New Hawkgirl Promo Reveals Fresh Look at DCU’s Fierce Flyer in James Gunn’s ‘Superman’
DC Studios has just released a brand-new promo featuring Hawkgirl, and fans are loving it. The character is set to appear in Superman, which lands in theaters on July 11, 2025. It’s the first movie in the brand-new DC Universe, and it’s written and directed by James Gunn.
Isabela Merced plays Kendra Saunders, also known as Hawkgirl. In the film, she’s a winged fighter who uses weapons and is part of a superhero team called the Justice Gang. She’s not just your typical hero, she’s a reincarnated alien who remembers her past lives, which adds a darker and more emotional side to her character.
Merced talked about how the film balances that heaviness with humor. “The self-awareness and comedic aspects of the film helped Saunders make light of [her] trauma,” she said.
New Hawkgirl promo for ‘SUPERMAN’!
— DC Film News (@DCFilmNews) July 4, 2025
Flying to theaters July 11. pic.twitter.com/PIvsI36ZPR
Merced also pointed out that at 5-foot-1, she’s shorter than most of the other heroes in the DCU, which makes her stand out even more. She previously played Anya Corazón in Madame Web and said that experience helped her prepare for this role. But she didn’t tell the Superman team about it during casting. “I didn’t want them to know in case they didn’t want me to play both,” she admitted.
Gunn started working on Superman in 2022, and not long after, he became co-head of DC Studios with Peter Safran. The movie was originally going to be called Superman: Legacy, but that part of the title was dropped in early 2024.
Filming began in Svalbard, Norway and then moved to Georgia and Ohio, with most of the main work done at Trilith Studios in Atlanta. According to reports, shooting wrapped up in July 2025.
David Corenswet is playing Clark Kent, aka Superman, and Rachel Brosnahan plays Lois Lane. Nicholas Hoult is taking on the role of Lex Luthor. Other heroes joining them include Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, and Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, a version of Green Lantern.
Gunn had already picked some of these actors a while ago, but he waited until Superman and Lois were cast before finalizing deals. He rushed to lock everything in before the SAG-AFTRA strike started in July 2023.
Fans had some concerns that all these extra superheroes might take the spotlight away from Superman and Lois, but Gunn made it clear that they’re still the heart of the story. “The other characters are here for a reason,” Gunn said, explaining that Superman’s relationships, with heroes and humans alike are a big part of what shapes him.
The movie takes ideas from the All-Star Superman comics by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. That series focused more on who Superman is as a person, rather than just the action, which lines up with what Gunn seems to be going for here.
Isabela Merced, Nathan Fillion, and Edi Gathegi were all announced as part of the cast on July 11, 2023, exactly two years before the movie’s release date. Fillion has worked with Gunn before in The Suicide Squad and has also voiced Green Lantern in several animated projects. Merced had previously auditioned for Batgirl for the now-canceled movie in the DCEU.
Superman will officially kick off DCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. With James Gunn in charge and this much attention to the characters, fans are watching closely to see how this new version of Superman sets the tone for everything to come.
Got thoughts on Hawkgirl’s new look? Let us know in the comments.