Adria Arjona Joins Superman: Man of Tomorrow as DC Powerhouse Maxima

Graphic by Polygon I Sources: photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for Netflix; Maxima by Kenneth Rocafort/DC Comics

All hail the Queen of Almerac: Maxima is officially slated for her cinematic debut in Superman: Man of Tomorrow, scheduled for a summer 2027 release. The upcoming feature will see the return of heavy hitters like David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as the calculating Lex Luthor. Adria Arjona—a frequent fan-favorite pick for the role of Wonder Woman—is now firmly attached to portray this formidable alien royal.

The announcement inevitably raises a question for casual viewers: Who exactly is Maxima, and how does she fit into the high-stakes world of a Superman blockbuster?

Conceived by comic legends Roger Stern and George Perez, Maxima first graced the pages of Action Comics #645 in 1989. Initially betrothed to a less-than-stellar suitor named Ultraa, she took matters into her own hands, venturing across the stars to find a mate worthy of her status. She eventually set her sights on Superman, arguing that their combined genetics would produce perfect offspring. Unsurprisingly, the Man of Steel was not interested in being part of an interstellar breeding program, leading to a long history of rejection.

Determined, Maxima eventually joined the Justice League, finding the networking opportunities more productive than her romantic pursuits. After drifting away from the League, her dynamic with Superman oscillated between unrequited romance and open hostility, occasionally leading her to align with the Superman Revenge Squad. However, later iterations of the character—particularly post-New 52—reimagined her as a queer woman escaping the restrictive, heteronormative royal mandates of Almerac. In this modern context, her allegiance shifted toward Supergirl and the Crucible Academy, an institution dedicated to training cosmic heroes.

Beyond the drama, Maxima is a powerhouse. Possessing immense physical strength, flight, and high-level telepathic abilities, she is one of the few beings in the DC Universe capable of going toe-to-toe with Doomsday.

As for her role in the new film, she may be a wildcard alongside Lex Luthor and the newly introduced Brainiac. Given her historical “Panic in the Sky” arc, where she famously turned the tables on Brainiac after escaping his mental thrall, she brings a complex history of both manipulation and redemption. Regardless of how the narrative shakes out, Maxima’s transition to the big screen marks a long-overdue spotlight for a character who has been a fascinating fixture in DC lore for decades.

Source: Polygon