James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Studios are preparing to make a big impact on the comic book movie scene with their new Superman movie, which Gunn is both writing and directing. Clark Kent, portrayed by David Corenswet, will not be the only hero featured in this new universe.
He will be joined by other superheroes, one of whom is Michael Holt, also known as Mister Terrific, played by Edi Gathegi. Recently, images of Mister Terrific were shared online, building excitement for the character’s role in Chapter One of the DC film universe, titled Gods and Monsters. Holt, a brilliant and resourceful hero, brings a wealth of potential to the storyline.
Mister Terrific: The Third Smartest Man in the World with Incredible Abilities
Mister Terrific, also known as Michael Holt, was created by John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake. He was introduced as an extraordinary individual with a unique combination of intellect and physical skills. From an early age, Michael Holt exhibited his exceptional intelligence.
He could understand complex topics, like theoretical physics before most people even began their studies. His intelligence didn’t stop there. Holt earned an impressive 14 PhDs in various fields, including chemistry, physics, and law. Because of his brilliance, he earned the title of “the third-smartest man in the world.”
In addition to his academic achievements, Holt is also an Olympic-level athlete. He even went on to start his own company, which he eventually sold to Bruce Wayne (better known as Batman). Despite his many successes, Holt’s life was deeply marked by personal tragedy.
He lost his older brother, Jeffery, when he was just a child. Later, he suffered the heartbreaking loss of his wife and unborn child in a car accident. After these devastating events, Holt was left with a deep sense of loss and despair. At one point, he even considered ending his life.
However, fate intervenes when Holt meets Jim Corrigan, also known as the Spectre, the spirit of vengeance. Corrigan shared the story of Terry Sloane, the original Mister Terrific. Sloane was known for his genius-level intellect and photographic memory.
His ability to excel in every field earned him the nickname “The Man of 1,000 Talents.” Holt, inspired by Sloane’s story, decided to take up the mantle of Mister Terrific, but with a modern twist.
Holt created a mask made of nanites, a kind of advanced technology, that allowed him to project holograms, hack into communication systems, and even become nearly invisible to all forms of electronic detection.
Additionally, Holt made use of a powerful set of “T-Spheres,” spherical devices that serve various purposes, including both offense and defense. Holt also took up martial arts training, ensuring he could hold his own in physical combat when necessary.
Mister Terrific: A Key Member of Superhero Teams
Mister Terrific’s most notable role in the comics was as a member of the Justice Society of America (JSA), a team of iconic superheroes. Holt didn’t just join the JSA—he became its chairman at one point, helping to resolve leadership conflicts between two of its other members, Hawkman and Sand.
Throughout his time with the JSA, Holt formed close relationships with several other superheroes, including Black Lightning and Batman. His connection with Batman is especially significant. Batman recruited Holt to join a special team during the Infinite Crisis storyline. Holt’s invisibility to Brother Eye, a malevolent AI, made him invaluable in the mission to stop it.
The inclusion of Mister Terrific in Gunn’s Superman movie may suggest that a version of the JSA will appear in the new DC Universe. Hawkgirl, portrayed by Isabela Merced, is also expected to be a member of the Justice Society in the upcoming films.
Beyond the JSA, Mister Terrific has been a part of other superhero teams. One of these teams is The Terrifics, a group created by writer Jeff Lemire and artist Ivan Reis. In this series, Holt teams up with three other superheroes: Plastic Man, Metamorpho, and Phantom Girl from the Legion of Superheroes.
The team was brought together by energy from the Dark Multiverse, and they set out to show the Multiverse and investigate various threats. Holt also joined the government organization known as Checkmate, an agency with ties to characters like Amanda Waller.
This connection is relevant to DC Studios, as Viola Davis is set to reprise her role as Waller in a standalone series. Additionally, actor Anthony Carrigan has been cast as Metamorpho in Superman, further linking the teams to the DC movie universe.
Mister Terrific in Other DC Media
Mister Terrific is not new to DC fans. He has appeared in several animated series and films over the years. Most notably, Holt appeared in the final season of Justice League Unlimited, where he took on the role of directing the League’s missions after the departure of J’onn J’onzz (also known as Martian Manhunter).
Holt’s leadership and intelligence helped guide the Justice League in its efforts. He also played an important role in the animated movie Justice League vs. The Fatal Five, which is part of the DC Animated Universe. In this film, Mister Terrific worked with the Justice League to stop a deadly threat from the Fatal Five.
Still from Superman (Credit: DC)
Mister Terrific also appeared in the animated movie Injustice, which is based on a popular video game. In this storyline, Superman becomes a dictator after the death of Lois Lane, and Holt attempts to stop him by creating a gateway into the multiverse. He brings an alternate version of Superman into the world to help defeat the tyrant.
Another notable appearance of Mister Terrific was in the Arrow TV series. This version of the character Curtis Holt, was portrayed by Echo Kellum. Curtis started out working at Palmer Technologies, where he worked closely with Felicity Smoak.
He eventually took on the role of Mister Terrific and joined Oliver Queen’s team, becoming a key ally throughout the show’s later seasons. Curtis Holt’s version of Mister Terrific also appeared in two of the Arrowverse’s major crossovers.
Mister Terrific’s Role in Superman
Mister Terrific’s presence in the upcoming Superman movie is already generating a lot of excitement. A brief teaser trailer for the film has already shown Holt using his T-Spheres to create a protective shield for both himself and Superman, protecting them from military forces.
The exact context for this confrontation is still unclear, but it’s clear that Superman and Mister Terrific will cross paths. A moment in the trailer shows someone throwing a can at Superman’s head and set photos to reveal Rick Flag Sr. (played by Frank Grillo) hauling Superman away in chains. These clues suggest that Superman and Mister Terrific will have to work together in the face of a larger conflict.
James Gunn confirmed that Mister Terrific will play a major role in the film. He stated, “They’re supporting cast, but Mister Terrific is the main character of those characters. He actually plays a big part in the plot. And so that was fun.” Fans of the character can look forward to seeing more of Mister Terrific’s involvement when Superman hits theaters in 2025.
Conclusion
Mister Terrific is a character with great potential in the new DC Studios universe. His intelligence, physical skills, and connections to various superhero teams make him a key figure in the upcoming Superman movie.
With his significant role confirmed, fans can expect to see a deeper scheme of his abilities and his relationship with Superman and other characters. Mister Terrific is ready to leave his mark on the DC Universe, and Superman will be the perfect stage for his journey. Superman will be released in theaters on July 11, 2025.
The Elsbeth midseason finale, “Toil and Trouble,” takes a clever approach to blend humor, mystery, and drama while weaving a compelling narrative set against the backdrop of procedural television. The episode creates a unique space where murder, satire, and industry commentary intersect, delivering an engaging story without losing the core charm of the show.
The episode begins in a dimly lit factory, where a factory owner confronts a crooked police sergeant over an impending Department of Labor investigation. The sergeant assures him that he will block any inquiry, but their tense exchange is interrupted by the arrival of Detective Felicity Watts and Father Rick Garvey.
The situation escalates into a shootout, during which Father Garvey shoots the sergeant and then realizes that Felicity has been gravely wounded. He pleads with her to stay alive, but suddenly forgets his line. At this point, the dramatic tension is broken, and it becomes clear that the scene is part of Father Crime, a fictional police procedural about a priest solving crimes.
Jack Wilson stars as Father Rick Garvey, and Regina Coburn plays Detective Felicity Watts. The director opts to move forward and plans to fix the flubbed line in post-production, setting the tone for an episode filled with sharp meta-commentary on the TV industry.
Behind the scenes of Father Crime, Regina Coburn finds herself increasingly frustrated with her role on the show. She visits showrunner Cal Reed to voice her dissatisfaction, lamenting that her career as a classically trained actor has been reduced to playing a character in a procedural drama. Cal dismisses her complaints, informing her that the network has demanded a more dramatic finale for the season, which means scrapping her character’s planned coma storyline.
This news devastates Regina, who had been promised time off to perform in a play in London. Cal, however, emphasizes that contracts, not promises, dictate the industry and curtly reminds her that she is bound to the show.
Still from the episode (Paramount+)
Their heated exchange takes a toxic turn when Cal asserts his control over her career, claiming that he gave her everything and can take it all away. Before the situation escalates further, Cal’s assistant Gia interrupts with updates from production and hands him a manila envelope. Cal tosses the envelope aside, oblivious to the deadly chain of events about to unfold.
The next day, Regina receives a minor script revision but dreads the major changes still to come. Meanwhile, Cal enjoys a massage in his office. Regina enters the room, armed with handcuffs and a single high-heeled shoe.
She traps Cal by cuffing him to the table, tapes his mouth shut, and removes the towel covering his eyes. As he realizes her intentions, Regina drives the heel of her shoe into his eye and finishes the act by hammering it in with a trophy, leaving Cal dead.
Elsbeth arrives at the crime scene shortly after the murder, immediately noticing inconsistencies. A whiteboard in Cal’s office, once filled with production notes, now bears the ominous message “Give Us Wavey” written in all caps.
Officer Kaya Blanke explains that “Wavey” refers to the fan-created couple name for Felicity Watts and Father Rick Garvey. The unresolved romantic tension between the characters had frustrated fans for years. This discovery leads Elsbeth to suspect that the crime might be connected to a disgruntled viewer.
Elsbeth and Blanke begin interviewing the cast and crew, uncovering widespread disdain for Cal. Gia reveals that someone canceled Cal’s massage appointment using her phone, even though she was away from her desk at the time.
The masseuse describes the caller as having a “weird” accent, ruling out Gia as the caller since she struggles with accents. Regina claims she was rehearsing lines in her dressing room during the murder, but her behavior raises questions. For instance, she eats ice cream on a shoot day—an unusual choice for actors who typically avoid dairy before filming.
As the investigation unfolds, suspicion shifts to Blake, a background actor whose script mirrors the events of Cal’s murder. Police find the other high-heeled shoe used in the crime in Blake’s car, further implicating him.
However, Blake insists he is being framed. Elsbeth begins to share his skepticism, noting that the evidence against him seems too convenient. She starts piecing together a case against Regina, whose alibi and actions appear increasingly suspicious.
Elsbeth discovers critical details that implicate Regina. Gia recalls overhearing Regina rehearse lines but notes that she used an outdated version of the script, which was uncharacteristic of her. This suggests the lines were pre-recorded and played back to create an alibi.
Elsbeth also learns that Regina’s dialect work on Father Crime was so poor that all her lines were dubbed over by her dialect coach. This revelation aligns with the masseuse’s description of the caller’s “weird” accent.
Still from the episode (Paramount+)
The breakthrough comes when Elsbeth confronts Regina and asks her to recite a line from Macbeth. Regina obliges, delivering the line in a poorly executed accent that the masseuse immediately recognizes as the voice she heard.
Elsbeth deduces that Regina, in her desperation to leave for London, used her knowledge of crime procedurals to stage the murder and frame Blake. However, Regina’s downfall comes from a small but significant oversight.
The script Blake wrote referred to the murder weapon as a “stiletto,” a term commonly used for both a knife and a type of shoe. Regina, accustomed to reading only her own lines, missed the context and used a shoe instead of a knife, exposing her as the killer.
With Regina apprehended, Elsbeth shifts her attention to another brewing conflict involving Judge Crawford. Captain Wagner warns Elsbeth that Crawford has taken an interest in her activities, making subtle but ominous remarks during a chance encounter. Elsbeth’s involvement in a high-profile divorce case further draws Crawford’s attention, setting the stage for a future confrontation.
“Toil and Trouble” is a masterful blend of mystery, satire, and drama, delivering a story filled with clever twists and sharp humor. By poking fun at procedural TV tropes while revealing a compelling murder mystery, the episode showcases the brilliance of Elsbeth’s character and her unorthodox methods. As Elsbeth solves one case, she faces new challenges on the horizon, leaving viewers eager for what’s to come.
