Sean Gunn Officially Confirms Maxwell Lord’s Return in 2 Future DCU Projects

Published Sep 29, 2026, 5:34 PM EDT Will the character appear in Man of Tomorrow? Image: Jay Maidment/Marvel Studios/Everett Collection Sign in to your Polygon.com account Amid the press tour for his upcoming AI-horror thriller Appofeniacs, actor Sean Gunn dropped a major update regarding his future in the revamped DC Universe. Gunn tells Polygon that DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn (aka, his brother) has approved him to confirm that his character, the manipulative businessman Maxwell Lord, will pop up in at least two other DCU properties. "James Gunn has approved me to say he will appear in two other projects," Gunn says. When asked point-blank if one of those secret appearances might take place in the upcoming film Man of Tomorrow, Gunn immediately hit the brakes. "I can't say, of course," he replies. Why isn't Maxwell Lord in Lanterns? Image: HBO Sean Gunn was slightly more candid when asked why the high-powered executive hasn't crossed paths with characters in HBO's Lanterns. Addressing Lord's absence, Gunn indicates that the ground-level investigation and specific ring-slingers involved in that series simply aren't on the billionaire's radar — suggesting they are "small fry" compared to the grander, high-stakes power plays Maxwell is chasing behind the scenes. Gunn's iteration of Lord marks a distinct pivot back to the character’s late-1980s Justice League International comic origins. Rather than an outright supervillain, the DCU version positions Lord as a pragmatic, media-savvy corporate titan. As the CEO of LordTech, he bankrolls sponsored hero outfits like the Justice Gang while navigating the complex politics of a metahuman-filled world. Operating at the crossroads of corporate PR, high-tech defense, and government oversight, Lord provides the franchise with a uniquely grounded narrative anchor — and the perfect Elon Musk-adjacent megalomaniac to laugh at. Photo: The Riker Brothers/Tony Harris/DC Comics Sean Gunn is staying busy Gunn's update comes as he promotes Appofeniacs, a fascinating new indie horror feature about deepfakes and AI-driven chaos in which he co-stars and serves as executive producer. Between voicing G.I. Robot and Weasel in Creature Commandos and bringing Maxwell Lord into live-action, Gunn is rapidly becoming one of the busiest actors across DC Studios' Chapter 1 roadmap. The confirmation that Lord is slated for multiple projects reinforces DC Studios' cross-media connective strategy. Whether LordTech’s footprint surfaces in future live-action series, animated crossovers, or major feature films, Maxwell Lord’s financial and political influence is set to loom large over the nascent universe. For now, fans will have to wait to see where the calculating mogul turns up next, but two things are certain: LordTech's expansion is already underway, and James Gunn is giving his brother the green light to drop just enough breadcrumbs to keep the internet guessing. Appofeniacs releases in theaters on Oct. 2.