In James Gunn’s “Superman,” the titular hero (David Corenswet) is joined by an astonishing number of friends and foes. There’s Krypto, the hyper-active dog that aids him in taking down enemies, and Clark Kent’s coworkers at the Daily Planet, who help him expose Lex Luthor’s (Nicholas Hoult) ties to the illegal invasion of the fictional country Jarhanpur. Instead of feeling bloated, each character is given a chance to shine; but nobody comes out on top like Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi). The actor is no stranger to Hollywood blockbusters, or the superhero genre. Back in 2008, Gathegi starred in “Twilight” alongside Rachelle Lefevre and Cam Gigandet as the vampire Laurent, a nomad who split from his coven to help the Cullens save Bella (Kristen Stewart) from Laurent’s coven leader. In 2011’s “X-Men: First Class,” Gathegi starred as Darwin, a god-like mutant whose body can adapt to survive anything that stands in his way.
Despite the strong beginnings for these two characters, by “Twilight: New Moon” (2009) and the second act of “X-Men: First Class,” both Laurant and Darwin had been killed off, the sole casualties in two movies where almost every other character gets to live and continue on into further films in the franchise. Gathegi’s role in both of these franchises felt tailored to the Hollywood system of the 2010s, where Black actors were dismissed or killed entirely in science fiction and fantasy properties. Despite this, Gathegi’s presence in both films is immense, enchanting and magnetic in a way that displayed he was made to dominate our screens, despite the industry’s willingness to cast Black actors aside.
Now, Gathegi stars as Mr. Terrific, a hero who uses brains over brawn to take down intergalactic monsters and eventually break from his own crew to help Superman take down Lex Luthor, stopping Metropolis from being ripped apart by a seismic world-splitting rift. At first stoic and unwavering to the way Superman deals with citizen saving, Terrific’s shell is slowly chipped away, portrayed with jibes filled with an air of fondness rather than contempt. “Mr. Terrific is not your typical hero, he doesn’t wear a cape or have superpowers; he’s a broken man with a beautiful mind and is unapologetically him,” says Gathegi of his character. His arc reflects the core themes of “Superman,” and what it means to be “punk” in a world so rife with conflict. “You know, ideally, we get kids feeling like it’s cool to be different. Smart, nerdy, awkward whatever. If your heart is in the right place and you try to do good in the world, that’s what makes you cool.”
For years, James Gunn has deftly taken lower-tier comic book characters and turned them into engaging fan favorites who shape up to be even cooler than the well-known heroes and villains. Gunn takes the genius character archetype and flips it on its head, transforming Terrific into a suave and smooth hero who abides by nobody’s rules but his own. “True character is revealed under pressure and the choices one makes,” says Gathegi, “And Mr. Terrific is a part of so much at the heart of the story’s movements.” He fits perfectly into this saccharine world, providing a grounding presence that despite not being completely warped by its dark realities, has clearly been irrevocably changed by it. While Mr. Terrific doesn’t get a backstory in the film, the capacity in which Gathegi plays him hints at his tragic comic background, one that involves the death of his wife and contemplating suicide.
This hardened front slowly melts away as the character becomes more entwined with Superman and Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan). As he spends more time with these two, Gathegi adds some of the best comic relief the film has to offer, delivering each line with precision and an air of well-earned exhaustion. Not many actors can embody all of the qualities Mister Terrific exudes—especially as a side character—yet Gathegi does so effortlessly, standing out amongst a cast that could potentially feel bloated, holding his own alongside Corenswet and Brosnahan as one of the story’s essential heroes.
While watching “Superman” it’s easy to think back on Gathegi’s previous blockbuster roles, which felt much too slight for the talent he was able to exude in such a short amount of time. Here, each time he’s on screen it feels as if we’re watching magic happen, and it’s a particular kind of magic that Black audiences don’t often get to see. “Watching my people embrace this character and my performance is a beautiful, beautiful thing,” says Gathegi. “[…]As someone who has felt on the outside, I’m in conversation with all people in the margins through my work. I see you and I hope you see me too.”
Gathegi’s star-making turn is boasted by one of the film’s fight sequences, set to a needle drop of Noah and the Whale’s “5 Years Time.” While we know Terrific is a genius, we are quickly shown that he also wields a certain physical capability. Everything feels effortless when Mister Terrific does it; he rapidly re-opens Luthor’s pocket universe, incapacitates an intergalactic monster, and here, single-handedly takes out all of Luthor’s employees at Fort Kramer. As the only one to step up to help Lois, Mister Terrific flexes both his brains and brawn, gliding along the screen with a graceful precision that not even Superman wields, and does it all without breaking a sweat.
Watching Gathegi on screen is like watching a dancer sweep across a stage. He uses his body to precisely tell the story his director envisioned, which Gathegi says is testament to a set that allowed him to engage with material in a new way. “The working environment was fun and positive in a way that we felt supported to be able to do our best work. And I have to say, I never enter a scene as a kleptomaniac. I enter the scene to do my best and to help my scene partners do their best.” This dynamic on set translates to Mister Terrific’s presence on screen, which in an age where superhero media still tends to sideline Black characters, feels nothing short of a miracle.
While he may have only had a brief appearance in his previous superhero film, Superman makes up for it by finally giving Gathegi a chance to shine 13 years later. Just last week, a report from the Wall Street Journal claimed that James Gunn is thinking of a Mister Terrific spinoff, and although what form (TV or film) that will take is unknown, Gathegi’s future in the DCU is unbelievably bright. As someone who has been watching Gathegi’s work for over a decade, and has yearned for him to get the leading roles he deserves, I can only hope that we get to spend more years with Mister Terrific, and the actor’s dynamic presence.
Edi Gathegi wields a type of star quality within this film that we often don’t get in the modern age, using it to boost “Superman” into a grander film, and cementing his portrayal of Mister Terrific as one of this year’s most magnetic performances. In a world that so often diminishes Black roles, Mister Terrific stands out as a character that has been done right by the scriptwriters, director, and helmed perfectly by the actor who portrays him. Gathegi feels the same. “He has true agency. It’s been a gift — the sense that they really care and value the character, and by extension me the artist.”
