Man Of Tomorrow’s Newest Cast Member Isn’t Who Fans Think, It’s A Much More Tragic Role

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It’s a great time to be a DC Comics fan! Several exciting projects are on the way this year, including shows featuring Supergirl, Green Lantern, and Clayface. Production on James Gunn’s sequel to Superman, titled Man of Tomorrow, is starting soon, and most of the original cast is returning, along with new additions like Lars Eidinger as Brainiac. Recently, Adria Arjona joined the cast, though her role is currently a mystery – but fans are already speculating!

Rumors suggest actress Xolo Maridueña will play Maxima, an alien princess from the comics known for her pursuit of Superman. While Maxima has a complicated history – initially aligning with the villain Brainiac before becoming a hero – some fans are hoping Maridueña will actually be cast as Wonder Woman. Although it seems unlikely, given James Gunn’s vision of a long-established DC Universe, a brief appearance by Wonder Woman isn’t impossible.

However, there’s a good chance actor Xolo Maridueña won’t be playing either of the initially expected characters. Instead, he might be cast as a lesser-known DC character: Lysl Dox, Brainiac’s wife.

Adria Arjona’s Late Casting Doesn’t Give Her Much Time To Prepare For A Major Role

If Adria Arjona were cast as Maxima or Wonder Woman, it wouldn’t be a last-minute decision. Both roles require extensive preparation, including months of costume fittings. Plus, they’re physically demanding parts, and with filming potentially starting soon, Arjona wouldn’t have much time to get into peak physical condition.

David Corenswet was chosen to play Superman in June 2023, two years before the movie’s release and a year before filming began. It’s natural he was cast early, as the film needed to build the rest of the cast around him. Soon after his announcement, Isabela Merced, Edi Gathegi, and Nathan Fillion were revealed to be playing Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, and Guy Gardner, respectively. By November 2023, María Gabriela de Faría joined the cast as the Engineer, completing the main lineup. This gave all the actors at least three months to prepare physically before filming started in late February 2024.

Adria Arjona seems to be too busy to focus on intense physical training right now. While she’s already fit, actors often push themselves to get into peak condition for superhero roles. Director Ana de Faría documented her own transformation on Instagram while preparing for Superman, and Kumail Nanjiani famously dedicated himself to rigorous workouts for Marvel’s Eternals.

James Gunn Has Already Told Us The Role Is Small

The upcoming Man of Tomorrow film is expected to feature more significant appearances by characters like Maxima and Wonder Woman, even if Wonder Woman’s role is limited to a substantial cameo. Casting choices suggest minimal on-set interaction for some roles; for example, Milly Alcock was cast as Supergirl a month before filming started and appears in a single scene filmed separately. Additionally, Adria Arjona’s casting, though not yet officially confirmed, was reported around the same time filming began.

James Gunn has strongly hinted that the rumored role isn’t significant. On April 8th, he used Threads to indicate he’s already cast all the major characters, stating he only has one role left to fill. While responding to questions about casting, he specifically denied confirming rumors about the character Maxima appearing in the film, though he didn’t completely rule it out either.

Based on the available information, Arjona likely has a minor role, and it probably isn’t the character many industry sources believe it to be. It also doesn’t appear to be the character fans are most excited about.

Lysl Dox Makes Sense. Kind Of

I was really excited to see Lysl Dox potentially joining the DCU! Even though she’s relatively new to the comics – first appearing in 2013’s Superman #23.2 (which was actually a Brainiac issue by Tony Bedard and Pascal Alixe) – I have a feeling James Gunn might already know her. Or, he could at least be familiar with the idea of the character. She hasn’t shown up too often since then, but she was recently part of the “House of Brainiac” storyline in 2024.

If Adria Arjona is playing a character named Lysl Dox, James Gunn may have drawn inspiration from the Harley Quinn animated series. The show’s final season features Brainiac as the main villain, and includes flashbacks to his life on Colu with his family. Gunn is a fan of the series – he’s even appeared in it – so it’s possible he’ll explore Brainiac’s backstory and the tragedy of his family in the new series as well.

As a big fan of James Gunn’s work, I think a character like Brainiac’s wife could be a surprisingly important piece of his Man of Tomorrow movie. To really make that character resonate, Gunn would need someone who can quickly win the audience over – kind of like how he used John C. Reilly in Guardians of the Galaxy to make even a small role as a Nova Corp member memorable. That’s where actress Xolo Maridueña’s mother, Marcela Arjona, comes in. She’s incredibly talented and can really elevate any part, even a smaller one. Plus, if the role involves a lot of makeup and prosthetics, she’d be able to easily take on other characters within the DC Universe down the line if everyone agrees!

It’s all speculation, really. Arjona could be Maxima or Wonder Woman, but I don’t think Lysl Dox is any less of a possibility.

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2026-04-19 02:52