Fans don’t have to worry about another Wonder Woman 1984 mishap, and they should not expect Sean Gunn’s version of Maxwell Lord to mirror any of the other live-action portrayals of the comic book character – because he won’t. Back in December 2023, it was announced that Gunn would play the sophisticated and cunning businessman from DC Comics in Brother James Gunn and Peter Safrans DC Universe. And in a new interview Guardians of the Galaxy The actor revealed that his Max Lord will not mention any more “live appearances of the character.” Gunn said (according to The Wrap):
“I can’t say too much about it.
I can say that my brother James and I discussed which canon reference materials were relevant to my process.
I love making my own music. I can’t say much about it other than we talked about relevant material and discussed the character in detail… before I got involved in it.
We didn’t reference any live performances of the character. It’s all based on written material with things we watch.”
Superman (2025)
Written and directed by James Gunn, Superman is the first film in Warner Bros.’ rebooted DC Universe to focus on the titular comic book hero. It introduces a new version of the Man of Steel after Henry Cavill left the role and celebrates the character’s roots as “the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way of life.”
- Release date
- July 11, 2025
- Pour
- David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, María Gabriela De Faría, Edi Gathegi, Nicholas Hoult, Frank Grillo, Nathan Fillion, Milly Alcock, Sara Sampaio, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Skyler Gisondo, Anthony Carrigan, Wendell Pierce, Beck Bennett, Sean Gunn
- Sales Partner
- Warner Bros. Pictures
The latest and probably most sinister version of the insidious villain from DC Comics comes from Wonder Woman 1984, the presented The Mandalorian And The Last of Us Star Pedro Pascal portrays Maxwell Lord. Although it is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic played a role WW84 Struggles at the box office, fans and critics alike had trouble getting behind the lackluster sequel to Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman (2017).
“Black King” experiences a new beginning in the new DCU
While fans and critics were not enthusiastic Wonder Woman 1984,Pedro Pascal definitely put his all into his committed portrayal of the villain Maxwell Lord. However, as Sean Gunn made clear, his take on the ruthless businessman won’t be a repeat of other live-action portrayals. And even as a comic book character, Lord doesn’t have the same longevity as a classic villain as others like the Joker, Lex Luthor, or even a Silver Age villain like Sinestro, so Gunn should have a lot of fun making the Black King his own.
Lord first appeared in the pictures of Justice League No. 1 in 1987, shortly after the epic DC Comics crossover event, Crisis on parallel earthsAlmost 40 years ago, the comic book publisher was in a phase where fan favorites like Supergirl and Barry Allen’s Flash were being discontinued and the titles were being revamped – and new characters like Maxwell Lord were being created. The cover of this JL Issue even includes a cheeky and rather rebellious Green Lantern named Guy Gardner, who is also intended for the DCU in Superman.
Related
What classic villain Maxwell Lord brings to James Gunn’s DCU
With Maxwell Lord coming to the new DCU through Superman: Legacy, let’s take a look at the history of this sinister villain through the comics.
While elements of WW1984 Although the storytelling did the film justice, Lord himself did not come across quite as he did in the original. In fact, the most successful live-action version of Lord is probably due to The CW’s interpretation of the character, in which dusk Peter Facinelli gave him dignity and gravitas in the Arrowverse of the television screen, competing with Melissa Benoist’s Girl of Steel in witty fashion.
Now that fans know for sure that Gunn’s interpretation of Maxwell Lord will be based on the comics and not previous live-action versions of the character, the more interesting questions become when and where the Black King, aka the head of Lord Technologies, will show up – in a meaningful way, not as Superman Mention or cameo – and which DCU hero will Lord plague first? Also: Will Max from the DCU have superpowers like he later had in the comics or not?
Superman
Cinema release:
July 11, 2025,
with or without Maxwell Lord.
