It has only been one week, but CBS' hit superheroine story is already adding to its cast of comic book standards. Peter Facinelli will play Maxwell Lord on Supergirl and his character will debut in Monday's episode, the second episode of the season. He will further tie together the fates of Kara Danvers' boss Cat Grant and her secret alterego, Supergirl. The actor talked to reporters at NYCC earlier this year and really dug into the "flair" of Maxwell Lord, what this character is all about, and Lord's self-described "fascination" with the character Supergirl. The eccentric business man drew comparisons to everyone from Donald Trump, to Elon Musk, and George Clooney. So, basically, Maxwell Lord is the perfect Late Show With Stephen Colbert guest.
"He is all about saving the Earth," Facinelli said. "He thinks his way is the best way of doing it and he doesn’t really like that these superheroes are tearing things up on the planet. He believes in humanity and that humanity should save themselves... Not superheroes. He’s kind of anti-superhero. I think he’s fascinated by superheroes in the sense that he wants to be able to harness that power for humanity in some way."
That already puts him at contention with Supergirl and General Astra, who both have their own idea of Earth's best interests at heart. In DC comics, Maxwell Lord actually helped the create the Justice League and developed powers of his own. However, as the actor pointed out in the round table, this character has never been brought to life on screen. Peter Facinell is the first, and this is a fresh take. "It’s kind of fun to be able to tackle that and bring my own spin to it and work with the writers and figure out the best way to tell his story," the actor said. "I did think about people who play the Joker — it’s been played so many times that they have to be like 'how do I invent this character in a new way and yet stay truthful to the versions that are out there.' With this I had a lot of leeway."
There's also some 'ship potential for his character and Cat Grant, so hold on tight, spider-monkeys of the Twilight fandom! "I think it’s kind of dangerously liaisons kind of," said Faccinelli of their relationship. "You know there’s this tension, but it’s also sexual tension. And there’s a power struggle but they admire and respect each other, I think. Adversaries but in a healthy way, in a sexy way I think."
Will he be a villain? It definitely seems as if he is being set up as an antagonist, but even in shows about aliens and vigilantes, evil is not so black and white. Different layers and levels are at play here, according to Facinelli, who also drew on documentaries about Steve Jobs as another example of a tech genius with a world view. "There’s parts of him that are good, there are parts of him that aren’t. I don’t think he’s driven by evil at all. But I think he has his version of what good is and what good for humanity is — there are different personas he plays within himself. You know, to get different goals." When Maxwell Lord makes his Supergirl debut on Monday night, we'll start to get into what all of these personas are all about!
Image: Giphy
