Having made their first live-action debut in Surprise Lady 1984, I am very curious to see the DCU’s new tackle a personality who’s lately been confirmed for Superman. It has been recognized for a while that Sean Gunn, brother of director James Gunn, may have a task within the upcoming Superman film, with a number of studies indicating that he could be taking part in Maxwell Lord. Nevertheless, Gunn taking part in Lord has lastly been formally confirmed by the actor himself, and his latest feedback have me very intrigued about the kind of Maxwell Lord we’ll be getting within the DCU.
Superman will not be the primary time audiences will probably be seeing Maxwell Lord in reside motion. Again in 2020, Pedro Pascal played a one-and-done version of Maxwell Lord, a tv persona and oil magnate working within the Nineteen Eighties who will get his palms on the Dreamstone. Nevertheless, it is already fairly evident that Sean Gunn’s Maxwell Lord will probably be fairly totally different from Pascal’s in Superman, and may not even be a villain in any respect within the modern-day DCU.
The DCU’s Maxwell Lord Is Set To “Kinda” Be In Superman
His Presence Might Be Felt By Different DCU Characters
Not too long ago at Northern Fancon, Sean Gunn spoke about playing Maxwell Lord in Superman, sharing that he was “kinda” within the upcoming DCU film. Not solely that, however he additionally shared that he and James Gunn had checked out some particular items of DC Comics supply materials to deliver this new model of Maxwell Lord to life, although he was unwilling to share what these items have been, not less than till after the film is launched in July. However, Superman’s trailers and higher solid do present some clues.
David Corenswet’s Superman will not be the one superhero in his upcoming film. He’ll even be joined by Man Gardner’s Inexperienced Lantern, Hawkgirl, Mister Teffific, and Metamorpho. Every of those heroes has been depicted with LordTech-branded uniforms, suggesting that Gunn’s Maxwell will probably be financing their workforce as a live-action model of Justice League Worldwide. This would mirror Lord’s story within the authentic DC Comics (not less than earlier than he turns into an outright DC villain). Regardless, it is potential that Gunn solely “kinda” being in Superman could imply that his position could be fairly small, whereas his workforce has rather more screentime compared.
Having The DCU Convey Again Maxwell Lord After Surprise Lady 1984 Makes His Return All The Extra Fascinating
We Ought to Be Getting A Very Totally different Model of Maxwell Lord
A personality who has been each an ally and an adversary to the Justice League (and particularly Surprise Lady), it definitely appears to be like as if Sean Gunn’s Maxwell Lord will probably be moving into a totally totally different route in comparison with Pedro Pascal’s model. In Surprise Lady 1984, Pedro Pascal’s Maxwell Lord had a very specific and ultimately villainous depiction, a person who underwent a corruptive arc that was very a lot tied to the film’s Nineteen Eighties setting. Likewise, his character could not precisely go wherever or have any bearing on the modern-day DCEU both.

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Conversely, it appears to be like as if Sean Gunn’s Maxwell may have a significant influence on the higher DCU at massive, particularly if he’s certainly operating a workforce of superheroes within the fashionable period. Whereas Superman in all probability will not be fascinated about absolutely becoming a member of Lord’s company roster in any official capability, it does look as if he’ll change into an ally to the group within the face of some main threats. To that finish, it should be fascinating to see if Sean Gunn’s Lord begins out with some real altruism in Superman, or if he’ll have already got some secret agendas behind his founding of the DCU’s JLI.
Will Maxwell Lord Have A Larger Function Past Superman?
The concept that Sean Gunn is simply “kina” in Superman does counsel that he might need a number of DCU appearances past this primary live-action film. Maybe the debut of the JLI in Superman is solely the opening act for Lord, one which begins an extended kind arc the place Gunn’s model of the DC characters does change into extra of a supervillain over time, maybe even coinciding with Wonder Woman’s expected debut at some point in the DCU’s future. At any fee, DCU followers ought to absolutely anticipate Sean Gunn’s Maxwell Lord to be worlds aside from Pedro Pascal’s model, one thing that will probably be fascinating to see play out when Superman releases this Summer season.
Superman releases in theaters on July eleventh from DC Studios.

- Launch Date
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July 11, 2025
- Producers
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Lars P. Winther, Peter Safran
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Clark Kent / Superman / Kal-El
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Rachel Brosnahan
Lois Lane
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Nicholas Hoult
Lex Luthor
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Edi Gathegi
Michael Holt / Mister Terrific