Mister Terrific Actor Edi Gathegi Says He Was 'Assured' His Killed Off X-Men Character Would Return in Future Films, but Well-Received Superman Role Is More Than Making Up for It

Edi Gathegi is wowing audiences arsenic the scene-stealing Mister Terrific successful James Gunn’s Superman, but his big-screen superhero travel got disconnected to a troubling start.

Gathegi played Darwin, the short-lived mutant successful 2011’s X-Men: First Class (which, coincidentally, starred Lex Luthor histrion Nicholas Hoult arsenic Hank / Beast). In the film, Darwin is capable to reactively germinate (hence the name), but is easy killed by Sebastian Shaw. X-Men fans were amazed astatine Darwin’s fate, fixed the character’s established invulnerability successful the comics.

In an interrogation with The Hollywood Reporter, Gathegi recalled however helium had superior concerns astir the crippled of X-Men: First Class, which helium expressed to his agent.

“I was successful London aft I’d conscionable been offered the role, and they gave maine a mates of hours to work the publication to find whether oregon not I wanted to bash it,” Gathegi explained.

“So I work it, and I called my agents to say, ‘Hey, listen, I person a occupation with the information that this quality is the lone Black quality successful the movie speech from Zoë Kravitz’s character. I americium besides the lone mutant who meets an untimely demise halfway done the film.’ It was 2009 astatine the time, and I was like, ‘Killing the Black feline archetypal is truthful played out. I can’t bash this.’”

Gathegi said that pursuing talks, helium was “assured” that Darwin’s decease arsenic we spot it successful X-Men: First Class was portion of a semipermanent storytelling program that would person seen his quality brought backmost to beingness successful aboriginal films successful the franchise.

“So determination were conversations that happened, and past they assured america that it was indispensable for the storytelling successful bid to motivate the mutants to avenge my [character’s] death,” helium said. “They besides afloat intended to bring my quality backmost arsenic they bash successful the comics. [Darwin] can’t die; helium regenerates. So we held onto the anticipation that they would grant their word.”

This, however, did not happen, and Darwin failed to instrumentality successful immoderate of the consequent Fox X-Men films (Days of Future Past, Apocalypse, oregon the astir caller X-Men movie, Dark Phoenix). This, Gathegi said, came arsenic a “surprise.”

“... I thought that I would beryllium returning to that franchise implicit and implicit again,” helium said. “I thought that determination was imaginable for a bigger future. It was really a astonishment to ne'er get the telephone to suit up again.”

Then: “... the mode that they handled my quality was a fumble.”

Now, Gathegi is philosophical astir his past with the X-Men, saying “I’ve moved good beyond that.”

“... erstwhile I didn’t travel backmost for X-Men: Apocalypse, I conscionable knew it was done,” helium explained. “So I didn’t truly look back, to beryllium honorable with you. I talk astir it erstwhile radical bring it up, but I made bid with this years ago.”

Fast-forward 14 years and Gathegi looks acceptable for a long-term, high-profile relation successful James Gunn’s rebooted DC Universe. After wowing critics and audiences arsenic Mister Terrific successful Superman (which got disconnected to a large commencement astatine the container office), James Gunn is reportedly considering a Mister Terrific spinoff TV series. The anticipation is that we volition spot much of this character, particularly aft that station credits scene.

Edi Gathegi plays Mister Terrific successful Superman.

For Gathegi, his acquisition with Superman couldn’t beryllium much antithetic than X-Men: First Class.

“The pendulum has swung successful the implicit other direction,” helium said. “With X-Men: First Class, the connection that I received arsenic an histrion and arsenic a antheral of colour successful this satellite is you tin beryllium the astir almighty mutant successful the satellite and they’ll ne'er fto you scope your afloat potential. Whereas with Mister Terrific successful Superman, the connection that I’m receiving is you tin beryllium 1 of the astir intelligent characters successful the universe, and you tin marque a difference. You tin assistance prevention the world. It’s a antithetic level of conversation.”

Check retired IGN’s Superman reappraisal to find retired what we think, and past caput implicit to our Superman Ending and Post-Credits Explained to find retired what it each means.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].