There’s a lot of superpowered characters in Superman, and one of the most notable is Michael Holt, aka Mr. Terrific. It isn’t just that this is his first time on the big screen, it’s also the matter of who’s playing him: Edi Gathegi, who many likely remember as Darwin from X-Men: First Class, aka the mutant who died despite having the power to evolve and adapt to anything.
Sooner or later, conversations about First Class remind you how dumb his death was, and Gathegi seems to agree. Talking to Entertainment Weekly, he noted the character’s death “is just a case of bad representation and missed opportunity.” The actor explained that he wasn’t put off by dying given Darwin’s power (and superheroes dying on a regular basis), and hoped to return in later movies. But with each passing sequel, those chances became less likely, hence him calling it “misrepresentation and missed opportunity.”
In Gathegi’s eyes, getting to suit up again in Superman as Terrific is a way of “undoing the wrongs of Darwin,” and a role he’s excited to inhabit.He’s previously described the hero as “an atheist who believes in justice,” which is informed by Holt losing his wife in a car crash. Following her death, Holt “found meaning in knowledge and saw that while the universe might be cruel, intelligence, science, and innovation could make it better. He chose to become hope rather than succumbing to the despair of losing his wife.”
After Superman releases on July 11, Mr. Terrific is expected to appear in future DC projects. Gathegi’s not saying which, but we already can’t wait to see him again.
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