The latest episode of the DC Studios Showcase Official Podcast features interviews with two stars from the upcoming Superman film: Edi Gathegi (Mr. Terrific) and María Gabriela de Faría (The Engineer).
The episode kicks off celebrating Pride Month, with the hosts highlighting their favourite queer narratives within the DC Universe.
The podcast then moved into interviews with the Superman cast members, recorded in an undisclosed secret location.
Edi Gathegi on Playing Mr. Terrific
Edi Gathegi, cast as Mr. Terrific, was introduced as someone perfectly suited for the role. Coy Jandreau described Mr. Terrific as “very cool, suave, very put together”. The character is known for his incredible intellect, possessing 14 PhDs, and is depicted as highly capable and intelligent without feeling like a deus ex machina. Mr. Terrific encourages intelligence, always thinking his way through problems. He is often the voice of reason and the person characters turn to for answers. Gathegi’s thoughtful articulation and outside perspective mirrored the character, making him a correct casting choice. The character’s experiences mold him, making him unique even among geniuses and martial arts experts. Mr. Terrific has been appearing more frequently recently and is expected to become a household name after the Supermanmovie, with his catchphrase “Fair Play” and his iconic jacket set to be everywhere.
Gathegi expressed excitement about playing the character and viewed it as a “redemption arc” and a chance to inspire a new generation of young Black kids. He acknowledged Mr. Terrific’s intellect rivalling or exceeding Batman’s and his next-level training and peak physical condition.
Regarding preparation, Gathegi joked that his first step was to learn his lines, given the character’s 14 PhDs, noting you “just can’t really enter the body of somebody who’s this accomplished”. However, he undertook extensive preparation, reading everything he could, training for about five months, and consuming all available animation featuring the character. He highlighted pushing his body to the limits because he had never played a decathlete before, ensuring he felt confident and deserving on set.
Gathegi’s favourite depiction of Mr. Terrific was from Injustice, where he felt the character operated “at a different level” and could “do anything,” describing him as “5D chess if Batman’s 4D chess”.
Asked about his pop culture origin story, Gathegi revealed he didn’t find acting until his twenties. However, looking back, Last of the Mohicans stood out as his first encounter with “excellence” and craft at its highest level. He was particularly moved by Daniel Day Lewis’s performance and Trevor Jones’s score, describing the music as emotionally complex about fate. The score even inspired him to learn guitar during COVID just to play the song, although he admitted he no longer knows how. The hosts noted this aptitude for picking up difficult habits felt very “Mr. Terrific”. Gathegi also mentioned trying to teach himself Italian using a language program other than Duolingo, which he found focused on impractical phrases.
Discussing the character’s costume, Gathegi highlighted the importance of the jacket, calling it “fire” and part of what makes the character. He joked about not stealing the costume but perhaps should have. He also clarified that the face paint is actually nanotechnology.
On working with director James Gunn, Gathegi felt Gunn hires people he trusts are “up to the task”. He described the set environment as having a “spirit of play,” where Gunn encourages dancing in the “zany” and going off-script, allowing for new discoveries during filming.
Gathegi revealed that his version of Mr. Terrific in the film evolved during filming, becoming “a little bit more interesting, a little bit deeper, a little bit more complex, a little bit more unhinged” than his initial screen test portrayal. He feels this adds more layers, reflecting the complexity of humanity.
When asked what “Fair Play” means to him, Gathegi answered as Mr. Terrific: “sharing my tech with the world”.
María Gabriela de Faría on Portraying The Engineer
María Gabriela de Faría plays The Engineer in the Superman film. Coy Jandreau explained that she is from The Authority, a comic series described as having a darker, gritty tone that successfully balanced edginess without being dark for its own sake. The Engineer’s power set involves nanotechnology that can form weapons. Interestingly, The Engineer would not consider herself a villain but rather a “product of her environment,” doing what she believes is necessary. Coy wondered how her character would be interpreted in Superman, especially with Lex Luthor grappling with Superman’s existence and The Authority potentially representing a necessary response to the rise of superpowers.
De Faría was asked about her pop culture origin story. She immediately named Matilda, specifically the movie starring Mara Wilson. Watching a child lead a movie and have powers inspired her. She recounted trying to move things with her mind like the character and using Matilda’s line about being “too tired” when she couldn’t. Around the same time, a Venezuelan telenovela called Mi Pequena Mama (“My little mom”) came out, about a little girl with the soul of an old woman and witch powers, further convincing her that acting with fantastical elements was possible.
Raised by telenovelas and having worked in them from age five until she left Venezuela at fifteen, de Faría noted it’s impossible not to bring that influence to her roles. She described herself as “very telenovela-like”. While Director James Gunn initially wanted The Engineer to be serious and poker-faced, de Faría felt the character is emotional and that “shit happens to her,” bringing a sense of drama and emotion informed by her telenovela background. She felt this emotional depth adds strength to the character.
De Faría discussed how her telenovela background, where scripts are often given the day of filming and characters live many lives across different versions, prepared her for the long-form, ever-changing nature of comic book characters. The demanding schedule of shooting many scenes per day in telenovelas also instilled a strong work ethic.
A playful suggestion arose about whether The Engineer watches telenovelas. De Faría loved the idea, calling it a “guilty pleasure” she hides from Lex Luthor. She thought The Engineer might watch a classic Venezuelan telenovela about twin sisters, one good and one evil, where the evil twin takes over the good twin’s life. She noted the popularity of powerful, evil female characters in telenovelas, who often inspire memes and get the best outfits. De Faría suggested The Engineer might draw inspiration from these villains.
De Faría discussed her enjoyment of playing characters very different from herself, particularly villains, finding it “absolutely” therapeutic. She shared a humorous anecdote about people taking her dumbbells at the gym and how playing strong, unyielding characters like The Engineer allows her to embody someone “No one’s stealing [their] dumbbells”. She feels playing these characters helps her integrate different sides into her real personality. She called playing a villain in telenovelas “delicious” and “the best”.
On her dynamic with Lex Luthor in the film, de Faría explained that her character, Angie (Angela Spica), is fundamentally a good but broken person with childhood trauma who teams up with Lex to create a better world, even if it means getting rid of Superman. She revealed that she suggested to James Gunn that Lex and The Engineer have a secret, potentially dominant/submissive, relationship, which she felt Lex would be into.
The hosts expressed surprise at de Faría’s bubbly personality compared to the terrifying characters she often plays, like The Engineer and Maria in Deadly Class. They praised her acting talent and noted the campy, over-the-top nature of telenovela villains meshes well with comic book villains.
The hosts teased their next episode, which will feature an interview with James Gunn recorded at the DC Studios office.
