Back in July, DC fans were excited when it was officially announced that James Gunn’s Superman had cast Alien: Romulus star Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, and Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner/Green Lantern but since then, real details about how the iconic heroes would appear in the film have been few, leaving fans eagerly awaiting a glimpse. Now, that wait is over. We finally have our first look at the heroes in the first trailer for Superman — and fans are going to love it.
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In the new trailer for Superman, fans get brief shots of Mister Terrific and Hawkgirl as well as Guy Gardner. While the glimpses are brief, they do offer quite a bit for fans, particularly when it comes to Guy Gardner. The footage reveals the hero has his classic bowl cut hairstyle and we also see him using his Green Lantern ring. That alone teases that the trio of iconic heroes will be more than mere cameos, something that director James Gunn previously confirmed to ComicBook.
“These characters all get their moment in the sun,” Gunn said. “They all have their moments. They’re not just cameos; these are the characters. They’re supporting cast, but Mister Terrific is the main character of those characters. He actually has a big part of the plot. And so that was fun. And of course, getting to work with Nathan is always something, and putting him in a stupid look, and then Isabela is great. I’ve been a fan of hers for a long time. But was about balance.”
This first look at Hawkgirl also confirms what Merced has previously teased about her look in the film. Merced revealed this summer that she had a “badass” suit and helmet for Hawkgirl, noting that the suit was specific for the story.
“Well, there have been some leaked pictures online,” Merced said. “However, I think James knows what he wants, and this specific suit is for this specific timeline in the story. I don’t know what else I can say, but I gotta say, the helmet was my absolute favorite. It’s so sick. It’s so badass. It’s perfect.”
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But when it comes to how we will see Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, and Guy Gardner on screen, fans will have to wait until July to see the characters fully in action, though Fillion has previously teased his approach to the character.
“The reality is that people have flaws,” Fillion argued. “We all have quirks. We all have vulnerabilities. You could have the most wonderful family, but be like, ‘Oh, my God, my dad drives me nuts. He’s got this one thing.’ Everybody’s got something, and I love to lean into those faults and flaws. It’s what makes people real and what allows audiences to relate, because we all know what that is. We all have our own. We witness it in other people. Guy Gardner is 90% flawed and doesn’t care. That’s one of his flaws. I think there’s a real freedom in playing that. So, for a guy who likes to play flaws and flawed people, Guy Gardner is a gold mine.”
What Do We Know About Superman?
While there are still plenty of questions about what we can expect from Superman, Gunn has been open about the film not being an origin story, recently explaining on social media that he’s not telling an origin story for Superman or other major heroes because they’re stories everyone knows.
“I’m not telling Batman and Superman’s origin stories again because everyone knows them. And don’t put Swamp Thing in the corner. That’s a project in development we’ve actually announced, and he’s an incredibly well-known character with not only some of the greatest comics of all time, but a successful film series and his own TV show, something that could be said of only a very small handful of DC characters,” Gunn wrote.
Superman “tells the story of Superman’s journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice, and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned.” In addition to Merced, Gathegi, and Fillion, the film also stars David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Anthony Carrigan, María Gabriela de Faría, Skyler Gisondo, Wendell Pierce, and Frank Grillo.
Superman opens in theaters July 11, 2025.