I Didn't Expect Much From Mister Terrific In Superman, But Turns Out, He Stole The Show For Me

So, I'm going to need a Mister Terrific spinoff ASAP, James Gunn.

When it comes to the upcoming DC movie slate, I wasn't the biggest hype person. I'm the girl who loves many upcoming Marvel movies or a new Marvel TV show because I'm a bit of a superhero nerd for the MCU. However, when I had the chance to see the latest Superman film at an IMAX screening, I knew I had to go.

And man, that film blew me away, but you want to know who did an even better job? Mister Terrific, played by Edi Gathegi. Oh my God, I did not expect to end up loving him so much, and I have to explain why.

Mister Terrific Was An Absolute Riot

Mister Terrific, hands down, was one of the best parts of this film, and there were a lot of parts I loved.

From the incredibly diverse cast (with numerous standout female characters in Superman) to the lovely themes the movie explored, Superman had a lot going for it. But I did not expect to walk away loving Mister Terrific as much as I did.

In my defense, I didn't really know much about Mister Terrific before this film, so I wasn't expecting greatness or anything. My knowledge of the DC universe was limited to the Teen Titans TV series, the Christopher Nolan Batman films, and, of course, the big-screen DC universe that came before this (thankfully) revamped version.

When I first saw the trailer for the new Superman movie, I was interested, but not overly eager, simply because I had never been a fan of the character. Pair that with some wild costume choices (still not sure about that bowl cut on Guy Gardner, but okay), and I was even less so.

Mister Terrific's mask, with just a giant 'T' across his eyes, nose and mouth, was something that threw me off, so I paid him no mind. I went to see the film and he was just hilarious, like, that deadpan kind of way, you know?

He's a stoic character who's an utter genius, but then he drops this hysterical line delivery or quips that make you grab your side from laughing so hard. He took me by surprise with how much I ended up liking him, and any time he was on the screen, I was eagle-eyed and smiling.

Edi Gathegi's Portrayal Was Killer

Something else that made Mister Terrific that much better is that Edi Gathegi made him that way. He made him likable.

With a character like Mister Terrific, whose abilities lie in his knowledge and technological expertise, it can be tough to make him interesting, especially since he rarely shows emotion, just annoyance, which makes him even funnier.

But Gathegi somehow took that and applied not only humor but a surprising amount of heart in the moments that mattered, and it was something I truly appreciated.

It's interesting because Gathegi is the kind of actor who has appeared in numerous movies and TV shows before this, but only now am I truly understanding his range and acting ability. He was in the Twilight films, the AMC series Into the Badlands, and the Blacklist franchise – but he truly shines as Mister Terrific.

I Was So Interested By His Moveset And Powers

If you know me, you know I'm all for a superhero who is incredibly smart, as long as there's something that makes them stand out. Some examples I love are Riri Williams from Ironheart, Tony Stark from Iron Man, or even Peter Parker from the Spider-Man films (even if he's not a complete genius).

With Mister Terrific, he doesn't have the charisma of other super-smart characters we've seen, but honestly, his intelligence far surpasses any other character I've come to enjoy. He knows everything and anything, and it feels as if he is able to figure out a solution to almost any problem – suppose that's why he's called Mister Terrific.

However, something else I loved about him is that his powers aren't just limited to his intelligence, but also his engineering abilities. That entire sequence where his little T-spheres keep Lois safe while he fights off all of Lex Luthor's workers so casually as if he's batting a fly away from his computer screen without breaking a sweat or giving a facial expression? I was smiling like a little kid.

It's such an inventive use of technology, combined with a skillset in martial arts, that makes him so much fun. And that's what stole the show for me.

Don't Get Me Wrong, I Did Love David Corenswet's Superman

While this entire article focuses on Mister Terrific, I also appreciate Superman, as well as David Corenswet's portrayal of him.

It's hard not to walk away from this film totally loving the superhero more and more, and this film certainly accomplished that. But a reason I ended up loving him more was how he interacted with the Justice Gang, as well as Mister Terrific.

He's just a good guy, and I think he and Terrific align on that, and only wanting justice, where Green Lantern and Hawkgirl can be a little more prone to violence.

I Want To See A Heck Of A Lot More Of Him And Hope He's Actively A Part Of The 'Justice Gang'

I need to see more. So much more.

I read online that James Gunn is working on possible spinoffs about Mister Terrific and Jimmy Olsen (which would be perfect, by the way). And if that happens, God, I will be the first one to watch.

I really didn't expect to walk away from this film completely in love with a new character from DC, one that I had no idea even existed beforehand. But here I am, on my hands and knees, begging for some new content featuring him. If I'm lucky, we'll get it.

This makes me more excited for all the new DC films coming up. If they're as exciting as this one, I can't wait to see what new characters I fall for even more.