Hawkgirl star Isabela Merced revealed the one Justice League character she hopes to romance in the DCU, and fans will be excited by her answer. The Last of Us star brings to life the beloved DC hero in James Gunn's upcoming Superman movie, but the winged character has a long history on and off the screen. Notably, in the fan-favorite Justice League cartoon, Hawkgirl had a romantic relationship with the star-faring Green Lantern, John Stewart—a character who is also about to make their DCU debut in next year's Lanterns series.
In a new interview, Superman star Isabela Merced teased fans by saying she wants to see a romance between her Hawkgirl and Aaron Pierre's John Stewart in James Gunn's DCU. This is an exciting prospect for fans who have been begging for the two characters' romance to be adapted for the big screen since Justice League and Justice League Unlimited ended their continuity in 2006.
During a conversation with Nerdist, the idea of romancing Aaron Pierre's John Stewart (like in the cartoon) was brought up when Merced was asked what she wanted to see next for her Superman character.
When the Justice League relationship was broached, Merced teased, "I love the idea," comparing what her character and John Stewart had in the animated series to the love between Lois Lane and Superman:
"I love the idea, and that's why I love Lois and Clark, the love story between aliens and humans. There's something so romantic about it."
She mentioned that this idea of aliens and humans finding love with one another is so appealing to her because, for those unaware, Hawkgirl (while taking the corporeal form of a young woman) is the consciousness of a fierce but dead alien warrior stuck in a human body.
Meanwhile, John Stewart is a human man empowered by the alien Green Lantern ring and recruited to join the Green Lantern Corps (an intergalactic peace-keeping regime).
Isabela Merced will make her DCU debut in the upcoming Superman, starring alongside David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, and Nicholas Hoult, and releasing on Friday, July 11. The new film, from Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn, will kick off a new interconnected vision for DC's on-screen efforts, with characters like Hawkgirl already set to appear in other projects on the DC Studios slate as one continuous narrative.
Why Hawkgirl & Green Lantern Are a DCU Match Made in Heaven
Fans will know how exciting it is to hear one of the DCU's biggest stars address a highly requested DC character pairing head-on, seemingly being into the idea.
For right now, the only major romance confirmed for James Gunn's new super-powered universe is the classic comic book combination of Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) and Superman/Clark Kent (David Corenswet), but that will not always be the case.
Eventually, if the new DC universe makes it that far, it will have to start exploring other romantic pairings seen throughout the Blue Brand's storied history. And that is where the Hawkgirl/Green Lantern connection could come into play.
For those skeptical of whether James Gunn would adapt something like this that originates from an animated series rather than the comics themselves, he seems exactly the guy to do it.
Gunn has proven he is a deep-cut DC nerd in the best possible way. If/when Hawkgirl and Green Lantern cross paths in the Hall of Justice, there will almost certainly be sparks flying, as Gunn has shown his love for all things DC (not just the comics and movies).
Heading into Superman, though, Isabela Merced's mace-wielding metahuman will be seen as a member of another super-powered team in the corporate-backed Justice Gang. However, it can be assumed that she will join the Justice League whenever they make their DCU debut.
