James Gunn has assembled an impressive cast for Superman, including Alien: Romulus and Madame Web star Isabela Merced as Hawgirl.
Based on what we've seen in set photos, the character will be a member of Maxwell Lord's Justice League International alongside Guy Gardner/Green Lantern and Mister Terrific. Talking to Josh Horowitz on his Happy Sad Confused podcast, Merced shared her excitement for the first DC Studios movie.
"I'm so excited for everyone to see [Nathan Fillion]. I think he's fantastic," she started. "The whole movie is very loyal to the comic books but with a James Gunn twist. I really think it's funny, it's clever, it's heartwarming...at least, that was my experience on set. Obviously, things can change in the editing room but, God, I loved James."
"He's so prepared. I could exhale on set and didn't need to worry about exhaling after because James is one of those people who knows exactly what he wants, will stop at nothing to get it, has a shot list, communicates with his team and they're all prepared when they get there because they've worked with him for twenty plus years," Merced continued. "When somebody is in charge and on it, you have room to get excited, have faith in it, and relax into the role. That was the loveliest part of that experience."
The actress then went on to talk in detail about her audition; Gunn, who had already cast Fillion as Guy, realised Merced was right for the part very quickly but the process was still a stressful one for The Last of Us season 2 star.
"They had a funny name for it. I'm sure if I pulled up the slides it would show up but it was a fake superhero name. I was aware that it was a superhero and the themes and conversations were quite similar to what ended up being in the end product. I had no idea and then I ended up meeting James and he seemed like such an entity as opposed to a person, so I was kind of nervous meeting him. He read me right away, I guess, and knew who I was and what I bring to the table."
"I did the self-tape, Zoom read, and then I went to LA and they told me I was going to be testing. You never know what that's going to be. There might be 6 or 7 girls there that look like you and 3 other girls that don't look like you and then you're like, 'Oh, I'm the odd one out and they're probably not going to go for me.'"
"I was super nervous but it was literally just me, Edi, and Nathan. Nathan had already been cast and [Jennifer Holland], James' wife, was reading for the role of Lois at the time which was really cool. I love her in Peacemaker. It was so thrilling. At that point, I was like, 'Oh God, it's mine to lose.' He told me that day. Later we did, hair, makeup, and wardrobe, and he told me later that same day I got it. I started crying. It was so embarrassing."
Merced was also asked about Superman's large ensemble and how Hawgirl fits into that. It's a concern many fans have expressed about the movie, particularly as the Man of Steel now has a lot of characters to share the spotlight with.
While we'll have to wait and see how Gunn balances that side of things, the actress was happy with how Hawkgirl was served in the scenes she shot.
"Yes, I think at least we know our place in this new universe that James is creating. I think I learned more about my character each day," Merced explains. "One of the days that was most eye-opening was seeing her bedroom. The room was super revealing as to who she was."
"I didn't even know how it was going to look. You have the comics to reference and maybe in the script it says, 'INT: Hawkgirl's Room.' That's it. Then you see it and it's super informative. James is trying to stay really loyal to the comics but add his own twist."
Finally, Merced shared high praise for the DCU's new Superman. "I think David [Corenswet] himself, in my opinion, is a very Superman-like person and has the patience of a Buddhist. He is super, super kind and talks to everyone. Babies and kids love him. I think he will be a wonderful Superman."
You can check out the full interview below. Superman opens in theaters on July 11, 2025.