The release of the James Gunn trailer Superman the film created a stir on the Internet, in large part due to its vibrant cast made up of many underrated DC characters. One high-profile inclusion is yet to come, with Edi Gathegi bringing the DC Comics superstar Mister Fantastic came to life in his first appearance on the big screen.
THE Superman The trailer generated a lot of discussion for its willingness to delve into DC's more obscure cast of characters, with Krypto, Super Dog, Green Lantern Guy Gardner, and Hawkgirl all prominently featured. Mister Terrific's appearance near the end of the trailer is a welcome surprise, as it marks his big screen debut despite being a major player in DC Comics for decades.
Despite being relatively obscure outside of the comics, Mister Terrific is a central character in the DC universeserving as the backbone for many critical superhero organizations such as the Justice Society of America and the Justice League.
Mr. Terrific makes his film debut in Superman - But who is he in DC Comics?
Supergenius Michael Holt is the backbone of the contemporary DC universe
Created by Charles Reizenstein and Hal Sharp, the first Mr. Terrific - the genius "Fair Play" Olympian named Terry Sloane - debuted in 1941 Sensation Comics #1. Despite his tenure in the Justice Society, Mister Fantastic fell into relative obscurity until the name was passed to Michael Holt in The Specter #54 by John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake. Now, as the mastermind behind cutting-edge research firm Terrifitech, Michael Holt Simultaneously Fights for Justice With His Signature "T-Spheres" while also providing critical support to a significant portion of the DC superhero community.
Mister Terrific is an integral part of much of DC's superhero infrastructure.
Contemporary comics are quick to turn to Mister Fantastic in times of crisis, such as he became one of DC's greatest innovatorsplacing him in the company of Batman's Waynetech, Superman-backed Steelworks, and Blue Beetle's Kord Industries. Mister Terrific is an integral part of much of DC's superhero infrastructure: he served as president of the JSA, mentors younger heroes like Kid Flash, and was a key member of the superhero resistance during the Mark Waid years and Dan Mora. Absolute power event. Currently, he is one of the main architects and supervisors of the new Watchtower space station "Justice League Unlimited".
Mr. Terrific is long overdue for a movie appearance
One of DC's most important characters has one of the smallest presences in film and TV
For everything Mister Terrific does in the comics, his presence in film and TV is surprisingly anemic. Although Mister Terrific has made appearances in the DC Animated Universe as early as Justice League Unlimited and as recently as Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths animated films, his television role as a supporting character doesn't do justice to the impact of his comic book counterpart. Additionally, Mister Terrific only had a single live-action iteration, with the character played by Echo Kellum on the CW series. Arrow and its connected "Arrowverse" shows from 2015 to 2020.
The inclusion of Mister Terrific in Superman promises to be an important step in bringing the character's presence in pop culture closer to his role in comic book continuity. This role is a huge coup for one of DC Comics' biggest characters, who has gone largely unnoticed in other media - until now. There's a lot to be excited about when Superman finally hits theaters, but one of the biggest wins has to be Mister Fantastic recognition on the big screen, which he has missed for over twenty-five years.