James Gunn’s Superman has been the talk of the town ever since it debuted the jam-packed first trailer earlier this month. From David Corenswet’s portrayal of the Man of Steel and the comic-accurate and vibrant direction, the newly rebooted DC Universe is already off to a strong start for audiences underwhelmed by previous DCEU movies. However, that doesn’t mean certain elements won’t be borrowed from the now-defunct cinematic universe. For instance, Superman will feature one of DC’s most classic villains from the source material, previously played by Pedro Pascal in the much-maligned Wonder Woman 1984.
During an interview with Kristian Harloff, Sean Gunn, who currently stars in Creature Commandos as Weasel, discussed his upcoming live-action DCU role in Superman as Maxwell Lord. Although it’s unclear how large of a part he will have, Lord is well-known for being a formidable foe of not only Wonder Woman but the Justice League as a whole. In Wonder Woman 1984, Pascal played the ambitious businessman, but he was a far cry from his comic counterpart. Gunn teases that his interpretation of the villain will skew closer to the source material, naturally setting himself apart from Pascal’s version.
“Your own body is the vessel for what you’re doing, so obviously… no one is gonna confuse me and Pedro Pascal’s performance. So obviously we’re going to do something different. I think that James (Gunn) is good about directing me towards the relevant source material. So, I think, the whole concept of the character takes a totally different type of tack. I saw the movie and Pedro is obviously a great actor, but what he does in that movie is not really relevant to anything that I’m doing.”
For those unfamiliar with the character, Maxwell Lord first made his debut in the 1987 run of Justice League, and has subsequently appeared in various forms of DC media. He is often portrayed as a criminal mastermind who, despite helping superheroes from time to time, has his own evil agenda and at times possesses mind-control powers. Lord will likely be involved with the superhero team featured in the Superman trailer, which includes Green Lantern, Mister Terrific, and Hawkgirl all sporting costumes with the LordTech emblem. In the comics, he lent a helping hand in the foundation of Justice League International as an ultrawealthy benefactor with hidden agendas.
‘Superman’ is Jam-Packed With DC Characters
Although James Gunn has described Superman as a standalone story, the upcoming reboot sets the stage for the DC Universe in more ways than one. An early version of the Justice League (or Justice Society) can be seen in the trailer, made up of Green Lantern (Guy Gardner), Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, and Metamorpho. Meanwhile, the anti-hero team The Authority is expected to be a part of the film, setting up their already-announced spinoff. Many speculate that Milly Alcock will cameo as Superman’s cousin before making her official debut in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which is set to film in mid-January.
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Lex Luthor, portrayed by Nosferatu star Nicholas Hoult, is the main villain of Superman, but the film doesn’t shy away from other evil forces. While Maxwell Lord will seemingly have a brief role to play, it’s been highly speculated that Ultraman is the one battling David Corenswet’s Kryptonian hero in the trailer. Gunn has maintained that Luthor is Superman’s primary antagonist, but the writing is already on the wall when it comes to building out his rogues’ gallery.
Written and directed by James Gunn, Superman is the first movie in Warner Bros.’ rebooted DC Universe to center around the titular comic book hero. It introduces a new version of the Man of Steel after Henry Cavill’s departure from the role, honoring the character’s roots as “the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way.”
- Release Date
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July 11, 2025
- Cast
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David Corenswet
, Rachel Brosnahan
, María Gabriela De Faría
, Edi Gathegi
, Nicholas Hoult
, Frank Grillo
, Nathan Fillion
, Milly Alcock
, Sara Sampaio
, Pruitt Taylor Vince
, Skyler Gisondo
, Anthony Carrigan
, Wendell Pierce
, Beck Bennett
, Sean Gunn
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