Superman: Legacy writer-director and DC Studios co-chief James Gunn is expanding the new DC universe with three new actors joining the cast: Nathan Fillion (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) will play Guy Gardner, one of the figures known as Green Lantern; Isabela Merced (Dora and the Lost City of Gold) will play Hawkgirl; and Edi Gathegi (X-Men: First Class) will play Mister Terrific.
Gunn cast David Corenswet (Hollywood) as the titular Man of Steel two weeks ago, alongside The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane.
At a press presentation of the new DC Studios slate in January, producer and DC co-chief Peter Safran said the film will focus on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.
The news that Superman: Legacy will include superheroes other than the last son of Krypton is a strong indication that Gunn intends to re-launch the DC cinematic universe as a fully-formed entity, rather than re-build it one superhero at a time.
Fillion has often appeared in Gunns films, starting with the filmmakers 2006 horror-comedy Slither. His character, Gardner, will be just one of several people in the new DC Universe to wear the emerald ring that imbues its wearer with the powers of the Green Lantern: Lanterns, a streaming series for Max, will follow Hal Jordan (first portrayed on screen by Ryan Reynolds in 2011s ill-fated Green Lantern) and John Stewart (an ex-marine who was one of DCs first Black superheroes).
Merced first rose to prominence as a child actor in Nickelodeons 100 Things to Do Before High School, and shes also appeared in 2017s Transformers: The Last Knight and 2018s Sicario: Day of the Soldado. As Hawkgirl masked, winged and fond of medieval weaponry like swords and maces Merced will be embodying one of DCs oldest superheroes, who first appeared in 1940. (Aldis Hodge played Hawkgirls counterpart, Hawkman, for the characters live-action feature debut in 2022s Black Adam.)
Along with playing Darwin in X-Men: First Class, Gathegi most recently was a standout on Season 3 of Apple TV+s For All Mankind. Hell play Michael Holt, an ingenious inventor who operates as Mister Terrific with the multipurpose, mechanical T-Spheres he created.
The deals for the actors come exactly two years before Superman: Legacy is scheduled to debut on July 11, 2025. Its also less than 48 hours before the SAG-AFTRA contract is due to expire (after an extension) and the looming prospect of an actors strike becomes a reality.
Vanity Fair first reported the news.