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As the HBO Max DCU (DC Universe) series Peacemaker Season 2 gears up for its August 21, 2025, release date, Sean Gunn, who plays one of the important characters from the DC Universe, Maxwell Lord, gave an interview to TheWrap. Sean Gunn, who is also James Gunn's brother, was at Fan Expo Chicago on Sunday to promote the second season of Peacemaker.
There, the DCU's Maxwell Lord actor participated in a panel at Fan Expo Chicago where he touched upon what fans can expect from his interpretation of the character. For those who don't know, Lord was introduced in the comics in May 1987, as an ally to the Justice League; however, he gained significance almost 20 years later, in 2005, when it was revealed that he was a secret villain.
However, in the panel, Gunn revealed that his version of the character might not be villainous after all.
What did Sean Gunn say about the DCU Maxwell Lord?
We meet Maxwell Lord, as played by Sean Gunn, for the first time in Superman, which was released last month. In that movie, we learn that Lord is Luthor's competitor and is also regarded as a far more trustworthy alternative in comparison to LuthorCorp amongst the protagonists. Lois Lane's recorder is manufactured by LordTech.
In the movie, we can see Sean Gunn's Maxwell Lord in the last act of the movie as he comments on Lex Luthor's arrest. While that was a cameo, his appearance in Peacemaker Season 2 might be a bit longer, as the May 2025 teaser revealed that Sean Gunn's Maxwell Lord will also appear in the DCU HBO Max show. His role in Peacemaker's second season rounds up his DC Universe appearances to two.
But despite this, fans have been theorizing whether Maxwell Lord, seen in the new DC continuity, is trustworthy or not. That's because the character has been a thorn in the DC heroes' side for twenty years as of 2025. This is why both James and Sean Gunn have hinted at an alternative interpretation of the character in the brand-new universe.
On December 10, 2023, James Gunn posted an image of Maxwell Lord from the comics during his early years, declaring him to be one of his favorite characters. In the said post, the DC Studios Co-CEO argued that calling Maxwell Lord a villain is reductive. His exact words were:
"Calling Maxwell Lord a villain seems reductionist. As he was originally portrayed in JLI made him one of my favorite characters."
Now, at the Fan Expo Chicago, Sean Gunn added to the DCU Maxwell Lord discourse in TheWrap interview. There, the actor revealed that his opinion of the character is very similar to that of his brother's and went on to say that Lord was better than Luthor. Here's what he said:
“I just wholeheartedly agree with his comment that, to call the character a villain is certainly not something that is leading the way for me as I tackle the character. I think he’s a lot more nuanced than that. And I don’t really see the problem with what he’s doing so far. He’s not evil incarnate the way that Lex is.”
While it might very well be the case that Lord for now might not be evil, we might need to wait a few more years to see if this version of the character will retain his neutrality or not.
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Do you think that the DCU Maxwell Lord will follow his comic book counterpart and turn to villainy? As we wait for this question, catch the HBO Max series Peacemaker Season 2 on August 21, 2025.
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