Sean Gunn Cast As Maxwell Lord, His Third Role In New DC Universe
Oh brother. Pedro is good, but apparently Sean can be better
It seems DC Studios co-chair and co-CEO James Gunn is putting his brother Sean deep in the business of the new DC Universe. Sean Gunn has been cast as villainous businessman Maxwell Lord.
It sounds like things are pointing toward a debut not in Superman: Legacy, the new universe’s kickoff film, but later on. Instead, the film will plant the seeds for his appearance with background references. Mentions aren’t mentioned, so it seems it would be through things like advertisements or news headlines. This seems to be the first explicit casting for films beyond Superman: Legacy, as the four after it in the DC Universe’s Gods and Monsters chapter, The Authority, The Brave and the Bold, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and Swamp Thing, have only had writers and/or directors confirmed, if anything.
If there’s anything the new DC Universe is full of, it’s Sean Gunn. Maxwell Lord is his third character confirmed for it. It was previously revealed that he would be reprising his role as Weasel from his brother’s The Suicide Squad film, as at least some of the team would survive into the new universe. His Calendar Man is still unconfirmed. In fact, Weasel is one of the stars of the Creature Commandos animated series that will be the first project from the new universe, also written and created by James. But that’s not all. Sean is voicing a second member of the Commandos: G.I. Robot, a Nazi-killing military android. The series is still set to be released next year on Max.
But who is Maxwell Lord? Well, he’s another of the world’s businessmen, like Lex Luthor or Morgan Edge. He debuted post-Crisis in the first issue of the Justice League comic, released in May 1987. Created by the late Keith Giffen with J. M. DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire, he was originally an important ally to the Justice League in the formation of the Justice League International, which would become the comic line’s name by the end of the year. Inevitably, he would become an enemy to the League, and one of Wonder Woman’s rogues in particular. In the Invasion crossover event, said invaders’ detonation of a Gene Bomb triggers Lord’s latent metagene that gives him mind-controlling abilities. At least that’s what Deadline chose to highlight. A brief browse through other sources indicates this is all pre-New 52.
Lord did make appearances in the ninth season of Smallville and the first season of Supergirl, played by Gil Bellows and Peter Facinelli respectively, but his best-known portrayal is probably by Pedro Pascal in Wonder Woman 1984, and his seeking of power through the Dreamstone. In addition to Sean's roles in his brother’s work like as Kraglin (and on-set Rocket Raccoon) in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, its holiday special, and Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, as well as Super, Tromeo & Juliet, and The Belko Experiment, they created PG Porn together with their brother Brian. He’s probably otherwise best known as Kirk from Gilmore Girls, including the A Year in the Life miniseries.
Source: Deadline