Although there are a few actors from the DC Extended Universe who will continue playing their characters within the DC Universe, including John Cena and Viola Davis, for the most part, this new era is intended to provide a fresh start for upcoming DC movies and upcoming DC TV shows. As such, Pedro Pascal’s outing as Maxwell Lord in Wonder Woman 1984 was ultimately a one-and-done affair, but we’re not done seeing the character in live-action. A Guardians of the Galaxy fan-favorite is taking over as Max, and I’m stoked to see what he does with the role.
Sean Gunn, who starred as Kraglin in all three Guardians of the Galaxy movies, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, Avengers: Endgame and Thor: Love and Thunder, has been selected play Maxwell Lord in the DC Universe. Gunn is the brother of James Gunn, who, along with helming the MCU’s Guardians stories, is now co-running DC Studios with Peter Safran and is also the writer/director behind the first DC Universe movie, Superman: Legacy. Although it’s unclear if Gunn’s Max will appear as a member of Legacy’s cast, Deadline has heard that the character “will be referenced in the background” ahead of appearing in future DC Universe projects.
In addition to playing Kraglin in the aforementioned projects, Sean Gunn also performed on-set as Rocket Raccoon in all of that character’s MCU appearances. Interestingly enough, with the news of the Maxwell Lord casting, he now has three DC Universe roles under his belt. In addition to vocally reprising Weasel, whom he played in The Suicide Squad, Gunn will also voice G.I. Robot in the animated series Creature Commandos, which will release to Max subscribers like every other DC Universe TV show.
For those unfamiliar with DC Comics lore, Maxwell Lord started out as the wealthy businessman who helped establish the Justice League International. However, as time went on, Max’s shrewd and manipulative nature came to the forefront, and he eventually became a full-fledged supervillain who gained telepathic persuasion powers. Pedro Pascal’s Max was also a businessman in Wonder Woman 1984, but he absorbed the powers of the Dreamstone in order to save his company and amass more power for himself as he granted other people’s wishes. Max was also played by Gill Bellows in Smallville and Peter Fancinelli in Supergirl.
We’re likely a long ways off from learning how Maxwell Lord will be utilized in the DC Universe, though I imagine at the very least, he’ll be well established as a titan of industry when he’s seen and/or mentioned in Superman: Legacy. I have to imagine, though, that there will come a time when he’s presented as an antagonist, whether he’s rocking those same mind control powers, is strictly using his money to cause trouble or boasts a new ability. In any case, I’m glad to see that Gunn now has a role in this franchise where his face will be seen on camera, and I’m interested to see what he does with the character.
While we wait for more DC Universe-related news, head to Max if you’d like to view any of the already-released DC movies in order. If you’re interested in revisiting Sean Gunn’s MCU work, that can be accessed with a Disney+ subscription.
