Warning: Spoiler for Superman‘s post-credits scene below. One of Superman‘s best scenes didn’t arrive until the credits finished rolling, but according to actor Edi Gathegi, that wasn’t always the plan. Speaking to Variety, Gathegi confirmed that the comedic tag featuring his character and Superman (David Corenswet) outside a crooked Metropolis building was once included in the main narrative. While Gathegi wasn’t involved in the editing decision, he acknowledged the scene’s placement offers a meaningful payoff, turning what might have been a small beat into a character-defining stinger. That change could also suggest DC has larger plans for the hero, especially with recent reports that a Mister Terrific TV series is under consideration.
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“That was originally in the movie,” Gathegi said about his post-credits scene. “I wasn’t there for the decision-making, but to me, it’s exciting because that’s a promise. I don’t know if it’s a promise that DC is intending to make, but to have that moment at the very end of the movie, for me personally, is the full circle moment of me being unceremoniously killed before the big battle in X-Men: First Class to be kind of the last man standing.”
While Gathegi may be lighthearted about his previous comic book misfortunes, his performance in Superman marks a major upgrade in visibility. Mister Terrific plays a key supporting role in the film’s final act, using his intellect to help Superman close the dimensional rift unleashed by Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). In the post-credits scene, the two heroes survey the aftermath, looking at a skewed building that Mister Terrific helped reassemble with his tech expertise. When Superman points out the imperfection, Terrific storms off, kicking a rock in frustration. The scene works as both a punchline and a character moment, showcasing the hero’s high standards and setting the tone for his future in the DCU.
Edi Gathegi’s DCU Future Is Uncertain
While Gathegi’s Mister Terrific is a highlight of Superman, the movie doesn’t explore the hero’s origins. As Gathegi himself learned from the comic book canon, “He lost his wife, was on the verge of suicide, is visited by The Spectre, who educates him on the previous Mister Terrific, Terry Sloan, and he takes up the mantle himself.” Since then, Mister Terrific uses his wide array of abilities to fight crime, a skill set that includes “Fourteen PhDs, polyglot, polymath, auto-didactic, natural aptitude for natural aptitudes, Olympic athlete.”
“This is the beginning of the new DC Universe, and the focal point is Superman,” Gathegi explained about Superman not digging into Mister Terrific’s past. “There wasn’t a lot of room to delve into Mister Terrific’s backstory. If we’re lucky, we’re going to have a lot more opportunities to dig into what Mister Terrific is and who he is. I feel like we’ve only scratched the surface.” Gathegi added that he’s already signed a multi-project deal with DC Studios, though he cautioned that nothing is guaranteed.
“I know that I have a multi-project deal, but the specifics of that are unknown to me,” he explained. “What James is driving home is the idea that they’re never going to rush into production with scripts that aren’t ready, so even whatever they do have planned for my characters is irrelevant until the draft comes in and it’s shootable. So I don’t count my chickens before they hatch. I want to be involved in this universe in a major way, and whether or not that comes to fruition is just a matter of time and faith and other people’s hard work.”
Superman is currently playing in theaters.
What did you think of the Mister Terrific scene at the end of Superman? Let us know in the comments!
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Image Courtesy of The WB Television Network -
Image Courtesy of DC Studios.
