James Gunn Shuts Down Adria Arjona Wonder Woman Buzz After Frank Grillo’s Accidental Tease

Few DCU mysteries have fueled as much speculation as Adria Arjona’s role in ‘Man of Tomorrow’. The ‘Andor’ star joined James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ sequel in April, with her casting later confirmed at CinemaCon, but the character she’s playing has been kept tightly under wraps ever since.

Fans have floated plenty of theories in the meantime. Some trade reports claimed she would play Maxima, an alien queen known in the comics for her obsession with Superman, but Gunn later stressed that he was absolutely not confirming that, while a large share of fans remain convinced she’s the DCU’s Wonder Woman.

That theory got an unexpected boost this weekend from one of her co-stars. On October 4, Frank Grillo, who plays Rick Flag Sr., shared a fan-made ‘Man of Tomorrow’ poster on his Instagram Story featuring most of the known cast, including Arjona as Wonder Woman, and Gunn quickly stepped in to set the record straight.

When a fan on Threads asked whether the post was an accidental tease, Gunn responded with a playful jab. He explained that Grillo had simply reposted someone else’s image because it featured him, and he loves himself.

Gunn went on to assure fans that Grillo has no idea who Arjona is playing in the DCU, or even whether her role is a big one or an incredibly small cameo. He added that people have been making far too much of the speculation. Notably, Gunn neither confirmed nor denied the Wonder Woman theory. His response simply made clear that Grillo isn’t the person to ask.

The DC Studios co-head also shared a glimpse of how the situation played out behind the scenes. In a screenshot of a group chat, Gunn told Grillo he was killing him by posting Wonder Woman and Blue Beetle content, warning that he would disappoint people.

Grillo responded with confusion before apologizing, explaining that he had seen the cool poster about 5 times and decided to repost it. He promised to take it down and joked that he was done posting altogether, adding that no good deed goes unpunished.

Gunn took it all in stride. He reassured Grillo that the moment allowed him to address the speculation in a beneficial way, with the added bonus of being able to make fun of his co-star. Arjona and Gunn go way back. Gunn has said they’ve been friends since he cast her in ‘The Belko Experiment’, which was her first studio movie in 2016.

Arjona has credited that early opportunity for shaping her career. Speaking with Screen Rant, she said she wouldn’t have landed ‘Andor’ without Peter Safran and Gunn, calling the reunion with their team exciting.

She has also stayed tight-lipped about her character. When Josh Horowitz asked her point-blank whether she was playing Wonder Woman or Maxima, Arjona laughed and joked that Safran and Gunn would kill her for answering.

The sequel follows Superman and Lex Luthor as they form an uneasy alliance to stop Brainiac, played by Lars Eidinger in his DCU debut. David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult and Rachel Brosnahan return as Superman, Lex Luthor and Lois Lane.

The ensemble also includes Isabela Merced, Skyler Gisondo, Nathan Fillion, Edi Gathegi, Sara Sampaio, Maria Gabriella de Faria and Grillo. Gunn has said every major role in the film has already been announced. ‘Man of Tomorrow’ arrives in theaters in July 2027, which leaves plenty of time for fans to keep guessing. Just don’t expect Frank Grillo to give anything away.

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