'Shoddy and incorrect': DC Studios co-head James Gunn debunks Man of Tomorrow casting rumors — and says 'every major role' in the DCU movie has already been filled

• James Gunn has hit out at a report about the casting process of his Superman sequel
• Deadline has claimed four actors have tested for an apparently key role
• The DC Studios co-CEO has called it "bulls**t", "shoddy", and "incorrect" reporting

James Gunn has slammed a new report suggesting that four actors have auditioned for an apparently key role in Man of Tomorrow, aka his Superman movie sequel.

Taking to Threads yesterday (April 8), Gunn called out Deadline for its "shoddy and incorrect" and "bulls**t" reporting on individuals who, according to the Hollywood trade publication, have auditioned for the DC Universe (DCU) film.

Earlier that day, Deadline claimed that Star Wars actor Adria Arjona, who appeared in the iconic franchise's critically-acclaimed Disney+ show Andor, and Alien: Earth's Sydney Chandler were among a quartet of stars who had tested for the role of Maxima. The Cleaning Lady star Eva De Dominici and Tell Me Lies' Grace Van Patten were also named as potential candidates for the fiery queen of Almerac, who was initially introduced to DC comic book fans as a potential new love interest of the Man of Steel.

However, hours later, Gunn — who spotted the report after it had been shared by comic book movie fansite Nexus Point News — took to social media to debunk what Deadline had reported.

"This is not against Nexus — they're sharing what Deadline reported — but Deadline's reporting is shoddy & incorrect," a frustrated Gunn wrote. "I've always thought Deadline was pretty thorough in their journalism, but that's not the case here, so I'm frankly disappointed.

"If someone would have run these names by us we would have said it's bulls**t," he continued. "I've been friends with Adria [for] a long time since I cast her in The Belko Experiment. I'm a fan of both Marisa and Ella, but I've never met either of them. Crazy."

Before Gunn's comments, Deadline indicated that DC Studios representatives declined to comment on the story. However, following Gunn's reply, Deadline updated its article to defend what it had heard from its sources.

"Deadline went through its normal editorial process in the newsgathering for this story," an unnamed editor noted. "After a review in light of new information regarding the actors involved, the story has been updated."

Curiously, another Los Angeles-based news outlet — The Hollywood Reporter (THR) — has since published its own article, and claimed its own sources have also told it that Arjona, Chandler, Van Patten, and De Dominici are in the frame to portray Maxima. Gunn is yet to publicly comment on THR's piece, but I suspect his response would be the same as he gave to Deadline's.

'One left, then we're finished'

Understandably, Gunn's tit-for-tat with Deadline sparked further inquiries from fans eager to learn more about the DCU Chapter One movie.

Responding to one individual on Threads who asked if this was Gunn's way of confirming that Maxima was in Man of Tomorrow, he replied: "I am absolutely not confirming that (and didn't)."

When another interested party queried when Man of Tomorrow's main cast would be announced, Gunn wrote: "I already have for every major role". Finally, when someone else questioned whether every role — major or otherwise — had been filled, Gunn revealed that there was "one left" to finalize before its roster had been rounded out.

Okay, so what do we know about the Superman sequel's cast? Here's who's confirmed and/or rumored to appear so far:

• David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman
• Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor
• Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane
• Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen
• Lars Eidinger as Brainiac
• Isabela Merced as Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl
• Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr.
• María Gabriela de Faría as Angela Spica/The Engineer
• Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher
• Aaron Pierre as John Stewart/Green Lantern

Want more information on the forthcoming sequel? Find out everything we know so far about Man of Tomorrow, including its confirmed release date and first plot details.

Once you're done there, read up on what we know so far about Supergirl, get the full lowdown on Lanterns, and learn more about Clayface, all of which are set to arrive before the end of 2026.

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