Venezuelan actress María Gabriela de Faría has been cast as a villain in Superman: Legacy, the first film under the new James Gunn brand of DC movies.
According to Deadline, de Faría will play Angela Spica aka The Engineer, a character whose powers are found in her body’s internal nanotechnology. This allows her modify her body to survive different atmospheres, make weapons, and apparently fly. It’s also noted that she’s to be a villain in Superman: Legacy according to Deadline. But Gunn posted to Threads, “Villain” is such a disparaging term,” leading most to believe that her character’s motivations are complex.
The character was created by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch, and was first introduced to comic book fans in 1999. She is the second DC character named The Engineer and is known for being part of The Authority.
“Now you know why I’ve been working out like a crazy person,” de Faría wrote on social media next to a screen grab of the news. “[James Gunn] made me a superhero.”
Some of de Faría’s famous friends congratulated her on social media for landing the role, including actress Lana Condor, actor and singer Rafael De La Fuente, and podcaster Eliu Ramos, who playfully asked her, “¿Cómo se dice, ‘You are incredible’ in Spanish?”
De Faría is best known for her roles in the sitcoms Animal Control and The Moodys and the 2021 horror film The Exorcism of God. She got her start in the 2002 Venezuelan telenovela Trapos íntimos and had the lead roles in a series of other shows like Túkiti, crecí de una, Isa TKM, and La virgen de la calle.
Superman: Legacy will mark Gunn’s directorial debut as co-CEO of DC Studios. The story will follow the Man of Steel as he confronts his Kryptonian heritage and his earthly upbringing. Another Latine in the new DC Universe will include Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl.
Superman: Legacy is scheduled to hit theaters on July 11, 2025.