14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
‘Superman' Mister Terrific Actor Edi Gathegi Has Left His Misused X-Men Character Behind
With his scene-stealing performance as Mister Terrific in Superman (2025) and even talks of a TV spin-off for the character, Edi Gathegi is clearly more than equipped to be a superhero. However, he did not always have the easiest time playing a superhero on the big screen.
In 2011's X-Men: First Class , Gathegi played Darwin, a mutant who can automatically evolve to survive any stimuli or environment. Despite being established canonically to be nigh-invulnerable, the character was unfortunately killed off rather easily by Sebastian Shaw in the movie, leading to much disgruntlement from fans who protested the lack of fidelity to the source material. Edi Gathegi as Darwin in X-Men: First Class (2011)
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the Kenyan-American star brought up the serious concerns that he'd conveyed to his agent about the plot of X-Men: First Class at the time. He recalled, ''Hey, listen, I have a problem with the fact that this character is the only Black character in the film aside from Zoe Kravitz's character. I am also the only mutant who meets an untimely demise halfway through the film.' It was 2009 at the time, and I was like, 'Killing the Black guy first is so played out. I can't do this.''
Gathegi was then reassured that there was a long-term plan in mind, ensuring that his character would be resurrected in future X-Men films, given that the very nature of Darwin's powers, according to comic lore, allowed for his regeneration and revival. He was told that Darwin's death would merely serve as a narrative device that would motivate the other mutants to avenge his death.
But when he wasn't called back to reprise the role in the subsequent Fox X-Men films, he recalled being surprised and disappointed, saying 'the way that they handled my character was a fumble.'
Gathegi gradually made peace with the lack of follow-through for the role, stating, 'When I didn't come back for X-Men: Apocalypse , I just knew it was done. So I didn't really look back, to be honest with you. I speak about it when people bring it up, but I made peace with this years ago.'
Not that it matters anymore, especially with Gathegi's high-profile role as Mister Terrific in James Gunn's Superman, which impressed fans and critics alike. With a strong showing on the big screen as the Black hero known for his intelligence, gadgets and tactical brilliance, his portrayal of Mister Terrific looks set for a long run in the rebooted DC Universe. Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific in Superman (2025)
On his role as Mister Terrific and the drastic difference in treatment, Gathegi had this to say, 'The pendulum has swung in the complete opposite direction. With X-Men: First Class , the message that I received as an actor and as a man of colour in this world is you can be the most powerful mutant in the world, and they'll never let you reach your full potential.
'Whereas with Mister Terrific in Superman , the message that I'm receiving is you can be one of the most intelligent characters in the universe, and you can make a difference. You can help save the world. It's a different level of conversation.'
It is evident that Gunn's Superman symbolises hope in more ways than one, and it certainly is a joy to see Gathegi get his comic book redemption on the silver screen with the faithful and powerful adaptation of Mister Terrific. With this empowering start to the DC Universe, one can only speculate about the bright future of Gunn's DC Universe.
Curious fans can certainly catch a glimpse of the new DC Universe, beginning with Superman now in theatres, starting 10 July.
Conversation with Ting Wei is like chatting with a weird AI bot programmed only with One Piece lore and theories, sitcom quotes and other miscellaneous pop culture references. When he's not sleeping, he's highly likely reading manga. In fact, the only thing he reads more than manga is the Bible, and it's honestly pretty close. Edi Gathegi James Gunn Mister Terrific Superman X-Men: First Class
