It's official: Sean Gunn is picking up the mantle for the role of Maxwell Lord in an ambitious new DC universe led by James Gunn and Peter Safran.
The announcement was unveiled on Deadline, followed by speculation surrounding whether or not Sean Gunn's version of the character will make a formal debut in the upcoming Superman: Legacy movie.
"The character," the publication wrote, "will be referenced in the background of Legacy but will appear in future DC projects. A similar motif will occur for other characters in the new DC Universe, the first phase which is named Gods and Monsters: Chapter One. Stay tuned."
As of November 2023, the latest installment to the Superman franchise is still set for a July 11, 2025 release date. Beyond that, James Gunn has already gone public with an extensive slate of programming coming to the DCU, leaving fans hoping for ample opportunities to see Maxwell Lord in action.
Pascal previously embodied Maxwell Lord in the 2020 film Wonder Woman 1984. Lord is the primary villain of the Wonder Woman sequel film, who the lasso-slinging superhero tries to prevent from causing worldwide destruction.
But Lord's origins in the DC universe date back to issue #1 of the 1987 Justice League comic book series, created by Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, and Kevin Maguire. At first glance, he's a cunning businessman and an ally to the members of the Justice League, who was fundamental in orchestrating Justice League International. His unsuspecting charm even won over fellow supes like Blue Beetle and the Martian Manhunter.
The jig was finally up for Lord in 1988. In Justice League International, issue #12, we learn that Lord had been doing the bidding of an evil computer in an attempt to replace all world leaders with robots. Though he did end up destroying the computer and breaking free from its influence, it wasn't long before Lord became a powerful foe of his own accord: after gaining a metahuman ability in 1988's Invasion! limited series, Lord began to unleash his mind-control powers against humanity.
DC fans were quick to react on social media with their reactions to Sean Gunn playing the shrewd con-man: "@JamesGunn promotes the hell out of nepotism lmfao," a user on X commented on a post from Deadline.
@JamesGunn promotes the hell out of nepotism lmfao
— Sloan ?? (@sloantea2017) December 8, 2023
Conversely, some superhero film buffs are enthusiastic to see Sean Gunn's take on the character given his fun-fueled performance as ex-Ravager Kraglin Obfonteri in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: "I'd complain about Nepotism but I kinda love Sean lol," another user wrote on a post from DiscussingFilm.
I’d complain about Nepotism but I kinda love Sean lol
— Nary (@binarydances) December 8, 2023
Sean Gunn has frequently collaborated with his brother, James Gunn, in the past — most famously on the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and 2021's The Suicide Squad. The MCU actor also teamed up with his brother for the movies Super and Tromeo & Juliet, then again to star in the movie The Belko Experiment, which James Gunn wrote. The two co-created the web series PG Porn in the early 2000s with their brother Brian Gunn.
Sean Gunn's TV credits include Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, The Good Doctor, A Terminal List, The Rookie and Robot Chicken. He is represented by UTA, Mitch Clem Management, and Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz.
Katie Reul is a freelance writer at IGN.
