Superman: Legacy is going to have a few more superheroes in it than just the Man of Steel. After the news that David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan were cast as Clark Kent and Lois Lane, respectively, We learned a few new actors joined the cast as prominent members of DC’s Justice League and now, we’ve finally gotten to see their DCU versions in Superman‘s trailer.
It appears that this opening episode of James Gunn’s DCU Chapter 1 is going to set up a lot more than just happenings in Metropolis. Gunn has also confirmed that these newly cast actors will definitely continue to play the characters throughout the DCU.
Let us break down each of the heroes we’ll meet in Superman.
Isabela Merced Will Play Hawkgirl in Superman: Legacy
First, Isabela Merced, whose credits include Sicario: Day of the Soldado and the title character in Dora and the Lost City of Gold, will play Hawkgirl. The Winged Wonder is going solo, without her paramour Hawkman (Last seen in Black Adam). There have been several versions of Hawkgirl in the comics. There’s the reincarnated Egyptian princess Shiera Hall from DC’s Justice Society. Then, the alien warrior from Thanagar from the Justice League. In recent years, another Hawkgirl, Kendra Saunders, has taken up the name. The Hawkgirl known to most general audiences was the alien version, who was a prominent member of the animated Justice League series.
Edi Gathegi Will Be Playing Mister Terrific in Superman: Legacy
James Gunn has been teasing Mister Terrific since he took over DC Studios with Peter Safran. And now we know why. Actor Edi Gathegi, perhaps best known for the Twilight films, will play Mister Terrific in Superman: Legacy. In the comics, Michael Holt was known as “the third smartest man in the world,” right behind Lex Luthor and Bruce Wayne. On the verge of ending his own life after several personal tragedies, the Spectre intervened and showed Holt what he could do with his intellect and wealth to help others.
Holt used his genius to become the new Mister Terrific, naming himself after an old-time hero. He created all kinds of badass high-tech weapons, like his multi-purpose T-Spheres. Gathegi once played another hero, the mutant Darwin, in X-Men: First Class. But his character was ridiculously killed off, something that is memed to this day. Hopefully, Mister Terrific has a longer life on screen than poor Darwin. He deserved better.
Nathan Fillion Will Play Green Lantern Guy Gardner in Superman: Legacy
Longtime James Gunn collaborator and friend Nathan Fillion, who has appeared in Gunn projects like Slither, The Suicide Squad, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, will play Green Lantern, Guy Gardner. The loud-mouthed, egotistical Gardner is one of several Earth-based Green Lanterns, and was a prominent member of the Justice League International. He’s a big jerk, and most of the other superheroes in the DC Universe can’t stand him. Particularly Batman, who once punched him in the face. He’s not the main Lantern for Sector 2814, those duties fall on Hal Jordan and John Stewart. Both of whom will be in the new DCU in the series Lanterns. Gunn has also promised we’ll see Nathan Fillion rock Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern bowl cut in the DCU. That’s a lot to look forward to.
Barry actor Anthony Carrigan also joins the cast as off-the-wall 1960s hero Metamorpho, the Element Man. Metamorpho sports one of the weirdest design aesthetics in all of comics, and has been around since 1965. In reality, he’s Rex Mason, a soldier of fortune. Rex was cursed by the Orb of Ra in an Egyptian tomb, and gained the ability to shapeshift and change his body into any element or combination of elements.
Metamorpho had his own series in the sixties, which spawned a very groovy vinyl record with a catchy theme song. Over the years, he’s been a member of teams like the Justice League, Batman’s Outsiders, the Doom Patrol, and most recently the Terrifics, Mister Terrific’s own team.
Originally published on July 11, 2023.