While Supergirl hasn’t been the box office smash that it was hoped it would be, the DCU continues moving forward. Work is underway on the Superman follow up Man of Tomorrow, we’ve recently gotten updates on the Jimmy Olsen series that’s in the works, and now, another fan-favorite character from last summer’s Superman is getting an update as to their live-action future. Mister Terrific, played by Edi Gathegi in last year’s smash hit film, had long been expected to get his own story after a copyright for a Mister Terrific movie was filed for last summer but now, it seems that project might actually be headed to the small screen instead.
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According to The Hollywood Reporter, a Mister Terrific focused series is reportedly in active development at DC Studios. More than that, Allan Heinberg is said to be writing the pilot. If that name is familiar to you, there’s a reason for that and it’s solid news for the project. Heinberg not only has had an extensive career writing for television with credits that include Gilmore Girls, Grey’s Anatomy and more, but he’s no stranger to the superhero world, not only having written comics of his own (specifically Young Avengers for Marvel) as well comics adaptations as well, namely as the screenwriter for 2017’s Wonder Woman and Netflix’s The Sandman, which he also developed.
Is Focusing on Smaller, Lesser-Known Characters a Good Strategy for the DCU?
This latest update on Mister Terrific’s DCU future is certainly an exciting one for fans overall. The character was one of the breakout figures in Superman and it was pretty clear very quickly that audiences wanted to see more of him beyond that film. However, he’s not the only “smaller” character that is getting a focus in the broader DCU. The Jimmy Olsen series is in progress and even beyond characters we met in Superman, the DCU also has the upcoming Clayface movie. While none of these characters are what I would call obscure from a comics fan standpoint, I also wouldn’t call them mainstream and it begs the question of whether leaning into these characters that more casual fans may be less familiar with and, therefore, less invested in, is a good strategy for the franchise, particularly in the wake of Supergirl’s stumble.
If Supergirl had been the box office success that it was hoped it would be, this might be a different conversation. The DCU would have two successful films anchored by two high profile superheroes and that alone would help buy a bit of fan goodwill and trust. However, while the audience score for Supergirl suggests that the film is better than critics gave it credit for and that its poor box office may not be the full story, the fact remains that the film was not successful. It could end up being a real challenge to get fans invested in whatever is next for the DCU if their focus is on smaller characters if, in the opinions of some, can’t even get the big ones right.
Of course, focusing on smaller characters might actually be a very solid plan in the long run. DC Studios co-head James Gunn has a strong record of taking smaller, underappreciated characters and making them shine so that they end up fan favorites and, in turn, makes their stories successful. If that sort of track record holds for the DCU, steering away from bit ticket characters to tell these somewhat more unfamiliar and intimate stories might be exactly what is needed to build out the overall world and ultimately create a foundation for the bigger heroes to be done and done better further down the road. For now, we’ll just have to ride things out and see how the next DCU offering lands.
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