‘DC’s Stargirl’ Star Yvette Monreal Teases What’s Next For Wildcat

After the climactic events of tonight’s DC’s Stargirl, things are about to get tougher for the young members of the Justice Society of America. Spoilers on, but in “Shiv Part One” Cindy Burman (Meg DeLacy) knocked Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger) down for the count. And that means despite having a tiff with the other members of the JSA, it’s time for them all to step up, in a big way — including Yolanda Montez (Yvette Monreal).

Though Yolanda only appears a little in this week’s episode, Monreal has been a breakout in this freshman season, thanks to an emotionally charged storyline that found Yolanda powering past a leaked nude photo and the rejection of her family to find new, inner power as a teen superhero. She’s also got emotionally conflicted feelings for her ex Henry (who is developing some superpowers of his own), while forming a new family with the members of the JSA.

To find out more about what to expect going forward, Decider talked to the Wildcat herself about where Yolanda is mentally in the episode, what’s next, and whether her Rambo: Last Blood cast-mate Sylvester Stallone might suit up for Season 2.

Decider: Now that Yolanda has a costume, a mission and a purpose, where is she at, mentally, going into this week’s episode?

Yvette Monreal: So mentally, she does have her suit, she has her team all together, and I think she’s just ready to actually start. I know Pat is very accepting of the group, just because there is no other choice. So we’re really excited to be a part of this whole family, this team. We’re excited to have Pat finally accept us and show us the ropes, what we need to know, how to move forward, and it’s just exciting that Pat is finally on board with all of us.

I’ve talked to some of the other cast members about this, but it seems like there’s a real joy coming through from all of you guys on screen, now that you’re together as a team.

It was so easy to portray that on screen, because off-screen, we get along so well. We’re all from LA, and we all went to shoot in Atlanta together. So our time off-screen, we spent it a lot together. We would go out together, we would go to the pool together. It was the easiest time, because we all got along. We got close. We were able to go deeper with our relationships and make connections, and form relationships that, I feel, are going to last forever. They’re all family now, at this point.

And it’s great, because that’s the way it’s portrayed on screen. We become this family outside of our real family. And it’s great for Yolanda too, because obviously in Episode 4, she tried to make amends with her family and she was basically shut-out. So now, the JSA has really really become this fundamental, just for her own sanity… This is her family now. It’s the family that accepts her. It’s the family that is there for her. Moving forward, this is her core group. This is who she loves to be around, and who makes her feel safe.

It’s such a sad scene at the end of that episode, when she tries to appeal to her family, and ultimately they shut her down. As you mention, she has this new family here. But is she going to try to go back to her birth family and try to regain their trust again? Or is that done with, at this point?

You know, I would hope so. But I’m not sure. I don’t know that yet. I would really really hope so, but I feel like the family that she has is very, very strict. It’s almost like this essence of: you screw up, that’s it. You get your one chance. We taught you everything you should’ve known, and you shouldn’t have screwed up.

It’s funny, because a lot of people got a little upset, like, “Oh, why does her family need to be represented that way?” And my mom actually could really relate. She was like, “I love the way they did that, because that’s how I grew up.” That’s how she kind of raised us as well. She was always like, “If you guys even think about boys, if you guys get pregnant, you’re out of this house!” She’s very very strict. I grew up with an older sister, and it actually happened to her. She got pregnant and she was kicked out immediately. No remorse. Nothing. I’m not saying every family is like that, but there are families like that.

So I appreciate the fact that that was displayed, because not everything is sunshine and rainbows. Not everyone always just forgives. There are families where they’re strict, and they’re like, “No. You screwed up. You made your bed, you lay in it now.” And that’s kind of how my mom was, growing up. So I actually appreciate that they did depict that, in that way. Because I don’t see a lot of families like that on television.

It feels like a realistic choice, instead of a TV choice.

Yeah, my mom was all for it.

I just got off the phone with Lea Thompson talking about the episode… What was it like working with her?

She was actually one of my favorite directors. She comes from an acting background, and I it was really nice because she knew how to speak to us. With her, growing up as an actor, and then now she’s directing, it was very effortless on set. If I didn’t understand something, she knew how to speak to me in a way where I understood. If she wanted to get something specifically, it was just really really easy. It didn’t come from, like, “Be more mad! Be more sad!” She understood how to get there with us.

I was so excited to see this episode, because it was — every episode just keeps getting better and better, this was truly one of my favorites. My girl Meg. Of course, Shiv, she did amazing.

Well, let’s talk about the episode itself… There’s a really fun moment in the hallway. You get that slo-mo walk, and then Cindy breaks it up.

That was the most hilarious part of the episode for me to shoot. Because there’s so many times where she bumped into us. There’s one time she knocked the wind out of me. She couldn’t turn around and finish her line, so she just kept walking. We did so many takes of that scene, but it was really funny and fun, because we all get along and we all love each other so much. It was hard for her not to laugh. She gave us some hard little shoves there!

It’s so funny because we love her so much. It’s so hard to be upset at her, because she’s one of my best friends now, off the show. I’m really excited that we have this show together, because now we get to be best friends, we get to work together. Hopefully, if there’s a Season 2… We’re just having the best time right now.

Talking of other members of, they’re not officially this, but the young ISA — Yolanda obviously had a chance to kill Henry a couple of episodes back, but didn’t, she backed off. He’s clearly going through his own stuff right now, as his powers develop. But is there a chance for Yolanda and Henry to work things out? Or is that relationship done, at this point?

Right now, Yolanda has really strong opinions about Henry. I don’t think that’s in her mind at all. Henry, he’s kind of a thing of the past. I just wish that whole thing never happened. It was a very big, pivotal thing that happened. … I sent him photos, and even if he wasn’t the one who sent them around school, he was the only one who had them. So they got around somehow. Somehow, someone got them.

He was showing his friends… That was still kind of messed up. So in her mind, no. She doesn’t want to mend things with Henry. She’s found her new group, she has her new family, the people who really have her back. She had Henry there, she thought she could trust him, and it just didn’t go the way we at all hoped. It ruined things not only at school, but with her family. So that’s not in her mind at all. No. She doesn’t want to mend things with him.

But on the same note, Cindy is the one who actually sent out the pics. Obviously she’s set up as Stargirls’ arch-enemy, but it feels like Yolanda could potentially have a bone to pick with Shiv as well, if the truth comes out.

Yeah. You just never know. … Yolanda’s hatred mostly stems from it getting around. Yes, Cindy grabbed the phone. She might have airdropped it to herself. Who knows? But if that photo was never out to begin with, why was he showing his friends? How did Cindy see that something was going on? That whole scene right there was so much betrayal, that Yolanda saw it and was not okay. She wants to, deep down inside, she wants to just get rid of him. But she comes from a place of faith and God. She feels for Henry too, and she sees him in the hospital, so I think there are a lot of things holding her back. But yeah, I think if she had it her way, Henry wouldn’t be there. At least for now.

At the end of the episode, Courtney’s in pretty bad shape. Now that she’s down for the count, are we going to see Yolanda step up into more of a leadership role?

Courtney is my best friend. And if anyone screws with her, you know we’re coming after them… I think that’s spoilers, we can’t really say too much. But obviously, if one goes down, we all come after. We’re like a little wolf pack. You can definitely count on us really figuring out what’s going on. We’re coming after whoever came after our girl Courtney. That’s our girl.

Before I let you go, what are the chances you’re going to get Sylvester Stallone to guest star on Stargirl Season 2?

Oh, you didn’t hear? He’s going to be Ted Grant! I’m kidding, I’m kidding. That would be so cool, wouldn’t it? I’ve actually thought about that non-stop. I thought about it since we’ve been filming. I know he did that with Milo [Ventimiglia]. He guest-starred on This is Us, he played himself. So you know what, if he’s down for it, if I reach out and I’m like, “Hey, would you rather?” I don’t know what he would play, but that would be awesome. I would for sure reach out to him, and hopefully that could be a possibility. Because that would be full-circle. And I love that I’m a boxer, because obviously in my last movie, it was with him. He’s known to be who he is. I don’t know if you know, but there’s this photo in like 1985 where he took a photo with himself, and he had a Wildcat shirt on. So I’m like, oh my gosh, destined for me! Isn’t that weird?

That is weird!

That he’s my Uncle John, and now he has a Wildcat shirt. It was crazy, it was meant to be.

DC’s Stargirl airs Mondays on DC Universe and Tuesdays at 8/7c on The CW.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Where to watch DC's Stargirl