Along with David Corenswet enjoying the title protagonist in James Gunn’s Superman, this 2025 film launch may also characteristic the superheroes Mr. Terrific, Man Gardner, Metamorpho and Hawkgirl. The latter heroine is being delivered to life by Isabela Merced, who has prior superhero film expertise from Madame Net. Anybody who’s finished deep studying on Hawkgirl is aware of she has varied convoluted backstories. Luckily, Merced has cleared up what’s occurring together with her model of the character within the upcoming DC film, and it leaves me hopeful that this may in flip set the stage for the DCU to introduce one other particular superhero at a later date.
The DCU’s Hawkgirl Will Combine Her Reincarnation And Alien Origins
It could take method too lengthy to delve into the specifics of the quite a few methods Hawkgirl/Hawkwoman have been depicted over the many years, however to summarize, three ladies have held the mantle: Shiera Sanders Corridor, Shayera Hol and Kendra Saunders. Generally the character is the reincarnated type of a princess from historic Egypt, generally she’s a police officer from the planet Thanagar, and there have even been cases the place each origins have been melded collectively. The DCU opted to go together with that third method, with Isabel Merced informing the DC Studios Showcase Official Podcast:
Kendra is reincarnated, however she’s reincarnated from an alien. So, she has all these recollections. The story is definitely actually darkish, it is truly so fucked up that I ponder how they will deal with that in relation to addressing that. I feel she carries the entire recollections and the traumas and the errors of her previous lives in her physique wherever she goes, so she has a little bit little bit of a grumpy demeanor.
Though Superman marks Hawkgirl’s theatrical debut, she’s actually no stranger to being tailored exterior of the comics. The 2 most notable variations that come to thoughts embody Maria Canals-Barrera’s from the DCAU (the place she was one of many founding members of the Justice League) and Ciara Renée’s from the Arrowverse. The previous went the Thanagarian route and the latter the reincarnation route, so I’m positively desirous to see how Isabela Merced’s turned out. The actress continued:
Actually, it provides me a lot backstory and it is tremendous useful. However then additionally, with the James Gunn twist, that self-awareness and the comedy of all of it. It provides me the chance to kind of make gentle of my trauma, and that is what I do on a regular basis.
I doubt we’ll go too deep into Hawkgirl’s background in Superman on condition that she’s a supporting character and there’s already sufficient packed into that film. Having mentioned that, now that these particulars have been revealed, I wouldn’t be stunned in any respect if a sure different hawk-themed DC Comics character can be launched sooner or later.
This Probably Means We’ll Meet Hawkman In The DCU Sometime
Like Hawkgirl, Hawkman and convolution go hand-in-hand. There are much more characters who’ve used that identification within the comics, although the 2 most well-known are Carter Corridor and Katar Hol. The previous is the newest reincarnated type of Prince Khufu, and the latter can also be a Thanagarian police officer. Aldis Hodge performed the Carter model within the Black Adam film, and Michael Shanks and Falk Hentschel respectively performed him in Smallville and the Arrowverse.
I may see a world the place if Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl was strictly a Thanagarian, the DC Universe may not really feel inclined to introduce Hawkman. But when James Gunn, who’s additionally co-running DC Studios, felt the necessity to additionally incorporate her reincarnation backstory, that absolutely signifies that she and Carter/Katar have that millennia-spanning romantic historical past with one another. So whereas not a assure by any means simply but, I’m hoping that Hawkman and Hawkgirl will come collectively within the DCU sometime, even when they’re not the leads of the story the place this occurs.
For now, what we are able to depend on is seeing Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl fly into motion when Superman comes out on July 11. Then she’ll reprise the function in Peacemaker Season 2, which premieres on August 21 to Max subscription-holders.