Superman features a stacked cast of well-known actors portraying iconic DC superheroes, one of whom is rising star Isabela Merced, who plays Hawkgirl. No stranger to the superhero genre, the Madame Web star was very excited about joining James Gunn’s highly-anticipated take on the Kryptonian, but perhaps too much so. Before cameras even began rolling, Merced recalled accidentally leaking a spoiler from the DCU film.
During the table read for Superman, Merced revealed to Entertainment Weekly that she was so excited that she wanted to share an Instagram story of her name tag at the table. “I wasn’t even looking at anything else,” she said, before declaring, “I was like, ‘F— yeah! I’m going to share this, put it on my [Instagram] Story.’” The problem? The S logo for the titular superhero was included, which had not been revealed to the public yet. Of course, it did not take long for DC Studios to come into contact with her to remove the story. Well, at least try to, as she did not see the several calls to her phone as she watched a movie.

“I get four calls,” she continues. “I was watching a movie, I think, so I didn’t answer. I was just like, ‘It’s my time.’ Then I finally look at my phone and they’re like, ‘You just revealed the Superman S!’ I go back to my story and I’m like, ‘This wasn’t a stock image?!’ I was drawing that [S] since middle school. It was only up for one hour…I was in trouble. But yeah, it’s fine. Innocent mistake.”

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Of course, the Superman logo was eventually officially revealed by Gunn, so no harm, no foul. However, Merced’s story is another funny example of how secretive studios can be even about the most mundane aspects of their blockbuster movies. As fans prepare for another imminent trailer release, Merced herself is heading to television with HBO’s award-winning video game adaptation, The Last of Us. She’s already received major praise for her supporting role as the charismatic love interest to Ellie (Bella Ramsey), Dina, so it seems Merced has a great summer ahead of her.
‘Superman’ Star Reflects on Her Time in the Superhero Genre

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Unbeknownst to some, Isabela Merced already made her superhero debut in Madame Web. Unfortunately, the Sony-produced Marvel flop did not go over well with audiences, leaving her appearance as Anya Corazon, who later becomes Spider-Girl, dead on arrival. She recalled putting on the spandex-heavy suit, which was far less comfortable than most modern superhero suits nowadays.

“I got a taste of the super suit, which was not fun. The tightness and the way you had to make everything look cool, but also aggressive, but also smooth, but also in a tight suit, but also you’re wearing a harness…It’s a lot.”

Ironically enough, her role in Superman also has her suspended by wires and in a supersuit. However, this time, it seemed the time she spent flying around as Hawkgirl suited her adrenaline-seeking ways better than Madame Web did.

“We all were going through it together. We’d use fans on each other to make sure we weren’t hot on the summer days where we’d be in harnesses in the middle of in Cleveland. Every scene I’m flying, pretty much,” she notes. “But it’s cool because I’m an adrenaline seeker. I like being dropped from really high heights. It’s actually one of my favorite things.”

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Superman

Release Date

July 11, 2025

Director

James Gunn

Producers

Lars P. Winther, Peter Safran