The way Superman effectively makes one character into the movie’s Batman replacement – and puts effort into showing them at their best – bodes seriously well for the DCU’s Dark Knight. While the next live-action Batman is on the horizon thanks to the DCU, the franchise still seems some way off introducing the hero properly in its story.

With the Caped Crusader not yet on the playing field, the DCU timeline instead brings one notably similar hero into Superman. Helpfully, the DCU movie depicts them in a way that makes the promise of Batman’s impending arrival an even greater prospect.

Mr. Terrific Is Depicted As Similar To Batman In Several Ways In Superman

With Batman’s proper DCU debut on the horizon with the upcoming The Brave & The Bold movie, it makes sense we don’t see the Dark Knight in Superman, even though some of Superman‘s various references feature Gotham. However, we do get a character who comes pretty close to what we’ve come to expect when it comes to seeing Batman on-screen.

Mr. Terrific combines a cool, calculated, and emotion-adverse hero persona with some extreme tech know-how. Importantly, the hero also has a willingness to utilize said knowledge to neutralize his enemies with stunning tactical efficiency, and saves the day several times in the film with his intelligence alone, since Michael Holt doesn’t have superpowers much like Bruce Wayne.

The hero even gets to say “I’m goddamn Mr. Terrific” towards the end of the film, mirroring the ever-famous “I’m the goddamn Batman” line. All things combined, it’s clear the two DCU heroes will have much in common, whether they meet in the universe on-screen or not.

While Mr. Terrific is his own character in his own right, the fact his live-action movie debut is so similar on many levels to one of DC’s biggest heroes is exciting to note for both figures. This is especially true since Terrific is shown as one of the most heroic figures in the film, being the only hero willing to help Lois try and save Superman from Lex’s prison.

Mr. Terrific Being A Highlight Of Superman Makes The DCU’s Batman All The More Exciting

Mr. Terrific is one of the stand-out characters of Superman, showcasing the potential of the character on the big screen, and no doubt garnering Michael Holt many deserved new fans. The fact the DCU film is able to make a character so close to Batman such a highlight of the film bodes well for the Dark Knight’s impending DCU story.

Though we saw a little tease of what to expect when it comes to the DCU’s Batman in Creature Commandos, there’s still a lot that’s unclear about this version of the iconic DC character, and how the franchise will handle its own version. As such, Mr. Terrific being such a great part of Superman is a majorly promising sign.

While James Gunn is not set to direct The Brave & The Bold, as the co-CEO of DC Studios and architect of the DCU, it’s impossible to imagine Gunn won’t be a part of helping decide how the franchise’s Batman will be handled. With this in mind, Mr. Terrific almost perfectly executing several major Batman traits carries a lot more weight in terms of the potential of the Dark Knight himself.

With Mr. Terrific being depicted simultaneously as a major DC hero by himself, part of a key hero group, and a figure who can have comedic moments while still looking like a genius and a three-dimensional character, Batman certainly seems to be in safe hands when it comes to the DCU. Ultimately, this makes the franchise’s horizon all the brighter.

Superman’s Mr. Terrific Has Made Me Look Forward To The DCU’s Batman Even More

Often, seeing how a franchise depicts less well-known characters tells you a lot about how it intends to handle bigger names. As such, the care Superman takes to ensure its entire cast seems three-dimensional and yet also like they’re from the pages of a comic looks feels it could make the difference when it comes to the long-term bigger picture.

Mr. Terrific, historically, has been a tragically overlooked character when it comes to DC’s big-screen live-action releases. The closest we’d gotten to Edi Gathegi’s DCU hero came in the Arrowverse – and while Echo Kellum provided a solid performance as the character, his depiction in the franchise was divisive, and contained within the DC show world.

As it stands, it seems the movie could have easily theoretically eschewed giving Mr. Terrific or the Justice Gang the focus it does. The fact the film instead chooses to highlight what makes each of these figures interesting proves the franchise is already focused on adapting these heroes authentically, and creating a lived-in world wherein many amazing heroes co-exist.

Given the similarities between Mr. Terrific and Batman – both conceptually, and in the way the DCU seems to specifically depict Holt in Superman – letting Mr. Terrific be an endearing center of the film seems like it will pay dividends by paving the road more for the Caped Crusader. Hopefully, this comes to fruition, however the DCU unfolds.