Recently, Superman actor Edi Gathegi opened up about his previous superhero role. The star portrayed Armando Muñoz/Darwin in X-Men: First Class, during which his character met an unfortunate demise early on. Despite the character having powers that allow him to evolve and survive anything, he somehow was the first member of the team to die.
Now, Gathegi will play Michael Holt/Mister Terrific in James Gunn’s Superman. The film also stars David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult, Rachel Brosnahan, Anthony Carrigan, Sara Sampaio, Isabela Merced, and Nathan Fillion. Along with Hawkgirl and Green Lantern, Mister Terrific is part of the Justice Gang, a team of corporate-sponsored superheroes who appear to find themselves at odds with Superman.
In an appearance on the DC Studios Showcase Podcast, Gathegi dismissed any talk of his disappointing X-Men role: “Oh, we don’t talk about that. It’s too Juicy.” He did not elaborate on whether there was any behind-the-scenes drama behind his character’s death, so it’s likely just a quip about his character’s unfortunate fate.
The actor then continued by discussing his enthusiasm over playing Mister Terrific: “I am so happy I get a redemption arc in the new DC Universe. I’m excited to inspire a whole generation of young Black kids with this new superhero. Mr. Terrific is so fantastic of a character, and there is so much potential.“
What Edi Gathegi’s Comments About X-Men: First Class And Joining The DCU Mean
Darwin’s death in X-Men: First Class is often considered a blemish on an otherwise solid entry in the X-Men prequel series. To kill the character off in an anticlimactic way early on in the film was a bizarre choice given the character’s abilities. In spite of Gathegi’s humorous dismissal of his character’s treatment, it seems like Darwin was killed off for shock value as opposed to any on-set drama. Nonetheless, Gathegi is getting his second chance at a major superhero role with Superman.
Mister Terrific is an incredibly accomplished character, being a decathlete and holding 14 PhDs. Gathegi described Michael as “operating at a different level,” saying “this guy can do anything.” As such, he is right that the character is inspiring and has the potential to capture a whole new generation of fans.
Our Take On Edi Gathegi’s Comments About X-Men: First Class And Joining The DCU
Though Gathegi doesn’t need to be redeemed for what happened to Darwin—he didn’t write X-Men: First Class—his casting as Mister Terrific does present an opportunity for the actor to showcase his potential in a superhero role. X-Men: First Class did Darwin, and by extension, Gathegi, dirty, but Superman could rectify this if the film gets Mister Terrific right.
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Superman
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July 11, 2025
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