Mr. Terrific in James Gunn’s Superman Already Hints at the Hero’s Future in the DCU

The upcoming 2025 Superman reboot by James Gunn is set to give fans a new cinematic take on the Man of Steel, but it will also feature several other DC characters. These include characters associated with Wildstorm’s The Authority, as well as the Justice League and the Justice Society. One example of the latter is Mr. Terrific, who may have a future in the new DC Universe that matches his moniker.

With ties to the Golden Age of Comics, the presence of Mr. Terrific suggests that this might be a DC Universe with a lot of legacy. Conversely, his later adventures might mainly pull from his most recent comics, which involved a fittingly terrific team. The character finally getting his due on the big screen is perhaps the best example of “fair play,” with the alter ego of Michael Holt opening several doors for the new DCU.

Who Is Mr. Terrific in the DC Comics Universe?

Debut: Sensation Comics #1 by Charles Reizenstein and Hal Sharp (Terry Sloane)

Debut: Spectre #54 by John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake (Michael Holt)

The original Mr. Terrific was Terry Sloane, who debuted in the Golden Age of Comics. A bored renaissance man of an entrepreneur, who took to acting as a superhero vigilante who enacted “fair play” in order to stop local crime. His efforts allowed him to eventually join the Justice Society of America. Unfortunately, like many people on the team, he failed to make much of a splash on his own and was eventually forgotten. With no sidekicks or replacements (at the time), he faded into obscurity like several other JSA members that weren’t named Green Lantern, Hawkman or The Flash. That all changed, somewhat, following DC’s Crisis on Infinite Earths reboot, in which the Justice Society and the Justice League were on the same Earth and had their histories consolidated.

This new timeline also introduced a successor to Terry Sloane named Michael Holt. Though incredibly intelligent and accomplished as a businessman and intellectual, Holt felt that his life was over following the tragic death of his wife. This also made him question religion, spirituality and the validity of God more than ever. Ironically, it was a chance encounter with The Spectre that changed everything, with the Spirit of God’s Wrath informing Holt of the story of Terry Sloane. Inspired by the deceased Sloane, Michael Holt became a new version of Mr. Terrific, complete with hi-tech “T-spheres” and a jacket that read “fair play.” From there, he went on to become a member and even chairman of the Justice Society, as well as having ties to Checkmate and even the Justice League.

Mr. Terrific Might Be Terry Sloane’s Successor in James Gunn’s DCU

Edi Gathegi plays Mr. Terrific in the upcoming Superman reboot, which acts as the first film in the cinematic DC Universe. Coming after the dissolution of the previous DC Extended Universe, this new shared universe aims to be more accurate to the comics, especially for characters such as Superman. A big part of this will be adapting a strong sense of legacy, which is a huge part of what makes modern DC Comics so popular. How far this will go is unknown, but a project involving the Teen Titans has been confirmed as being in the works. This cements that the DCU will feature more of this legacy than the DCEU, and that may go in reverse, as well.

While the DCEU had its own version of the Justice Society in the movie Black Adam, there was no real mention or connection to the team’s Golden Age history from the comics. If the new universe actually does the opposite, it will have a far more developed history and presence for the Justice Society of America. In doing so, characters such as the Terry Sloane Mr. Terrific will likely be present, paving the way for an adaptation of the classic origin story for Michael Holt. Becoming informed in some way of Sloane’s life, Holt will note how it affected him and made him become the new Mr. Terrific. That would immediately fix a major missing piece from the previous shared universe, though it’s not confirmed to be happening.

Michael Holt Could Be the First Mr. Terrific of James Gunn’s DCU

During the New 52 reboot in 2011, DC Comics completely upended most of its history and legacy. This included putting the JSA and the JLA on different Earths again, thus destroying the strong sense of legacy from beforehand. Many heroes and villains were affected by this, including Mr. Terrific. In the New 52 timeline, Michael Holt was the only Mr. Terrific, with Terry Sloane not existing on the “main” Earth. While his origins were mostly the same, the presence of The Spectre and Holt’s story were erased. This made Holt more of an independent hero, especially since the JSA was now on another world (Earth-2).

After the cancelation of his solo series, Mr. Terrific actually went to Earth-2, where he remained for quite a while and built upon his romance with Karen Starr, aka Power Girl. It was only after DC Rebirth and subsequent stories that he returned to the main DC Earth. Likewise, Rebirth also restored the JSA’s history on the main Earth, with Mr. Terrific currently being a member of the new Justice Society of America comic book. It’s highly likely that the DCU will adapt from some of these modern comics, including the New 52.

Since James Gunn (director of Superman and creative head of the DC Universe) is a fan of these comic books, it isn’t outside of the realms of possibility. Doing this with the character would mean that Michael Holt will be the only Mr. Terrific. This would excise Terry Sloane, and possibly the Justice Society, from any sort of presence in the DC Universe. While this would be a shame, it would simplify Mr. Terrific’s history and allow Holt to be more of a solo act. The latter point is unlikely, however, as the hero is potentially being set up for a team of his own.

After DC Rebirth, DC Comics launched the “New Age of DC Heroes” lineup. These titles were more artist-driven in their concepts, and most of them were based on concepts, characters and teams from Marvel Comics. In the case of The Fantastic Four, they had a DC equivalent in the form of “The Terrifics.” This team included Mr. Terrific, Metamorpho, Plastic Man and Phantom Girl, who were bonded together and went on multiversal adventures after being exposed to Dark Multiverse energy.

While Plastic Man had the same powers as Mr. Fantastic/Reed Richards, it was Mr. Terrific that had his brainpower. The book and the team became fan-favorites, and it’s highly likely that the DC Universe will have a movie or show for The Terrifics. This is especially the case given that Metamorpho is also debuting in Superman alongside Mr. Terrific. If this happens, it can act as a metaphorical rival to Marvel Studios’ rebooted version of the Fantastic Four, which will debut in a new movie a few weeks away from the release of Superman.

It’s unknown where the “First Family” will appear elsewhere, but if The Terrifics is a success, it can allow the DCU to beat the more established Marvel Cinematic Universe at its own game. Doing so would also cement Mr. Terrific as one of the premiere DC heroes, namely if a further connection to the Justice League or the Justice Society is established. Regardless of which group he joins or forms in the DC Universe, it’s certain that “fair play” will be in play when Mr. Terrific hits the big screen for the first time in 2025.