Why Does ‘Hawkgirl' From ‘Superman' Look So Familiar?

Forbes

11-07-2025

Isabela Merced and Hawkgirl "Superman" character poster.
Among the stars of James Gunn's 'Superman' is Isabela Merced as the metahuman Hawkgirl. What else has Merced starred in?
Superman, which is the first film from DC Studios co-CEOs Gunn and Peter Safran, is new in theaters Friday. David Corenswet stars as Superman/Clark Kent, while Rachel Brosnan plays Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. The film is written and directed by Gunn, based on the legendary comic creation by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
In the film, Superman comes under suspicion by the public and the government over his Kryptonian heritage thanks to a scheme by tech billionaire Luthor to push Superman out of the way of his grand plans to expand his criminal enterprise worldwide.
With few people to turn to whom she can trust, Lois enlists the help of a group of metahumans including Green Lantern Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi) and Hawkgirl (Merced) to save Superman from imprisonment by Luthor to expose the truth about the megalomaniac.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JULY 07: (L-R) Edi Gathegi, Isabela Merced, Anthony Carrigan and Nathan ... More Fillion attend the Los Angeles Premiere of Warner Bros. "Superman" at TCL Chinese Theatre on July 07, 2025 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Maya)
Who Is Isabela Merced?
Isabela Merced was born Isabela Moner in 2001. Her first big acting break came as a recurring cast member on the 2014 NBC series Growing Up Fisher,in which she starred opposite J.K. Simmons and Jenna Elfman. After that, she starred in Nickelodeon's 100 Things To Do Before High School, which ran for one season from 2015-2016.
Merced's film roles include 2017's Transformers: The Last Knight, 2018's Sicario: Day of the Soldado, 2018's Instant Family, 2019's Dora and the Lost City of Gold — a live-action movie based on the popular animated series Dora the Explorer — and the 2022 HBO Max remake of the film classic Father of the Bride.
Listed below are some of Merced's other roles are may explain why she looks familiar to moviegoers in her role as Hawkgirl in Superman.
Isabela Merced in "Let it Snow."
'Let It Snow' (2019)
Isabela Merced stars in the lead role of Julie in Let is Snow, a Netflix original holiday movie. In Let it Snow, Julie forms a friendship with a pop singer named Stuart (Shameik Moore) during a train ride before it stops in her hometown on Christmas Eve.
Jason Momoa and Isabela Merced in "Sweet Girl."
'Sweet Girl' (2021)
Isabela Merced stars as Rachel, the daughter of Ray (Jason Momoa) in the Netflix original thriller Sweet Girl. Rachel and Ray need to go on the run after Ray's investigation into a corrupt pharmaceutical executive puts their live in peril.
'Madame Web' (2024)
Isabela Merced, Sydney Sweeney and Celeste O'Connor star as Anya, Julia and Mattie, a trio of young women destined to be superheroes in Madame Web. Dakota Johnson stars as Cassandra Webb in the film, a clairvoyant who needs to protect the trio from a supervillain to wants to kill them before the women become too powerful.
'Alien: Romulus' (2024)
Isabela Merced stars as Kay in Alien: Romulus, one of the members of a doomed crew of from a mining colony who awaken dormant Xenomorphs aboard an abandoned spaceship.
Isabel Merced and Bella Ramsey in The Last of Us Season 2.
'The Last Of Us' Season 2 (2025)
Isabela stars as Dina, the girlfriend of Ellie (Bella Ramsey) in the second season of The Last of Us. Season 2 of The Last of Us finds Joel (Pedro Pascal) not only fending off humans infected with the Cordyceps virus, but other survivors seeking revenge on Joel for his past actions.
Superman, starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult and Isabela Merced in a supporting role, opens in theaters nationwide on Friday.