Adria Arjona isn’t ready to reveal who she’s playing in James Gunn’s Superman: Man of Tomorrow, but she is dropping one very muscular clue.
The Andor star confirmed that preparing for the upcoming DC Studios sequel has required an intense physical transformation, including hours of daily training and a strict diet.
“I have muscles that I’ve never had in my life,” Arjona told ScreenRant. “I’m training two to three hours a day on a crazy diet. Drinking coffee is the only thing that keeps me up. And I’m really excited!”
While Arjona’s character has yet to be officially announced, reports point to Maxima, the powerful warrior queen from the planet Almerac with a long, complicated history with Superman in DC Comics.
First introduced in Action Comics in 1990, Maxima originally arrives on Earth searching for a suitable mate – and decides Superman might be the guy.
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That goes about as well as you’d imagine.
Over the years, Maxima has shifted between antagonist, reluctant ally, Justice League member, and potential romantic interest for the Man of Steel. The character previously appeared in live action on Smallville, played by Charlotte Sullivan, and Supergirl, played by former WWE star Eve Torres-Gracie, but has never appeared in a live-action DC feature film.
Arjona’s substantial training regimen certainly isn’t going to quiet speculation that she’ll be bringing the physically formidable character to the big screen.
The role also brings Arjona back together with Gunn and DC Studios co-chair Peter Safran, who helped give the actress one of her earliest major film opportunities when they cast her in 2016’s The Belko Experiment.
“I’m excited to be reunited with the family that started everything for me, which is Peter Safran and James Gunn,” Arjona said. “They gave me my first movie.”
She credits the pair with helping launch the career that eventually led to projects including Andor. “I wouldn’t be in Andor if it hadn’t been for Peter Safran and James Gunn, so it feels really fucking cool and really exciting to reunite with that team and to be in that family,” she said.
Then she slammed the Fortress of Solitude door shut on any further spoilers. “And that’s all I’m going to tell you!”
Man of Tomorrow brings David Corenswet back as Superman alongside Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, and Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher.
The sequel will also introduce one of Superman’s most famous enemies to Gunn’s DC Universe: Brainiac, played by German actor Lars Eidinger (Banshee).
Gunn recently confirmed that principal photography has wrapped, writing on Threads that making the film was “truly a joyful experience” and thanking the cast and crew.
The filmmaker also shared behind-the-scenes photos marking the end of production, including one featuring Hoult after the actor apparently celebrated his final shot by jumping into a lake.
Whether Arjona is indeed playing Maxima remains one secret Gunn and company are holding onto.
But two to three hours of training a day, a radically changed physique, and a role she’s clearly very excited about? The Maxima theory certainly isn’t getting any weaker.
Superman: Man of Tomorrow flies into theaters July 9, 2027.
The Geek is a working screenwriter, director and screenwriting instructor.
