Mikaela Hoover Talks ‘Superman,’ Cat Grant’s Clark Kent Crush and 17 Years of James Gunn Team-Ups

The James Gunn that Mikaela Hoover met 17 years ago is still the same James Gunn she knows today. 

In 2008, long before he became the writer-director of Superman and co-CEO of DC Studios, Gunn first auditioned Hoover for his web short Humanzee!. He was quickly won over by her performance, but her insistence on outdoing herself ingratiated herself to the filmmaker even more. Months later, he created another web short specifically for Hoover called Sparky & Mikaela, which chronicled the crime-fighting exploits of her low-rent superhero character and raccoon sidekick. (If the Guardians of the Galaxy roots weren’t already evident, Guardians actors Sean Gunn and Gregg Henry also show up.)

Hoover would go on to appear in Gunn’s second feature film, Super (2010), before working on five more Gunn-associated films. Her friendship with Gunn didn’t preclude her from auditioning, particularly when she landed an opportunity to read for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 on her own. Gunn actually doubted her viability for the tragic part of Floor the Rabbit until she proved the casting department otherwise. 

Having fulfilled Floor’s voice and mocap work, Hoover’s turn seemingly opened the door to Netflix’s hit manga adaptation, One Piece. In the upcoming second season, she voices and mocaps fan-favorite Tony Tony Chopper. (Hoover has also joined the season two cast of Netflix’s Beef.)

“Playing Floor was such a dream, and playing Chopper is the biggest honor,” Hoover tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I am so excited about season two of One Piece. Fans are going to absolutely love this season.”

Hoover’s latest collaboration with Gunn on Superman has her in the role of Daily Planet gossip columnist Cat Grant. To unsuspecting eyes, Cat is Lois Lane’s closest co-worker friend, but they aren’t chummy enough to where Cat can sense that Lois (Rachel Brosnahan) is secretly dating fellow journalist Clark Kent (David Corenswet). According to Hoover, the divorced Cat would not take kindly to such a revelation. 

“Cat finds Clark to be the dreamiest man ever. So if Cat thought that [Lois and Clark] had a real-life romance going on, she would not be too happy,” Hoover shares. “She just adores him.”

Below, during a recent conversation with THR, Hoover also discusses various behind-the-scenes details from Superman, as well as the backstory that informed her depiction of Cat.

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James Gunn recently wished you a Happy Birthday on Instagram, and he addressed you as “Vomita.” Do I dare ask what that means? 

(Laughs.) Oh my God, I’ve known James for a very long time. He’s been one of my dearest friends for over 15  years, and we have a brother-sister relationship. He loves to tease me, and anytime someone says something to him about my looks, James responds with, “Ew, vomit!” So he has now nicknamed me Vomita, which just happened a week ago. So it was funny that he decided to put that in the birthday wish. I’ve been really lucky to have formed this friendship with him and his wife [Jennifer Holland]. We have such incredible times together.

You’ve been a part of James’ acting company or troupe for many years now. What’s the origin story?

I auditioned for James 17 years ago for an internet short called Humanzee!, and after I auditioned, I asked to do it again. And he was like, “But that was great.” And I said, “No, I want to do it again.” So I did it again, and then he was like, “That was amazing.” And I was like, “No, I want to do it again.” So I kept doing it over and over again and bossing him around. He found it endearing and funny and charming, and he ended up casting me in Humanzee!.

A few months after that, he called me and said that he and [producer] Peter [Safran] had created a show for me called Sparky & Mikaela. So they asked if I would be interested in playing [the title character] Mikaela, and I, of course, said, “Yes, that sounds like so much fun.” It was me, a raccoon [puppet] and Sean Gunn. After that, he cast me in other shorts and projects that he did. 

Film-wise, you worked on his second feature, Super. That led to two Guardians of the Galaxy movies, The Belko Experiment, The Suicide Squad and now Superman. How does he typically present an opportunity to you?

James has me audition for most of his projects. I got the Guardians 3 audition through my agent, and they don’t say what the character is in the breakdown for those kinds of projects. So I texted James, “Is this correct? You didn’t tell me anything about this.” And he said, “Yes, but I don’t think you’re going to get the role because they’re looking for a more mechanical-type voice. I still think it’s really important that casting hears your voice and hears your take on the role.” So I auditioned for Floor [the Rabbit], and lo and behold, I ended up booking it.

And you performed Floor’s motion capture, something you’ve also just done for One Piece’s Tony Tony Chopper. Did you ever plan on making performance capture a calling card of yours? 

I didn’t. I feel so blessed that my career has taken me onto this path because I have so much fun playing these characters. Playing Floor was such a dream, and playing Chopper is the biggest honor. So I’ve been really fortunate to be able to voice and live-capture these characters that I really love.

James was a Hollywood punk rocker when you first met him. Now, he’s a Hollywood power broker. Is his career arc pretty shocking to you given where things started? 

Not at all! James has such a magnetism and special power to him that I knew there was something different about him when we first met. He commands a room unlike any other person I’ve ever met. He’s so talented and he’s so authentically himself. He has always been the James Gunn that I met 17 years ago. He has never changed, which is such a beautiful quality, and I just feel really grateful to have known him for all of these years.

With Cat Grant in Superman, you’re playing a gossip columnist and Lois’ closest Daily Planet friend outside of Clark. She also seems to have an ex that is not honoring his financial obligations.

He’s toxic!

Is Steve Lombard (Beck Bennett) her ex?

No, but Steve wishes he was Cat’s ex. Cat’s ex is from her old days as a reporter in Hollywood.

Did James give you any other information about Cat that is valid in the movie’s universe?

When I booked Cat, I went back and read all of the comics. I read where she originated from and her backstory. So I knew that she had come from Hollywood and was a great reporter there, but she had fallen for a guy that wasn’t so great. They also have a child together, and she kind of just got sick of the toxicity in Hollywood. So she moved to Metropolis and got a job at the Daily Planet.

So you’re going with the comic backstory until James tells you otherwise?

I am.

Cat asks Lois about the guy she’s dating, but does she already have a suspicion that it’s Clark?

No, because Cat finds Clark to be the dreamiest man ever. So if Cat thought that [Lois and Clark] had a real-life romance going on, she would not be too happy.

Clarks wears “hypno-glasses” so that nobody recognizes him as Superman. Do you know if James ever considered showing what Clarks looks like to Cat and everybody else?

Not to my knowledge, but he’s tall, dark and handsome in Cat’s eyes. He represents goodness, and he’s pure. She just adores him.

Six Daily Planet characters end up in Mister Terrific’s (Edi Gathegi) T-Craft. Were there a lot of high jinks in that confined area for hours upon hours? 

Well, when we all got inside the T-Craft, we didn’t know what it could do. So we were all pretty nervous about what was going to happen, and we weren’t really told a lot. We all looked at each other apprehensively, and when James yelled action, we just all held on for dear life. When the gimbal went up and to the side, one of my castmates said, “I think I’m going to be sick.” So all of those reactions inside the T-Craft were very real.

Was there any interesting Daily Planet material that didn’t make the cut for whatever reason? 

I don’t know what I’m allowed to say and not say, so I’d just rather not.

We touched on it earlier, but you’ve also got One Piece coming up. Does season two look pretty entertaining from what you’ve seen so far? 

I am so excited about season two of One Piece. Fans are going to absolutely love this season. 

Your Netflix good fortune also extends to Beef season two in which you’re partnered with William Fichtner. 

Yes.

Of the main couples, can you say whose story you’re tied to the most? 

I’m not allowed to say. I’ve been sworn to secrecy on Beef, big time. But it was absolutely incredible. The cast and crew are amazing. 

By the way, I thought you did a nice job as Adrienne Barbeau on Duster. 

Thank you so much.

It’s a shame that an entertaining show like that didn’t get a longer leash. But Adrienne Barbeau played Alice Cable in Wes Craven’s 1982 DC movie, Swamp Thing. Have you mentioned this piece of trivia to James yet?

I have! The second I booked the role of Adrienne, I researched her like crazy. I listened to her audiobook. I watched all of her movies. I find her so fascinating. She is a powerhouse, and I am so honored I got to play her. And, yeah, James knew that she was in Swamp Thing. She’s had a really incredible life. 

I understand you’re a big Wes Craven fan, particularly Scream. With Matthew Lillard returning for Scream 7, do you hope that Stu remains dead and that his appearance is just a dream or delusion?

I am so excited to be completely surprised in that movie theater. I have no expectations when it comes to that franchise. I just go in there and have fun. So I’m not sure what Lillard’s storyline is, but I know that all of the people that are involved in that franchise are going to make it iconic, as they always do. I am such a Scream fan and such a scary movie fan that I just can’t wait.

For years now, I’ve been asking Scream actors and filmmakers if they would ever want to adopt the meta approach of Wes Craven’s New Nightmare. Everybody would play a version of their real-life self while dealing with a real-life Ghostface that starts knocking them off.

Can you imagine how cool that would be if done right? The problem is Wes Craven is not here anymore. Rest in peace. So I don’t know how they would do that justice in the way that it needs to be done, but I’m sure that the right filmmaker could step up to the plate and do something amazing with that. 

Well, let’s close on Superman. Decades from now, when you’re reminiscing about the entire experience, what moment from set will you likely recall first? 

When I walked into the Daily Planet for the first time, it felt absolutely surreal. I had chills all over. I remember telling myself: “I am so grateful to be here right now and in this film surrounded by these amazing actors and filmmakers.” I’ll never forget that moment of gratitude that I felt. I am really grateful that all of the cast was so wonderful and that we all got along so well. It felt like summer camp. I am incredibly grateful for all the memories and friendships that we had on set and continue to have off set. James has a knack for bringing together such amazing human beings, and  I’m so grateful.

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Superman is now playing in movie theaters.