One Disney princess is swapping her crown for a ring as DC's latest animated leading lady. James Gunn's DC Studios has been churning out a stream of live-action and animated projects under his creative leadership. Not every animated series fits into the new DCU canon, but that hasn't stopped shows like My Adventures of Superman from having a devoted fan following. Now, an upcoming spin-off of that very series has officially found its star.
That star is Auli'i Cravalho, the voice of Disney's animated Moana, officially cast as Jessica Cruz, the newest Green Lantern, in My Adventures of Superman's spin-off, My Adventures With Green Lantern.
Cruz was first introduced in My Adventures of Superman Season 3, and the spin-off follows her as she balances high school life with the sudden responsibility of wielding a power ring.
It's a fitting casting: Cravalho has spent years (with the sequel releasing in 2024) playing a Disney princess and heroine who had to grow into her destiny, and now she does it again as one of DC's Lanterns.
New details on the series were also revealed at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. According to Nexus Point News, the show is set in Los Angeles, with Jessica attending Hal Jordan Memorial High School while secretly training to understand what it means to become a Green Lantern.
A preview clip from the festival showed Jessica undergoing a transformation as Cravalho sang the Green Lantern oath, continuing the anime-inspired visual language established in My Adventures of Superman.
Cravalho's Jessica won't be facing her new powers alone. Alex DeWitt, Nikki Jones, Thomas Rowe, and Kyle Rayner all play key roles, with Rayner serving as a love interest and DeWitt, whose comic book counterpart met a grim fate, reportedly getting a bigger, better arc this time.
No premiere date has been announced yet, but My Adventures With Green Lantern already sounds like it will be a great follow-up to Season 3 of My Adventures with Superman.
Following this fresh news, it's worth noting that Cravalho isn't the only actress with Disney roots making the jump to DC's ever-expanding slate of movies and shows.
Former Disney Actresses Joining DC
Scarlett Johansson
Over at Disney, the second-highest-grossing actress of all time is known for Kaa in The Jungle Book and playing Black Widow throughout the MCU from 2011 to 2021. After a pitstop in Jurassic World Rebirth, Scarlett Johansson is making the leap over to Matt Reeves and DC with a mystery role in The Batman Part II.
Early reports suggested she was playing Gilda Gold, Harvey Dent's wife, but those reports have since been walked back, revealing only that Johansson's character isn't a "big" name in the Batman universe and is part of some new adaptation Reeves and writer Mattson Tomlin have created.
Fans also hoping for a Poison Ivy interpretation may be out of luck, but it's hard to think that the former super spy won't play a massive role in the upcoming Batman film, which was recently pushed to early 2028.
Kelly Macdonald
Kelly Macdonald voiced Princess Merida in Pixar's Brave back in 2012, and now plays Sheriff Kerry in James Gunn's Lanterns DCU series.
Described as tough, cool, and always a step ahead of the chaos around her, Kerry will try to hold her small Nebraska town together while Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre's John Stewart investigate a murder.
Recently given a new trailer and shown off seven different clips in San Diego Comic-Con's Hall H, Lanterns is the next big DCU chapter, premiering August 16 on HBO Max.
Jamie Chung
Jamie Chung played Mulan on ABC's Once Upon a Time, and brings a different kind of double life to Batman: Caped Crusader as Dr. Harleen Quinzel, aka Harley Quinn.
Season 1 found Quinzel walking the line between hero and villain, even striking up a romance with detective Renee Montoya. With the Joker now arriving in Season 2, premiering July 31, that fragile balance looks ready to tip toward full villainy. Though don't expect the typical Joker-and-Harley relationship in this 1940s take on the iconic characters.
Naomi Ackie
Naomi Ackie played Jannah in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and has since joined DC's darker side as Dr. Caitlin Corr in Mike Flanagan and James Watkins' Clayface.
Ackie's character is reported to be the scientist behind the experimental procedure that transforms actor Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) into Gotham's shape-shifting monster. The body-horror thriller, recently receiving a new trailer, explores Clayface's tragic roots and arrives in theaters on October 23.
The film comes at an interesting time, following a monumental flop from fellow DCU film Supergirl, which has only earned $127.7 million globally to date. Even with that said, DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran isn't rattled by Supergirl's box office stumble.
His confidence in Clayface specifically comes from strong early test-screening feedback and the film's psychological-thriller identity, which he believes sets it apart from typical superhero fare while staying anchored to a recognizable character.
Adria Arjona
Adria Arjona starred as Bix Caleen in Star Wars' Andor series, and now plays Maxima, the warrior queen of Almerac, in Man of Tomorrow. Working directly under Gunn, maybe think that Arjona has the screen presence to actually be taking on the role of Wonder Woman in the main DCU, but Blue Beetle's recent casting points to her truly being Maxima after all.
Man of Tomorrow releases on July 9, 2027, and is the direct follow-up to 2025's Superman film. David Corenswet as Superman and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor lead the way, taking on Lars Eidinger's Brainiac. Thankfully, they'll have plenty of help, including Aaron Pierre's John Stewart, Isabela Merced's Hawkgirl, and Edi Gathegi's Mr. Terrific.
