Anthony Cooper puts the spotlight on three movie-stealing characters from James Gunn’s Superman…
James Gunn’s mesmerizing metahuman world of Gods and Monsters that is Superman will make you cheer, cry, and be dazzled by sheer movie-making magic. Of course, David Corenswet’s performance as Superman, the titular “Last Son of Krypton”, is a perfect mix of misunderstood angst, romance, and squared-jawed heroics. However, this feel-good movie of the summer is worth a first, second, and possibly a third viewing, if not for any other reason, than these three stand-out performances…
Krypto: The Charismatic Canine with a Cape
From the moment Krypto (possibly a Russell Terrier) came speeding across the Arctic Tundra after a whistle call from a defeated Superman, audiences melted over the dog’s exuberance for his friend. Despite the use of CGI, Krypto brought a humanity to Kal-El with their connection that most can relate to in a man and his dog needing each other. This man’s connection with his dog was quite genuine, as James Gunn was inspired by his rescue dog.
Gunn revealed in his X post that Krypto was influenced by his adopted dog Ozu, who was abandoned in a backyard and had no human contact. Ozu destroyed Gunn’s home, his shoes, furniture, and laptop. When he was writing Superman, he contemplated what if Ozu had superpowers, and that shaped his characterization of Krypto. Who wouldn’t laugh at a dog with superpowers chewing up the Fortress of Solitude?
Krypto’s loyalty and love for Superman were evident when he repeatedly jumped on an injured Man of Steel in the Arctic snow, before dragging him by the cape to the Fortress. This charm grounded their relationship, while the seamless Krypto CGI effects quickly faded into the background. Their relationship was poignant and real, expressed in an enraged Superman crashing into Lex Luthor’s Luthorcorp office screaming, “Where’s the DOG! The dog Luthor, you took the DOG!”, after finding Krypto missing from the Fortress.
The charm of Krypto continues when he was fresh from raiding a doggy treat store, when he follows Superman’s orders to attack Lex’s Drones and his army of Raptors in a final battle scene. Kal-El’s canine is part of Superman’s family, which culminated in a satisfying scene in Lex’s command center when Krypto grabs Lex and thrashes him around like “The Dog of Steel” with a bone.
Ultimately, Krypto’s presence in the film was a needed break of levity to balance the moments of crisis, despair, international coups, and the multiple threats to Superman and Metropolis. James Gunn’s connection to his rescue dog Ozu was an incredibly endearing touch to add to Superman with the introduction of Krypto and all his lovable canine antics and audiences are here for more “man’s best superfriend!”
Mister Terrific: The Genius with Deadpan Swagger
Edi Gathegi is no stranger to fantasy and superhero movies as he portrayed the vampire Laurent in the Twilight franchise, as well as a mutant with adaptive powers as Darwin in X-Men: First Class. However, I suspect that his role as Mister Terrific (Michael Holt) in Superman will likely become what he is best known for. From DC comics source material, Mister Terrific is considered the third smartest person on the planet, with 14 PhDs in fields such as physics, engineering, law, and psychology.
Mister Terrific is a self-made tech mogul (founder of Holt Industries), who, based on his superior intellect, tends to isolate himself, creating an emotional distance and a stoic demeanor. It was this attention to detail by Gunn in the character development of Mister Terrific that likely gave Gathegi the space to nail those scene-stealing deadpan quips. Not surprisingly, Gathegi stole every scene in Superman he was a part of.
Mister Terrific wielded his floating chair and T-Sphere AI devices for offensive and defensive strikes against Lex’s Raptors with standout flair and swag – so much so, I suspect a standalone movie or continuity series could be in the works for Gathegi. However, it’s Gathegi’s sarcasm as Mister Terrific in the heat of battle that left audiences in stitches, such as when fighting Lex’s monkey army, Superman made a tactical suggestion, and Mister Terrific replied, “You fly. I calculate. Let’s not switch jobs.”
In another scene-stealing moment for Mister Terrific, the Justice Gang (Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl, and Metamorpho) were entertaining Guy, complaining about the team’s name. Again, demonstrating his boredom with brainless minutia, Mister Terrific retorts, “…We’re here to stop dimensional collapse. But sure, let’s workshop the logo.”
Mister Terrific certainly amped up the swag and coolness meter in Superman with how he casually floats into battles with his chair and deploys his T-Spheres to strategically devastate targets with the ease of a genius-level tactician. Additionally, Mister Terrific’s Justice Gang uniform with the “Fair Play” slogan on his jacket sleeves earns him by far the best-dressed hero in Metropolis, as he proudly wears that slogan, which for him means that intelligence and compassion can coexist with strength.
Lex Luthor: The Billionaire Tech-Titan with Issues
Nicholas Hoult is a former child actor known for his role in the Christmas rom com About a Boy. He was later introduced to the superhero genre with his first appearance as Beast in X-Men: First Class, with co-star Edi Gathegi, and reprised his mutant role in subsequent X-Men franchise films. Recently, Hoult was compelling in the role of Thomas Hutter, the naive and unsuspecting Estate Agent assisting the vampire Count Orlok in Nosferatu to purchase property in Germany – far away from the Count’s ancestral homeland in Romania, Transylvania.
Up until now, who knew Hoult could portray a villain in the stylized maniacal manner in which he embodied Lex Luthor in Superman? A well-crafted superhero narrative benefits greatly from an engaging antagonist/villain, and Hoult delivers an exceptional performance in every one of his Superman scenes. There so much good stuff one can only wonder what didn’t make it in the film. That rye smirk he does with his incisor tooth as a sign of frustration was subtle yet effective in crafting a menacing persona – that despite his billionaire brilliance, he’s still mentally unstable in his revenge and jealousy of Superman.
I have to rave that my favorite Lex/Superman interaction is when Superman confronts Lex about Krypto being taken from the Fortress, and of course, Lex pretends not to know what Superman is talking about. However, while standing face-to-face with Superman, then under his breath, while drinking from his Luthorcorp logo mug to mock the moment – Lex mumbles, “Ugly dog in a cape…”. This scene, among many, proved to me that Hoult is a tour de force of villainy, rage, and evil genius all wrapped up in a designer suit.
The contrast of Hoult’s bold head, piercing blue eyes, and his almost innocent baby-like face is almost jarring compared to his emotional outbursts of hatred for Superman as an alien, not from Earth. Lex called Superman “It” several times, as well as purposefully misnaming his Kryptonian home world by calling him a Martian and a Venusian.
For me, Hoult’s performance as Lex Luthor anchored this film in a purposeful way that allowed audiences to see how easily one can create a narrative for the masses to hate. And when Hoult as Lex, was on the brink of a defeat and he let fall a single tear because his plans of becoming a self-made King reigning over a conquered sovereign land failed – Nicholas Hoult became more that a supervillain, he became a movie star, and I hope to see more of him as Lex Luthor in the future.
What were your favourite performances and characters in Superman? Let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
Anthony Cooper
