MANILA – For the first time since she was chosen to play the iconic Filipina superheroine, Liza Soberano gamely shouted “Darna” in between delivering her spiels on “ASAP” on Sunday.

In the original lore, Darna is a warrior from Planet Marte who manifests herself in a village girl from Earth named Narda.

In order to transform into the heroine and defend humans from evil forces, Narda swallows a tiny meteorite and shouts "Darna!" -- a scene which has since been embedded in local pop culture.

Speaking to her co-hosts on the show, Soberano said people’s reactions after the announcement that she will don the red-and-gold costume have been nothing but overwhelming.

“I’m nervous but I’m also excited to be embodying the iconic character. Ang preparations na ginagawa ko so far, nagli-lift ako ng weights para mag-gain ng muslces para maging malakas. Also, nagru-run po ako for cardio,” she said.

The upcoming Star Cinema "Darna" movie was first announced in 2015.

Speaking at the time, filmmaker Erik Matti, who directed the acclaimed "Honor Thy Father," said he accepted the project so that he could introduce the character to a whole new generation of Filipinos.