New Hawkgirl Promo Reveals New Look at DCU’s Winged Warrior in James Gunn’s ‘Superman’
DC Studios just dropped a brand-new promo showing off Hawkgirl from the upcoming Superman movie. Fans are getting more excited as the film gets closer to its release on July 11, 2025.
This new Superman film is directed and written by James Gunn. It’s not just another reboot, it’s the first big movie in the new DC Universe (DCU). David Corenswet will play Clark Kent, also known as Superman.
He stars alongside Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, and other familiar names like Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, and Isabela Merced.
New Hawkgirl promo for ‘SUPERMAN’!
— DC Film News (@DCFilmNews) July 4, 2025
Flying to theaters July 11. pic.twitter.com/PIvsI36ZPR
The story follows Superman as he tries to balance his alien roots with the human life he was raised in. This is a fresh take on the character, and it looks like it’ll explore how he deals with being both an outsider and a hero at the same time.
James Gunn actually started working on the script back in 2022. Later that year, he became co-head of DC Studios with Peter Safran. The movie was originally called Superman: Legacy, but they dropped the second part of the title by early 2024. Filming kicked off in Svalbard, Norway, and most of the scenes were shot in Atlanta, Georgia, and some parts of Ohio. Production wrapped up in July 2025.
The movie takes a lot of inspiration from the All-Star Superman comics by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. That series focused more on Superman’s personality and his deeper values, so fans can expect a story with more heart and reflection.
One of the most talked-about new characters in the film is Hawkgirl, played by Isabela Merced. Her full name in the movie is Kendra Saunders. She’s a winged superhero who uses melee weapons and fights alongside a team called the Justice Gang.
Kendra is a reincarnated alien and still remembers her past lives, which gives her a lot of emotional depth and makes her kind of moody. Merced described the role by saying, “The self-awareness and comedic aspects of the film helped Saunders make light of [her] trauma.”
At only 5 feet 1 inch tall, Merced’s height stands out among the rest of the DCU’s taller heroes. She said that playing Anya Corazón in Madame Web (a Marvel movie from Sony) helped her get ready for this role. She even admitted she didn’t tell the Superman team about that Marvel job in case it messed up her chances. “I didn’t want them to know in case they didn’t want me to play both,” she said.
Isabela Merced, Edi Gathegi (who plays Mister Terrific), and Nathan Fillion (playing Green Lantern, specifically the Guy Gardner version) were all announced as part of the cast on July 11, 2023, exactly two years before the film’s release. Fillion is no stranger to working with Gunn. He was in The Suicide Squad and has voiced Green Lantern Hal Jordan in several animated shows. Merced also tested for Batgirl in the past for the now-canceled Batgirl movie.
Some fans were worried that all these superheroes might distract from the main story about Superman and Lois. Gunn responded by saying that Superman and Lois are still the center of the movie. “The other characters are here for a reason,” he said, explaining that Clark’s relationships with other superheroes and coworkers are a big part of how the story shows his growth and values.
Superman hits theaters on July 11, 2025, and it will be the first film in DCU’s new era, known as Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.
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