María Gabriela De Faría Cast As The Engineer In 'Superman: Legacy'

Is SHE the new character Gunn teased all those months ago? Or is it someone created from whole cloth for the movie? We’ll find out eventually

Back in October, Superman: Legacy director James Gunn said “Yes” to whether he had any castings for the film waiting to be announced once the SAG-AFTRA strike reached an end. While we don’t know how many that amounts to, there’s at least this one. Venezuelan actress María Gabriela de Faría is at least the first of whatever he has ready.

She’s playing Angela Spica, known as the villain The Engineer. Her powers stem from nanotechnology built into her body. Created by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch, she’s the second DC character to bear the mantle. This character’s inclusion in the film lays the roots for the connections to The Authority, the second of the five films in the “Gods and Monsters” lineup for the new DC Universe Gunn announced in January, as the character was first introduced in The Authority vol.1 #1 in 1999. The Authority is a group of superheroes wanting to fix what they view as a broken world, a very ends-justify-the-means team. It was said that the film would lead directly from Superman: Legacy.

As for Spica becoming The Engineer, the original’s research lived on after his death, advanced by Spica's own to create the nanotechnology that replaced her blood, making her form malleable and turning her into a person who is essentially also liquid metal. It can create objects, interact with machines, and also shapeshift, though she can be instantly recognized by her silvery metallic full-body suit. The characters originate from WildStorm, which was an independent studio before becoming a DC imprint by the end of the ‘90s. When the imprint was initially shuttered in 2010, the team joined the mainstream DC universe through the New 52 reboot.

De Faria is best known for roles in Fox comedies Animal Control with Joel McHale and The Moodys alongside Denis Leary, following her first significant role on Syfy’s Deadly Class. joins David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan as Clark Kent/Superman and Lois Lane, who were announced in late June, as well as Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner Green Lantern, and and Anthony Carrigan Metamorpho aka Rex Mason were all announced just under the wire with about 2 days before the actors strike in mid-July. Superman: Legacy will follow Superman as he looks to balance his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. The embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, he is guided by human kindness in a world that sees such as old-fashioned. Its originally announced July 11, 2025 release date was recently reconfirmed by Gunn amidst delays from other studios as the strike ended.

Source: Deadline