whether that is a namedrop or actual appearance) will be small and serve as a springboard for a bigger role in future DCU projects.
Following the report, Gunn has taken to social media to chime in.
Created by Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis, and Kevin Maguire for DC Comics, Maxwell Lord IV first appeared in Justice League #1 (May 1987). Lord, a cunning businessman and self-styled confidence man, had a key role in the establishment of Justice League International.
Numerous years later, in the May 2005 one-shot, Countdown to Infinite Crisis, Lord undergoes a malicious turn and shoots Ted Kord in the head. The original creative team has never been fond of this portrayal of Lord, and it appears that Gunn isn't either.
Original Max Lord co-creator J.M. DeMatteis also weighed in on social media.
With the casting of Gunn as Lord, it sure sounds as if we now know what superhero team Gunn is introducing in Legacy. The Terrifics and the Justice League were distinct possibilities but it now seems certain that Gunn is setting up the JLI.
Do you think the Justice League International will become Gunn's version of the Guardians of the Galaxy?
Also, will more of the Guardians cast make their way over to the DCU? Recently, Drax actor Dave Bautista heavily hinted that he was at the very least, having discussions with Gunn about portraying a character in the budding superhero cinematic universe. Be sure to share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Superman: Legacy, the James Gunn-directed (and written) film stars David Corenswet as Kal-El/Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, María Gabriela de Faría as Angela Spica/The Engineer and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho.
Additionally, Nicholas Hoult is reportedly set to portray Lex Luthor, although Gunn has yet to confirm or comment on the casting.
Currently set for release on July 11, 2025, Superman: Legacy is the first film in Gunn's reboot the DCEU. Filming is expected to begin this January.