James Gunn Rebukes Deadline’s ‘Superman’ Casting Report: ‘Shoddy and Incorrect’
Deadline says that Adria Arjona, Ella Purnell and Marisa Abela are up for a big role in the 2027 “Superman” sequel “Man of Tomorrow. James Gunn says it’s “bulls–t.”
“Deadline’s reporting is shoddy & inaccurate,” Gunn wrote on Threads Wednesday. “I’ve always thought Deadline was pretty thorough in their journalism but that’s not the case here so I’m frankly disappointed. If someone would have run these names by us we would have said it’s bulls–t.”
The report from Deadline said that these three actresses were all up for the part of Maxima, a humanoid alien queen and conqueror from the planet Almerac. In the comics, Brainiac (the villain of “Man of Tomorrow,” played by Lars Eidinger) destroys Maxima’s home planet, though Maxima would later form a tentative alliance with the alien conqueror.
Although Gunn said these three performers did not come in for Maxima, he did note that he would be happy to work with any of them if the right part came along.
“I’ve been friends with Adria a long time since I cast her in the Belko Experiment,” he said. “I’m a fan of both Marisa and Ella but I’ve never met either of them. Crazy.”
You can see the full post below:
Deadline later added an editors note, sharing that they’ve since updated the story in the wake of Gunn’s posts.
“Deadline went through its normal editorial process in the newsgathering for today’s ‘Superman’ sequel ‘Man of Tomorrow’ casting story,” Deadline posted. “After a review in light of new information regarding the actors involved, the story is being updated.”
The post has since removed mention of Purnell and Abela altogether.
For months, rumors have swirled that Maxima would indeed appear in “Man of Tomorrow.” When a fan asked Gunn on Threads if his message to Deadline meant that Maxima was going to be in his “Superman” sequel, the writer/director wouldn’t say whether her appearance should be expected.
“I am absolutely not confirming that (and didn’t),” he said. Gunn later confirmed that there is still one major role left to cast, but he didn’t say who.
Maxima debuted in 1989’s “Action Comics #645” by Roger Stern and George Pérez. The character has had a few different roles in her time in the comics, switching between being a world-conqueroring despot, a villain, a Superman romantic interest and a Justice League member.
Maxima’s rumored appearance in “Man of Tomorrow” has led fans to speculate that the film is a soft adaptation of the Superman crossover comic “Panic in the Sky.” The story features Maxima working with and eventually turning on Brainiac as the hyperintelligent alien tries to invade Earth, confronted by Superman and a collection of other superheroes. We already know “Man of Tomorrow” will feature Superman (David Corenswet) teaming up with the villainous Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), as well as heroes like Green Lantern (Aaron Pierre).
“Panic in the Sky” spanned issues of “Action Comics,” “Superman: The Man of Steel,” “Superman” and “The Adventures of Superman.” Creators for the storyline include Roger Stern, Bob McLeod, Louise Simonson, Jon Bogdanove, Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway and Tom Grummett.
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