(Photo Credit: Warner Bros.)
It looks like Superman‘s adventures in the DC Universe won’t end with James Gunn‘s Man of Tomorrow.
As production on Man of Tomorrow is slated to begin this month in Atlanta with Gunn directing from his own script, casting news has been heating up for the DCU movie. This week, several actors have been reported to be in the running for the role of Maxima, the morally ambiguous alien queen from the planet Almerac who has served as an antagonist, ally, and would-be love interest to the Man of Steel.
While there had been some speculation over whether Maxima was a cover for a more prominent character like Wonder Woman, trusted insider Jeff Sneider revealed in his newsletter, The InSneider, that the role DC Studios is screen testing for is “the character of Maxima — no tricks.”
Man of Tomorrow will tee up a third DCU Superman movie
Sneider also offered up some new details about Maxima’s role in Man of Tomorrow and her future in the DCU, writing, “Apparently, the character has a small role in this film before becoming a bigger character in the inevitable third Superman movie.”
A third Superman movie hasn’t officially been confirmed or greenlit by DC Studios yet, although Gunn did share in October 2025 that he has a four-film plan for David Corenswet’s Man of Steel.
“I am like thinking ‘what is the long-term story I’m telling here? What is the story that I’m gonna tell about Superman over four movies?’” Gunn shared during an appearance on The Viall Files podcast last year.
Superman, Man of Tomorrow, and the upcoming spinoff Supergirl — which will feature Corenswet in a small supporting role — are all expected to be part of the “Superman Saga,” meaning that a third solo Superman film would complete Gunn’s four-film plan. However, both Supergirl and Man of Tomorrow will likely need to be box office hits for Warner Bros. and DC Studios to agree to move forward with Superman 3.
At the time of writing, the role of Maxima is reportedly down to four actors — Adria Arjona (Andor), Eva De Dominici (The Cleaning Lady), Sydney Chandler (Alien: Earth), and Grace Van Patten (Tell Me Lies). All four screen-tested earlier this week in Atlanta with Gunn.
Man of Tomorrow is scheduled to hit theaters on July 9, 2027, as the fourth film in DCU’s Chapter 1: Gods & Monsters.
