Man of Tomorrow Post-Credits Scene Could Unveil Adria Arjona's Role

Alright, let’s break down the latest DC Studios casting news that managed to be weirdly secretive, a little bit meta, and just classic James Gunn all at once.

Adria Arjona Joins 'Man of Tomorrow'—But As Who?

So, Adria Arjona (who you probably saw stealing scenes in Andor or the new Hit Man) has officially signed on for DC’s Man of Tomorrow, the follow-up to Gunn’s Superman. If you’ve got a good memory—or just an unhealthy obsession with James Gunn movies—you’ll remember Gunn first cast her in The Belko Experiment back in 2017, so this is a bit of a reunion.

Here’s where it gets a little convoluted: Rumors originally swirled that Arjona was being considered to play Maxima, an alien queen and sometimes-flirt/sparring partner for Superman, with Deadline and other sites reporting she was in the running. Gunn denied it. Then The Hollywood Reporter put her back on the shortlist. Now she’s officially in—except half the outlets are calling her role a 'secret DC character.'

Variety broke ranks and just outright said, yes, she’s playing Maxima. So, is she Maxima? DC will neither confirm nor deny, but the signs are there. It’s all leading to questions about what exactly her character’s deal will be—and if it might tie into the movie’s ending in a way that’s both a DC deep cut and a nice in-joke about her real-life relationship.

Who Is Maxima Anyway?

Here’s your quick crash course: Maxima landed in the comics back in 1989 (thanks, Roger Stern and George Pérez) as the power-hungry queen of planet Almerac, basically looking for a suitable mate to help her pump out some powerful super-heirs. Obviously, she zeroes in on Superman, who isn’t interested, because—well, he’s Superman.

Maxima’s thing is being strong, invulnerable, and able to fly… so basically a match for Supes. She started off as an enemy, but she’s fought alongside him, and even did a stint with the Justice League.

Her most famous non-comics outing is probably in the Superman: The Animated Series episode 'Warrior Queen,' where she tries to make Superman her king, gets rejected, but ends up meeting Lobo—the intergalactic biker bounty hunter—and likes his whole vibe.

Lobo, Maxima, and...Real-Life Romance?

Here’s where the lines between fiction and reality get blurry and oddly entertaining. Lobo (first appeared in 1983, for those keeping score) is already cast for the DCU, with Jason Momoa taking on the role in the upcoming Supergirl movie. And in real life, Arjona and Momoa are dating. It does not get more meta than this: fans are already speculating that Gunn might use the post-credits scene of Man of Tomorrow for a callback to the Maxima-Lobo shenanigans from the old cartoon—with Arjona’s Maxima and Momoa’s Lobo meeting on screen and, well, maybe hitting it off.

• Maxima (Arjona): Iconic DC queen, sometimes antagonist, famously tried to seduce Superman
• Lobo (Momoa): Alien biker/bounty hunter, kind of irresistible if you like the space-punk thing, now dating Arjona in real life
• Cartoon reference: 'Warrior Queen' (1997), where Maxima gives up on Superman, Lobo shows up, and sparks fly. Gunn is known for these deep-cut, tongue-in-cheek moments in post-credit scenes

To sum up: if this is true, we could get a gag where onscreen Maxima ditches Superman and, in a wink to both DC lore and the actors' dating status, teams up (in any sense of the word) with Lobo. If nothing else, it’d be very on brand for Gunn, who likes his post-credit scenes as payoffs and jokes, not dry 'sequel teasers.'

Gunn's DCU—Comics, Cartoons, and Deep Dives

Gunn has already been dropping hints that he’s pulling not just from comics, but from the hugely influential DC Animated Universe (Superman: TAS, Justice League, etc.). He’s said publicly that he’s a fan of the DCAU’s take on Brainiac, which suggests the Man of Tomorrow version may lean into that stylized tech-horror version.

And the announced cast keeps pointing in that direction: not only do we have John Stewart/Green Lantern (Aaron Pierre) and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), but supposedly other Justice League mainstays and legacy characters could pop up too, like Mister Terrific, Guy Gardner, Supergirl’s Milly Alcock, and even Peacemaker (John Cena).

If Gunn wants to reference the cartoon and also have a little fun with the real-world dating situation between Momoa and Arjona, a Maxima-Lobo scene feels almost inevitable. It wouldn’t even have to lead into another movie—just a satisfyingly nerdy wink to those paying attention.

But What If Adria Arjona Is Wonder Woman?

Of course, there’s a chance all these rumors are just misdirection. Some industry types think Arjona is actually playing Wonder Woman instead, and that the Maxima talk is all a smoke screen. Since Gal Gadot is done in the DCU and there’s a new Wonder Woman movie in the pipeline—scripted by Supergirl’s writer—it’s not a crazy theory that Diana could be introduced in Man of Tomorrow and then springboard to her own film.

Even Gunn has fanned the flames of this particular fire. He’s been following Arjona on Instagram since 'The Belko Experiment' days, but people noticed and naturally assumed it meant she’s locked for Wonder Woman. Gunn dismissed this bit of social media detective work, but did add:

'She'd be a great Wonder Woman, by the way. But she was in a movie that I made seven years ago. We've been friends and have known each other since that time. So I followed her then, I didn't just follow her now.'

Not exactly a denial, right?

So What Kind of Movie Is 'Man of Tomorrow,' Anyway?

However this all shakes out—Maxima, Wonder Woman, or a secret third thing—Man of Tomorrow sure looks like it’s turning into DCU’s first big cast mashup. (Think Batman v Superman, but hopefully better executed, and maybe a little more fun.) There’s going to be Justice Leaguers, Superman mainstays, and probably a few surprises. We just don’t know which suit Arjona will actually wear.

If she is Maxima, cool—let’s see her on a collision course with Brainiac and maybe a wink at Lobo. If she’s Wonder Woman, it sets up a new Trinity for the DCU. Either way, thanks to Arjona’s range and Gunn’s love of comic/animation deep dives, at least one new character is about to become a fan-favorite—especially with room to grow across movies.

And with the Supergirl movie only a few months away, there’s actually time for Arjona to cameo as Maxima (or Wonder Woman) there, if Warner Bros. wants to go full interconnected universe again.

In short: nothing is confirmed, rumors are wild, and DC seems happy to keep us guessing. But for once, the real-life drama and the comic book zaniness might actually work together in a way that feels less like homework, and more like a movie universe that’s actually fun to speculate about.